walk/run guide

THE

WALKATHON GUIDE

v2.0

Lee Garverick author of www.walkathonguide.com

How to Plan a Walkathon Checklists, Timelines, Examples, and Tips

detailed sections for every committee

© Lee Garverick - The Walkathon Guide, www.walkathonguide.com 2

All contents copyright © 2009-2011 by Lee Garverick. All rights reserved. No part of this

document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any

means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written

permission of the author.

For a period of one year from the date of purchase of this book, I hereby grant the

purchaser permission to distribute this document to members of their walkathon

planning team for the sole purpose of organizing their walkathon.

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal

evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to

achieve complete accuracy of the content in this Guide, they assume no responsibility

for errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your

own risk. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated

here; in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of

the information and recommendations accordingly.

Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be

the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no

implied endorsement if we use one of these terms.

Finally, use your own best judgment. Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace

common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice. It is meant to inform and

entertain the reader, so have fun with The Walkathon Guide and best wishes for a

successful walkathon.

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/what_copyright_wording_should_i_use_on_my_ebook.html


Contents

How to Use this Guide ___________________________________________________ 7

Early Decisions / Up Front To-Do List _______________________________________ 8

Should you do this? Pros and Cons ______________________________________________ 8

Early Decision Checklist _______________________________________________________ 9

To Do Now: Check Insurance & Inform Local Officials _______________________________ 13

Volunteers ___________________________________________________________ 14

Volunteer Recruitment Timeline _______________________________________________ 14

Master List of Volunteer Committees ___________________________________________ 15

Dependencies between Committees ____________________________________________ 16

Technology ___________________________________________________________ 17

Sponsors and Donors ___________________________________________________ 18

Team Responsibilities ________________________________________________________ 18

Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 18

Team Dependencies _________________________________________________________ 18

Timeline for Getting Sponsors _________________________________________________ 19

Notes on Getting Sponsors ____________________________________________________ 19

Publicity _____________________________________________________________ 20


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 20


Timeline for Publicizing Within Your Group _______________________________________ 21

Notes on Publicity and Logo ___________________________________________________ 22

Slogan and Logo ____________________________________________________________ 23

Early T-Shirts for Publicity_____________________________________________________ 25

PR Opportunities ___________________________________________________________ 26

T-Shirts, Lap Cards, and Other Printed Materials _____________________________ 28


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 28


T-Shirt and Lap Card Timeline _________________________________________________ 29

T-Shirt Notes _______________________________________________________________ 30

T-Shirt Vendor and Quantity __________________________________________________ 30

How to Track Number of Laps Walked ___________________________________________ 32

Other Printed Material _______________________________________________________ 33

Registration and Treasurer ______________________________________________ 34


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 34



Registration Timeline ________________________________________________________ 36

Registration Welcome Packets and Check-In/Out Process ___________________________ 38

Registration Volunteers ______________________________________________________ 39

Concessions __________________________________________________________ 40


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 40


Concessions Timeline ________________________________________________________ 41

Complimentary Items ________________________________________________________ 42

Volunteers ________________________________________________________________ 42

Sample Shopping List ________________________________________________________ 43

Cash Box and Cash Runs on the Day of the Walkathon ______________________________ 44

Entertainment ________________________________________________________ 45


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 45


Course and Event Layout, Setup and Cleanup _______________________________ 46


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 46


Setup Timeline _____________________________________________________________ 47

Notes on Course Layout ______________________________________________________ 48

Event Setup ________________________________________________________________ 49

Cleanup ___________________________________________________________________ 49

Course Volunteers _____________________________________________________ 50


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 50


Course Volunteers Timeline ___________________________________________________ 53

Supplies___________________________________________________________________ 54

Celebration ___________________________________________________________ 56


Team Members ____________________________________________________________ 56


Timeline and Event Agenda ___________________________________________________ 57

Appendix 1: Example Forms, Flyers and Emails ______________________________ 58

Documents related to getting sponsors __________________________________________ 58

Publicity and Registration Materials_____________________________________________ 60

Appendix 2: Technology Options _________________________________________ 80

Appendix 3: Sample Waiver Form ________________________________________ 82


To my wonderful partners along this walk,

Tim,

Emily, Steven and Anna


Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Jill Curcio, Donna Young, and Karen Tarter for impressing on me the

value of binders, and for dedicated volunteer leadership at Bullis Charter School.

