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Greetings!
Not all that many years ago, marathons were the domain of hard core runners. Over the last decade, however, the ranks of gazelles and cheetahs have been joined by a huge number of penguins, folks who love to push their bodies, but will never be found at the front of the pack.
Runner's World magazine columnist John "The Penguin" Bingham has inspired hundreds of thousands of men and women to "run for fun, fitness and self-affirmation."
In a recent column entitled " Faith, Hope and Charities," Bingham focused on the tremendous influence charity programs have had on penguins around the world.
"So many of us have changed our own lives through running that it makes sense we would want to change the lives of others the same way. We can take the drive, ambition, and dedication we used to transform ourselves from coach potatoes to athletes and channel that into making a difference for someone else," Bingham writes.
The power of the athletic event fundraising experience is so great for so many runners, cyclists, swimmers, triathletes, walkers and others that I'm confident the field will hold up better than many other fundraising sectors in these challenging economic times.
Helping you capitalize on that delicate relationship will be the focus of our conference, workshops, teleconferences, awards programs and other offerings in the year ahead.
President
Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council
Tel: (914) 921-3914 |
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Pacesetter Entries due November 19!
Don't miss the opportunity to receive national recognition for your athletic event fundraising program.
Be sure to enter the inaugural Run Walk Ride Pacesetter Awards. Winners in six competitive categories (Best Brochure, Best Print Creative, Best T-Shirt, for example) will be honored with trophies at the RWR conference and will have their work profiled in The NonProfit Times.
The entry deadline is November 19 (extensions available until 11/25). Visit www.rwrawards.com now to learn how to get involved. |
Pan Mass Challenge Hits New High
The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) raised a record-breaking $35 million for adult and pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its August cycling event, which is $2 million more than it raised last year.
In 2008, the PMC attracted 5,232 cycling fundraisers, about 300 more than last year. Riders came to Massachusetts from 36 states and eight countries. Each cyclist was required to raise between $1,300 and $4,000 to participate, depending on the chosen route. More than 90 percent of PMCers raised more money than they were required to, according to Billy Starr, PMC's founder and executive director.
This is the second straight year the PMC has been able to contribute 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar to the cause. Presenting sponsors, Boston Red Sox Foundation and Overstock.com, along with 200 other corporate sponsors, underwrite the cost of producing the event and provide in-kind contributions of goods and services. |
How Green is Your Program?
Arguably, nonprofit organizations have an even greater responsibility to reduce the negative footprint of their programs.
"Greening" your event needn't be as daunting as many people think, advises Greta Palmer, managing director of Green Dog, a division of LeadDog Marketing Group.
To get started, Palmer suggests you:
- Partner with local environmental groups. For the New York Race for the Cure, for example, CENYC provided valuable expertise and 30 volunteers to manage recycling stations.
- Create signage that can be reused and try to find groups that could use the things you have to throw away (e.g. theater companies that need props)
- Cut down on brochures that will be put in the trash by encouraging sponsors to direct consumers to the internet for information
- Reduce water bottle and cup waste by providing water stations (It can provide a great branding opportunity -- as illustrated by the picture above!)
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2009 Conference
March 4 & 5 in Dallas
Get all the exciting details and reserve your space at the only conference 100% focused on helping you increase your share of "thon" dollars.
We've got great speakers, new awards programs, networking opportunities and a pre-conference workshop on Local Sponsorship Sales planned for our gathering at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Dallas.
CHECK OUT
Statistics, advice & more
NEW TELECONFERENCE!
January 15
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Honor Your Most Inspiring Participant
To honor outstanding volunteers, we invite you to nominate one of your participants for a Cash Sweat and Tears Award. Every nominee will be honored with a Certificate of Merit and an online profile.
One outstanding nominee will be honored at the RWRF Conference with a trophy, a $500 donation to their charity and great New Balance gear.
It's easy and free to participate. The entry deadline is 12/15.
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