Ryan Reynolds at a press conference for the New York City Marathon.
In 2008 actor Ryan Reynolds completed the New York City Marathon and, in the process, raised over $80,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation which supports research into Parkinson's disease. Although you may not have the celebrity appeal of the "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" star, a marathon can still be a great way to raise funds for your favorite charity. While running a marathon may be a grueling effort, fundraising for it isn't so long as you follow a few simple steps.
Instructions
1. A marathon is over 26-miles long.
Set your fundraising goal. You may want to tie this goal into the distance you run. An official marathon is just over 26-miles long, so you may want to have a goal of raising a specific dollar figure for each mile that you run.
2. Call people you know to let them know you're running a marathon.
Tell your friends, family and colleagues that you are running a charity marathon. You can do this informally by mentioning it in conversation or you may want to actually make a phone call, send an email or write a letter to people you know informing them that you will be running a marathon. Let them know the cause you are raising money for and don't be afraid to ask for a donation.
3. Organize fundraisers. In addition to asking for donations, you may want to organize fundraisers to go along with your marathon effort. You should consider organizing fundraisers in your community and at your workplace if that is allowed. Fundraising ideas could include auctions, raffles or hosting a dinner or dance.
4. Be sure to collect pledges after you finish your marathon.
Collect the money that people have pledged. After you have run the marathon, make sure that you collect any money that people have pledged but not paid. People may simply forget if you do not remind them, so keep a list of your pledges and contact anyone who has not honored the pledge.
Tags: running marathon, 26-miles long, City Marathon, have pledged, money that