Thanks also to Wanny Hersey, Bullis Charter School Principal/Superintendant and Marie

Stuart, Assistant Superintendant, for endless inspiration on a wide variety of endeavors

for people of all ages.

Thanks to Chris Guillebreau at http://www.chrisguillebreau.com for sparking this idea.

All my gratitude for the Walkathon 2008 Committee Chairs for showing the way and

providing much of the information and wisdom in this book – my co-chair Lynne

Steffens, T-Shirt Chair Michelle Nieda, Registration Chairs Michelle Kirsch, Donna Young

and Carla Bottenfield, Concessions Chair Christine Di Bona, Entertainment Chair Scott

Vanderlip, Course Volunteer and Lap Card Maker Kara Park, Sponsors Chair Jamie Lucia,

Site Setup Lynn Reed, Course Setup Dave Beyer and Brian Mellea, and Pinch Hitter

Allison Tilley. Thanks also to our predecessor, Karen Tarter.

Thanks to Barbara Williams of the Church of the Kingdom of God Scholars Council for

being the first and most encouraging reader.

http://www.chrisguillebreau.com/


How to Use this Guide

So you’re thinking about having a Walkathon? Go for it! Walkathons are fun, lucrative,

healthy, and great for building friendships within your organization. Also known as walk-

a-thon, charity walk, walking marathon or sponsored walk, a walkathon is a community

or school fundraiser where participants raise money by collecting pledges based on how

far they walk. The walk follows a set course. There are typically a number of side

activities such as water and orange slice tables, a way of tracking progress such as lap

cards or beads, and concessions, music, raffles, and possibly a silent auction.

Use this guide to save time by having it all spelled out, and build your confidence that

you have everything covered. In addition to this complete guide, you should have also

downloaded the individual sections that are specific to each committee. This is the same

material as is included in this guide, but by distributing just the individual sections, each

committee leader will get all the info they need for their role without needing to wade

through this entire document. This will make it easier to recruit volunteers, since it

removes some of the uncertainty associated with the each role.

You can use the examples in Appendix 1 for ideas when creating your flyers and emails.

If you’d like to get Microsoft Word versions of these examples to save a lot of time and

effort, please go to http://www.walkathonshop.com/thebook.html for more info.

I hope you find the info in this guide useful. Please let me know if you have suggestions

for improvements. Contact me at [email protected].

Planning a Walkathon in Twelve Steps

Early decisions / up front to-do list

Get volunteers

Leverage technology

Get sponsors and donors

Publicize

Make T-Shirts, Lap Cards, etc.

Manage registration, finances, awards

Plan concessions

Plan entertainment

Plan the site, walking route, setup, cleanup, rain plan

Walkathon Day: course volunteers, other volunteers

Celebrate!

http://www.walkathonshop.com/thebook.html

mailto:[email protected]


Early Decisions / Up Front To-Do List

If you think you want to have a walkathon, meet with the leaders of your group and

discuss these topics. Now is a good time to start a planning notebook.

Should you do this? Pros and Cons

Are you still debating whether or not a walkathon is right for your group?

Pros:

It makes good money for a good cause.

It builds community. People make friends when they walk and talk together.

It promotes good health. Everyone gets out in the fresh air and moves.

It’s fun. You’re throwing a big theme party outdoors.

It appeals to all ages. There’s plenty to do for children, and the calmer set can sit

and watch the walkers go by.

