Virginia: Charlottesville Virginia Hotel

So here's the deal:

You and three of your closest friends fly JetBlue to California and spend four days at luxury hotels in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.

You'll watch tapings of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show, complete with backstage passes.

Keep an eye out for celebrities while you lunch at the Warner Bros. commissary.

Hang out with the writers and actors who make "Family Guy" -- Fox's sly and irreverent hit cartoon comedy. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the animation studios in the company of Mike Henry, the former Richmonder who lends his writing, producing and voice talents to the show.

To ensure the trip is utterly unforgettable, Henry will make sure you're drawn into one of the scenes of a future episode of "Family Guy."

Sound like fun?

It's all yours, as long as you're willing to outbid the other folks looking for a dash of animated fame.

Best of all, the big bucks you fork over will pay for research to find a cure for a disease that kills more babies than any other genetic disorder and leaves thousands of other children unable to walk.

With countless worthy causes competing for donations and attention these days, the hard work of doing good requires heavy doses of creative thinking.

It's no coincidence that the first three letters in fundraising are f-u-n.

Successful nonprofits recognize that good times can be nearly as important as good intentions when it comes to leveraging the generosity of your supporters.

Few organizations understand that better than FightSMA, which has raised millions of dollars for research into spinal muscular atrophy and has established chapters all over North America to help the children and parents who are battling the neurological disease.

Also known as Andrew's Buddies, the group was founded in Richmond 15 years ago by Joe and Martha Slay, whose oldest son has SMA. Today, Andrew Slay is in his third year as an economics major at the University of Virginia who has rarely let his wheelchair slow him down.

FightSMA, which spends much of its time lobbying Congress and dealing with complex scientific issues, will show off its flashy side Saturday night when its holds its annual fundraiser at the Virginia Aviation Museum.

There'll be dancing, music, drinks and plenty of good food, of course.

But the highlight may be the auction, where the 400 or so guests will bid for a luxury duck-hunting trip to Canada, a private-jet-and-Algonquin Hotel night in New York or a chance to drive a real race car, to name just a few of the goodies.

And don't forget that Hollywood experience.

"I'm going to give a tour of the studio," said Henry, the guy from "Family Guy." "They'll be able to sit in on a table reading, where the actors sit around reading the script to see what's funny."

Henry couldn't say no when FightSMA asked for help.

He knew Joe Slay from working at The Martin Agency years ago. "He's a good guy, and it's a great cause," Henry said.

Pretty simple. But there's nothing simple about pulling together an attention-grabbing event where folks bid on all kinds of unusual experiences.

. . .

Start with persistence, a big network of friends and a little audacity.

"The people on our board are not afraid to call anybody for anything," Martha Slay said.

Neither is she.

"After talking to Martha, there's no way you can say no," said Albert Ruiz, community relations director for JetBlue Airways, which is donating about a dozen round-trip air fares for this year's auction.

JetBlue's contribution helped a lot of other things fall into place, Martha Slay said. And it fit perfectly with this year's theme: FlightSMA.

"They've really gone out of their way to keep JetBlue involved in every aspect of this event," Ruiz said.

Good people skills are essential when you're asking for a lot. Expansive imaginations help, too.

"You start out in a room full of wonderfully creative people," said Leslie Griles, who headed the event this year with Denise Barnes. Both women are young mothers. None of their children have SMA.

. . .

At the planning stage, no idea is too outrageous.

"We wanted to offer a flight in John Travolta's jet with him piloting it," Griles said. "Then someone says: Wait a minute, I know someone who knows someone who knows Travolta."

In the end, they weren't able to land the movie-star pilot.

"We came so close," Griles said. "But that's how big our ideas are."

Personal contacts make a huge difference.

Henry, for instance, went to The Collegiate School. So do the Slay children.

One of the leading SMA researchers offered his family's estate in Ontario, Canada, for the duck-hunting trip. Griles' brother, Richard Goodman, is one of five authors who will visit book clubs that make the highest bid.

"Some of these are absolutely priceless packages," Griles said. "You cannot go out and buy these anywhere else."

Last year's gala made $177,000 after expenses.

People are impressed by the auction's offerings, Barnes said.

"I hear from friends on other junior boards who say: How do y'all get all this stuff?" she said. "It's just people who are willing to ask. It's people saying, 'Yeah, I'll try.'"

Knowing lots of good people to ask helps too, Griles said. "I don't know what's harder, coming up with remarkable ideas or making them come to life."

"I think it's making them come to life," Barnes said. "It's like: What? You did what?"