October 2016

Does your High School want to recognize outstanding student athletes, coaches, and staff, but your ASB is strapped for cash?  Consider a colorful and custom Full Color School Plaque!

High school plaque

Why these plaques are awesome:

They are fully customized to your school.  A graphic designer by trade, our engraver Lori creates each school's plaque individually.  Your plaque design will be unique from any other one in the country, just like your school!

Extremely budget friendly.  Under $20 each, these plaques have a high perceived value.  They look much more expensive than the price.  When ordering in multiples, the price continues to go down.  Helpful on a ASB budget!  And all personalization is FREE, no extra fees!

Cutting edge technology is used to create these plaques.  The plaque plate is actually made using sublimation, a state of the art process for color transfer.  The ink actually changes phases and is permanently bonded to the material.  The color does not scratch or fade from the surface of the metal.

How To Order:

Show your sponsor or booster how much you appreciate their support with a customized plaque.

Choose product #24915, enter the quantity and add to your cart.

Next you will go to the "Customize" page.  This is where you add your school logo and engraving.  Choose "enter engraving now", the first option.  Attach your logo to Line One.  The artwork needs to be a high quality, high resolution Jpeg, Eps or Ai file.  A full color Jpeg usually works best.  On the other lines, enter your text, such as school name, student's name, accomplishment, etc.

After placing your order, you will receive a proof of the design.  You work directly with Lori to make sure it looks exactly the way you want.  Please be sure to approve the proof quickly though, otherwise this can hold up the production time.

For payment, many schools pay with a Purchase Order.  This is no problem we can accommodate that for your school if necessary.  Just choose the "pick up/alternative payment" option at checkout.

Questions?  Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service team of Janice, Mika, Mike and myself are here to help!!  Just give us a call at 877-936-4700, email us at [email protected] or visit us on live chat!

Check out these awesome school plaques for your high school!  Your athletes, scholars, and good citizens deserve recognition for a job well done!

Cheers,
Jessica

Looking for something fun to spice up your Halloween bash?  Consider hosting a contest, complete with prizes!  There are all sorts of entertaining Halloween-themed games and activities to do with both kids and adults. Check out the 4 contest ideas blow with corresponding Halloween trophies for the winners.

Halloween Trophies add hype to your spooky event!

1.  Costume Contest - This is a no-brainer.  Everyone wears a costume to a Halloween party, so have your guests vote for their favorites!  This can be done at a kids' party, adult bash, or at the office.  My favorite award for 'Best Costume' is our Flying Witch Halloween Trophy.

2.  Pumpkin Carving Contest - Your guests bring a pumpkin to the party and take home a carved jack-o-lantern.  Put a big pot of soup on the stove, turn on some football, and it's the perfect fall activity!  At our family pumpkin carving competition, we had a 'Kids Choice' prize and an 'Adults Choice' winner.  For awards, I like our Halloween Rising Star Trophy or Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Column Trophy, as they both have carved and can be personalized specifically for your event.

3. Office Cube Decorating Contest - Why leave all the fun to the kids?  Get in the holiday spirit by hosting an office decorating competition.  You can choose a theme (or not) and then bring your spooky vision to life in your cubicle!  Once the office is decorated, host trick-or-treating for employees’ families to show it off.  One thing to double check with management is what decorations are allowed, such as lights or candles. This type of event is the highlight of the year for many businesses!  Don't forget prizes for the best decoration such as a Color Halloween Plaque to display in the office or a gift card to a neighboring coffee shop.

A great game for gremlins of all ages is the Spooky Touch Boxes!

4.  Spooky Touch Box - This is a fun game for a classroom party.  An adult creates a box with a hole, large enough for a hand to fit through, but small enough so you can’t see inside.  Within the box is a creepy item to feel.  I usually do 4-6 touch boxes for a party.  Each child takes a turn reaching their hand into each box, touching what is inside.  Whoever guesses the most correct items in the boxes wins!