It’s great publicity. Your local newspaper will probably pick up the story and the

photos can look great on a web site.

Cons:

It requires a large team of organizers and lots of community participation. If your

organization has a number of other activities, it may be too much. If you opt to

move forward, it needs to be the top priority for the committee chairs and the

main event for your school or organization during that week.

It requires upfront costs including insurance and supplies such as lap cards, T-

shirts and concessions. Often you can get sponsors to cover that cost.

Yes, it’s a lot of work. My vote is that it’s worth it.


Early Decision Checklist

So, it’s a go… Now your group leaders will need to decide on the following early on:

Walkathon Goals

Together, write down which of the following are your goals for your walkathon:

To make money? If so, how much? If you average that amount out per person, is

it a reasonable expectation, or do you need to augment the event via

sponsorships, concessions, recycling, a raffle, a silent auction, or other money

raising efforts?

To build community? If so, what fun ideas can you implement to encourage lots

of interaction between people?

For health awareness and exercise? If so, how can you give positive

reinforcement for the walkers’ efforts?

To gain public awareness for your cause? If so, what will you do to draw the

maximum amount of attention to your walkathon and the reason you walk?

Brainstorm a bit. Is there anything else you want to be sure to achieve? Keep this list at

the top of your planning notebook.

Goals

Specific, tangible cause

Date

Location

Route

Basic participation fee

Flat fee vs. donation per mile, or both

Items included for all participants, such as T-Shirts

Online technology vs. all on paper or email

Insurance requirements

Celebration plans


Getting Specific with Your Cause

Most walkathons already have a larger cause like the school, animal shelter, or another

charity. However if you have the option, be more specific by pinpointing tangible and

visible items that will be purchased with the money raised. That way your community

can see the results of their efforts. Here are four criteria for getting specific:

Walkathon participants agree this is a worthwhile need.

Your leaders agree this is a priority to fund.

The items are very concrete, and can be purchased, put to use, and then

publicized within a few months. This is great if you plan to do another walkathon

the following year.

There are options for purchasing more or less, or finding partial financing

elsewhere, depending upon the final profit. For example, if you opt for your

school library as your cause, you can purchase much needed seating first, then

use remaining funds for books. It also works fine to have two causes, such as “site

beautification” and “technology center” to give you plenty of flexibility for use of

funds.

Over the years, your community will see the cumulative effects of their walkathons as

the organization spends the funds on a growing collection of visible results!


Date, Location, Route

In setting the date, consider complimentary and conflicting events. If you are a school,

try to plan your walkathon for the same date as major events for other schools in your

town if possible (of the same aged children, not schools where siblings go). That way

the sports leagues can cancel the one day’s events rather than losing one or two players

per team each week.

If you are a community organization and want maximum publicity and participation, be

sure your date doesn’t conflict with higher profile activities.

Consider the following factors when you choose your site and route:

It should lend itself to setting up a route that is a loop so that people can walk

varying distances.

For children, an ideal length for your route is ¼ to ½ mile. For adults it can be

longer.

Is the area safe?

Is there adequate parking?

Are there adequate facilities or can you augment appropriately, including

restrooms, shade, seating, concessions, and electrical power?

Is the neighborhood amenable to having a large event?

Reach agreement between your leaders and any outsider who controls the site on the

date and exact location, and if necessary, obtain written permission from those

responsible. Be sure you inform other groups who would normally use that site, such as

sports leagues, that it would be unavailable or shared that day. If you are a community

organization in a small town, consider presenting to your town council to obtain moral

support and keep them informed.


Minimum Fee, Flat Fee, Donations per Mile

Typically, prior to the day of the walkathon, the walkers obtain pledges from their

supporters based on how many miles they walk that day. The walkers gather pledges

using a pledge card which ensures they carefully document the details of their pledges.

There is usually also the option to donate a flat fee up front regardless of how far the

person walks. After the walkathon, the walkers collect from their donors based on

amount pledged and miles walked.

