A Southern First Turns Up the Heat for United Way of Greenville County
Southern First brought back a fan favorite for their United Way of Greenville County campaign this year, and they didn’t just host another event. They brought the heat. Literally.
Inspired by the popular series Hot Ones, Southern First put their own employees in the hot seat, ten levels of increasingly spicy chicken wings and all. Volunteers sat down, took a bite, answered a round of questions and tried to keep their composure as the spice level climbed. It was equal parts entertainment and endurance test, and it turned into one of the most engaging campaign events we’ve seen yet.
How It Worked
Each brave volunteer worked their way through the wing lineup, answering questions between bites as the heat ramped up level by level. But here’s where the event took on a life of its own: throughout the challenge, viewers had the chance to save a coworker from the hot seat by scanning a live QR code and making a donation on the spot.
That real-time giving element turned watching into participating. Every donation had an immediate, visible impact, and it kept the energy in the room high from start to finish.
Leadership Stepped Up (and Into the Fire)
What really set this event apart was buy-in from the top. Southern First’s leadership team didn’t sit on the sidelines. They jumped into the hot seat right alongside their employees, showing the kind of willingness to be a little uncomfortable for a great cause that gets people talking and gets people giving.
Thank You, Southern First
Thanks to a creative concept, full team participation and a community that showed up to support it, Southern First’s Hot Seat Challenge raised more than $110,000 for United Way of Greenville County.
That kind of turnout and generosity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when a company is willing to try something bold and invite everyone along for the ride. We are so grateful to Southern First for their creativity, their energy and their commitment to our community. Events like this one remind us that fundraising can be fun, memorable and deeply effective all at once.