Charity walk
Charity walks are a great way to raise money for your favorite cause. They allow adults, children and, in some cases animals, to participate in the event. Charity walks are an event that can be done annually. They build community involvement while raising awareness for causes. There are many things to consider if you decide to plan a charity-sponsored walk.
Instructions
1. Choose a charity. There are many great causes to raise money for. Find one that has personally affected you or someone close to you.
2. Find a location that is conducive to large groups of walkers. Parks and lakes with trails make good locations, but check to see if you need a permit to use them.
3. Determine a registration fee for those who pre-register and walk-up registration the day of the race.
4. Determine if walkers will get shirts for registering for the event. Settle on whether you will give completion medals to those who finish the walk. Decide if you will hand out gift bags.
5. Contact local businesses to find sponsors for the event. Athletic companies, banks, printing companies and hospitals make great sponsors to help fund expenses for the event. Offer to place their names and logos on T-shirts in exchange for sponsoring the event.
6. Seek donations for gift bags, if you decide to use them. They don't have to be big gifts. You can collect sample sizes of food, lotion or hair products. Also try to get donations of energy bars and water to hand out on the race course.
7. Have shirts printed. Sort them by size, so they are easy to hand out on race day.
8. Find an emcee for the event. If possible, get a local celebrity.
9. Alert local media of the event. In many cases, television stations will promote your event for free. Write press releases and submit them to local newspapers. Set up a Facebook page to announce the details of the event and keep fans in the know. Start a Twitter account and keep followers updated on the charity walk. Place the event details on Craigslist. The more free publicity you can get the better.
10. Develop and hand out promotion material. Make sure it includes information about how people can donate if they can't make the event or don't want to participate in the walk. Also include facts about the charity you are supporting.
11. Recruit volunteers to work the event. You can never have too many volunteers. They can be used to handle a variety of tasks, such as last-minute registration, handing out shirts or snacks, or ensuring that people remain on the race course and not trespass where they shouldn't.
12. Arrive early on event day. As much as you plan, there are always last-minute issues that come up.
13. After the event, it's important to debrief on how the event went. Gather the volunteers and get their feedback on how the event went. Collect suggestions on how things can be improved for next year.
Tags: Charity walks, event went, gift bags, hand race, race course