If you will give away T-Shirts and a few items and prizes, consider having a minimum

participation fee to cover those expenses. Walkers can collect that from donors as well.

After the walkathon, it is a large effort to get the walkers to collect on donations and

then turn in those funds. Some groups emphasize flat donations paid up front as a way

to minimize this work.

Celebration Plans

It can be fun and motivating to give awards to people who walk the farthest. You can

have separate awards by gender or age groups. If you opt to do this, explain the plan

ahead of time in your publicity materials.

Also, would you like to have a party and slide show to celebrate the event and announce

the total earnings? If so, try to line up photographers to take pictures of as many

walkers as possible.


To Do Now: Check Insurance & Inform Local Officials

Most non profits should have commercial general liability insurance that would extend

to a walkathon fundraiser. PTA, for example, probably provides the coverage for school

events if your parent group is part of the National PTA.

Walkathon Guide does not assume any liability for your event or the accuracy of this

document. Please check with your organizations leaders or legal counsel about liability

and whether there are other areas to address.

The Insurance and Legal chair is responsible for checking with various experts on any

insurance and legal issues, then getting appropriate coverage and approvals. Legal

requirements vary based on your location.

If you are holding the event on public property, check with your local police and fire and

the person who manages the location to see if there are any specific requirements such

as submitting a use application. If you control the property where you’ll hold your event,

such as a school or church, make sure you keep your director in the loop regarding your

plans.

Even with the best of intentions, accidents can and do happen. You can help protect

your organization by collecting a Waiver and Release of Liability from each of your

participants before the event. Appendix 3 provides a sample waiver that includes basic

language to help inform participants of the risks, while at the same time, reducing

liability to your organization. As this is a sample form, you should consult a local

attorney for further advice specific to your organization and geographic area. The

sample waiver was provided courtesy of DoJiggy (http://www.dojiggy.com).

http://www.dojiggy.com/


Volunteers

Go all out on getting volunteers. The recruiting effort pays off later when the work is

divided between many hands. Use many methods of communication and continue to

recruit over time.

Get leaders (“committee chairs”) who can run their entire area, so that as the event

approaches, you are free to solve unforeseen problems that span areas. When people

agree to any given task, define it clearly in writing and double check that they are

comfortable with it. Continue filling committees throughout the planning cycle, with the

help of your leaders.

Volunteer Recruitment Timeline

When to Start What to Do

1 Year before

Walkathon

or as soon as

possible

Get your chair or co-chairs in place. One to three people should be in

charge of a walkathon if you have about 200 – 500 walkers.

If you are part of a school or other organization that operates on a cyclical

calendar, put out signup sheets at all beginning of the year events, even if

your walkathon is at year end.

2 to 6 Months

before

Walkathon

Whenever your group meets, put out volunteer signups if at all possible.

Don’t miss any opportunity to reach potential volunteers.

In your signup sheets, include the opportunity to sign up for the major chair

jobs. However, at this point you should directly ask people who you think

have the time and aptitude for these major jobs.

If your group has a web site, post an announcement and signup sheet.

If you have a group-style web service, like www.groupvine.com, www.bigtent.com, or Google or Yahoo Groups, post a flyer there and send a group email and use online signup sheets if possible.

8 Weeks before

Walkathon

Now your signups double as publicity for the event so combine efforts with

your publicity team. Continue putting out volunteer signups.

If there is regular communication such as a weekly newsletter, get the signup sheet into that for two or three weeks

Put out signup sheets at all group parties and picnics

2 Weeks before Put out a note to fill in any remaining gaps.

1 Day before Call on your pinch hitters for any last minute issues.


Master List of Volunteer Committees

Committee sizes shown include the chair, and are based on a walkathon for a school of

about 300 kids. Adjust the number of volunteers based on your number of participants.

The suggested start date shown is relative to the date of the walkathon.