Some ideas of things to put in the boxes are peeled grapes (for eyeballs), cold spaghetti (for brains), pumpkin guts (more brains), banana peel (for tongue), dried apricot (for ear).  My friend put an antler in one of the boxes for her daughter's party and that really stumped the kids.  Since the kids will get plenty of candy while trick-or-treating, I would suggest a non-edible prize.  A Halloween themed pencil, glow stick, glow necklace, creepy ring or Halloween medal are all good, inexpensive prizes for the winner.

I hope this gives you some fun ideas for your party and check out our large selection of Halloween Trophies here!  Only 2 1/2 weeks until Halloween - hope yours is safe and fun!

Editor's Note:  This post was originally published in October 2012, and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Cheers,
Jessica

One of my favorite times of year, the Pacific Northwest is beautiful in fall.  Autumn includes warm September days, crisp clear nights, fall colors in the trees, the return of the salmon, Octoberfest and best of all, FOOTBALL!

Even though football is in full swing, now's time to look forward to the end of the season, celebrating accomplishments of players and thanking those who support your team.  There's three categories of important people to acknowledge - Players, Coaches and Parents, and Sponsors.

Players

Our top selling football awards for your team, top players, and outstanding coaches!

For young pee-wee players, they may receive a participation trophy from their league for playing this season.  This is especially common for kiddos in their first few years of football. Great choices for football participation awards include Star Spinner Football Trophies, Pee Wee Football Trophies, and the Boys Football Column Trophy.  Football medals and Football dog tags are also popular choices for your youngest players.

As the kids get older, they may get trophies less for participation and more for winning.  Popular choices are football tournament trophies , large football trophies, and resin awards, such as our Lombardi Replica Junior Football Championship Trophy.  For even more ideas, read the Guide to Kids Trophies by Age.

Then there are special awards, such as Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP.  Many times these players receive plaques such as a Full Color School Plaque.  Be sure to make it meaningful with special words of praise, individualized to each player.

For graduating seniors, probably the coolest trophy I have ever seen was a custom designed plaque made by Issaquah High booster parents.  They split a helmet in half (I have no idea how they do it!) and then mount it onto a large board.  We then supply the engraving that is attached to the board next to the helmet.  It is a gorgeous award that becomes a treasured keepsake for those players and their families.

Coaches and Team Parents

Get even more great coach gift ideas on our Pinterest Page!

Coaches get many gifts over the years, so if you do give a coach award, make it personal.  I recommend a signed ball with a holder, a picture plaque, an engraved whistle or clipboard.  Another small funny gift is a coach bobble head.

Then pool parent's money together to purchase a gift card to the coach's favorite store or restaurant.  For more ideas visit Top Gifts for Coaches or our Coach Gifts & Awards Pinterest Page.

Team parents, such as booster club members, PTA supporters, concession seller, and other adult volunteers also deserve recognition for their contributions to the football season.  A small gift, such as a coffee gift cards, with a hand written note, is a nice gesture for those parents who go the extra mile to support your team.

Sponsors

Whether you like it or not, community sponsors are often necessary to support the team.  Being a community business that often gets hit up for money, I understand how sponsors want recognition and exposure for supporting your team.  Here are some ways to acknowledge your football team's sponsors.

1. Publish them and what they do in the program. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a sponsor name, but I have no idea what they do or sell.  Make sure to tell your fans.

2. Announce the sponsor on the loud speaker.  Maybe you feature a sponsor a game.  Just make sure your fans see and hear the name.

3. Memento of their contribution.  Favorite items include plaques that sponsors can hang on their wall.  One extremely popular option for sponsors are picture plaques with a photo of the team and then the sponsor's name and year.  Another choice is the Full Color School Plaque, completely personalized to your school colors and mascot.  Our engraver Lori individually designs each plaque to match your school!

4. Thank you.  A hand written note from the players makes an impact.

Your football season is a memorable time for all involved, including the coaches, team parent volunteers, sponsors and most of all, players.  Make it count with awesome football awards everyone will cherish for years to come.

Cheers!
Jessica