Committee Size Start Date Description

Walkathon

Chair 1 - 3

people

ASAP or 6 months before

Recruits committee chairs and helps fill committees with volunteers. Determines specific cause. Provides backup to all committee chairs. Manages overall timeline.

Insurance and

Legal Liaison 1

3 months before

Addresses city government, police and insurance issues.

Technology 2 3 months

before Selects and sets up online fundraising system. Works closely with Registration and Treasurer.

Sponsors and

Donors 2

3 months before

Gets sponsors who pay for T-Shirts, etc. Publicizes sponsor names.

Publicity 2 6 months

before Creates slogan and logo. Creates flyers, emails, newsletter articles. Works with the press, maintains blog.

Printed

Materials 3

9 weeks before

Creates, sells, and distributes T-Shirts, lap cards, and any other printed materials.

Registration

and Treasurer 17

2 months before

3 people make sure all have registered at the beginning and checked out at the end. Create registration forms. 15 people, including chair, manage registration at event. 2 people handle all finances.

Concessions 26 3 months

before 1 – 3 people plan & purchase food, prepare orange slices. 25 people prepare, sell and serve throughout event.

Entertainment 3 4 weeks before

Organizes any music, dancing, etc, and gets necessary furniture and equipment for entertainment. Finds volunteers to do crazy hair or other fun activities.

Course and

Site Layout,

Setup and

Cleanup

13 4 weeks before

Designs the course. Sets it up prior to event. Takes down at end. Maps the rest of the site – where to place check in tables, food, music, etc. 1 – 2 people responsible for first aid. Must be CPR certified and available the entire day of the event.

Course

Volunteers 41

5 weeks before

Organizes all course volunteers (lap card punchers, awards, squirters), keeps water and orange slice tables stocked. Purchases supplies for course related activities like awards, hole puncher tools, lanyards or strings for lap cards, etc.

Celebration

Varies based

on plans

5 weeks before

Photo team: Tries to get a photo of every participant. Creates slide show. Creates certificates for participants including miles walked. Organizes presentation, awards, announces earnings.

Pinch Hitters 2 3 days before Help you pick up anything that falls through the cracks.


Dependencies between Committees

Some committees need to start earlier than their own needs indicate in order to supply

items to other committees who depend on them. Make sure committee chairs are

aware of others who depend on them. The following chart shows some of the

dependencies between committees to illustrate the coordination required. Check the

“Dependencies” section for each committee in this guide for more detail and further

explanation.

Publicity and Logo

Concessions

Sponsors

T-Shirts and Lap Cards

Registration and

Treasurer

Setup

Entertainment

Course Volunteers

Celebration

Logo for for creating materials

Sp

on

sor

log

os

Reports on money earned, distance walked


Technology

There is a wide variety of online services that will save organizing time and improve

communication as you plan your walkathon. I recommend using one of these options if

you and your group members are fairly accustomed to using technology and people

have Internet access. It will pay off in efficiency. You will save work and most likely end

up with more profits because of the convenience of donating online.

To take advantage of one of these services, you should have one or two volunteers with

the time and expertise to support the technology. If they have experience with, say,

blogging, setting up social networks, or using products that are about as complex as

Microsoft Excel, then they have the aptitude for some of the more ready-made services.

Hand Appendix 2 to your Technology Leader for a list of options and more resources for

making your technology decision.


Sponsors and Donors

Team Responsibilities

Walkathons generate good publicity and local businesses often contribute in exchange

for public acknowledgement and in support of local causes they believe in. This team

solicits sponsors and donors for all aspects of the walkathon, except the actual walkers,

including:

People who are willing to make a monetary donation in exchange for recognition

on the backs of the T-Shirts and in other publicity materials

If you are holding a raffle, people willing to donate items to be raffled off

Course supplies

Concessions supplies

A local business who owns a microphone and speakers may be willing to loan it

out for your event for entertainment and general communication

Team Members

For a small walkathon (for an elementary school or other cause with about 300 – 500

walkers), one or two energetic people can handle this on their own.

Team Dependencies

To the T-Shirt Committee: donor names and/or logos if these will be placed on

the back of the T-Shirts

To the Publicity Committee: donor names and/or logos to include on all publicity

materials

To the Concessions, Course Setup, and Entertainment Committees: any donated

items that you are able to acquire


Timeline for Getting Sponsors

The start date shown is relative to the walkathon date.

When to start What to Do

12 weeks before Begin soliciting sponsorships. Start by mailing a letter like the one shown

in Appendix 1 (sample sponsor letter).

Send weekly reminders in all group communication, reminding people of

the opportunity. See sample notes in Appendix 1.

8 weeks before Collect all donations and logos from sponsors.

Give donation checks to Treasurer for deposit.

Provide updates to Walkathon Chair as you forward these donation

checks.

7 weeks before Provide logos to T-Shirt Team to design onto the back of the T-Shirt.

6 weeks before Report on total number of donors and funds received.

5 weeks before If you receive donations for concessions or elsewhere, forward donor

contact info to the concessions chair, course setup, etc. so they can

arrange for delivery or pickup.

Notes on Getting Sponsors

Be aware that having a name and /or logo on the back of a T-Shirt is a multi-year

publicity opportunity for a local merchant, so you have something of great value to

offer. People, especially children, often wear their walkathon T-Shirts for years to come.

If you know of local businesses that have sponsored your group’s events in the past,

start with them to avoid having anyone feel left out.

People like clear choices. Offer sponsorship dollar amount levels tied to your theme, or

perhaps “Platinum”, “Gold”, “Silver” and “Bronze” levels. How much money per level

varies by the size of your group and how much you expect sponsors to be willing to

donate. If you don’t have a good feel, call a couple of friendly sponsors at your higher

and lower ends to see what they think.


Publicity


Educates participants about what your walkathon is all about; conveys the

magnitude of the event and that it’s not something to miss

Creates the slogan and logo for use on T-Shirts and all publicity materials

Clearly explains and makes simple the mechanics of registration (working with the

registration, treasurer and technology teams)

Helps the registration team get registration forms turned in on time

Generates excitement!

In many cases, manages outside PR efforts, working with newspapers, television

stations, bloggers, etc. to get maximum visibility for your cause

Team Members

For a walkathon with about 300 walkers, publicity can be handled by two to four people,

one with graphic arts talent who creates the logo, and one to three others who create

and distribute flyers, email messages, and posters, and work with the press.

Team Dependencies

From the Walkathon Chair: a clearly defined, specific cause

From all the Committee Chairs: plans for major activities that must be accounted

for when creating the publicity schedule

From the T-Shirt and Registration Committees: deadlines for when the T-Shirt

logo must be completed and for when people need to return registration forms

To the T-Shirt and Registration Committees: the completed logo, and also

broadcasting the need to turn in registration materials and T-Shirt orders


Timeline for Publicizing Within Your Group

Modify the following timeline to create your group’s publicity plan. The start date shown

is relative to the walkathon date.


6 months before,

or at start of

yearly cycle (e.g.,

Sept for schools)

Regardless of the date of the Walkathon, get it on everyone’s calendars

via a “mark your calendar” flyer and newsletter insert.

12 weeks before Send out introductory message (flyer, email or newsletter). Begin logo

and slogan creation or contest (see above steps).

9 weeks before For a contest, all logo and slogan ideas are due. Choose winner. Make any

minor tweaks to logo and slogan and circulate to all Walkathon

Committee Chairs (T-Shirt committee can now use this logo).

8 weeks before Send out another flyer, email or newsletter insert, as a reminder.

Make two or three T-Shirts with the slogan and logo, to wear when you

speak at group events.

7 weeks before Receive Registration Form, Instructions, and Pledge Card from

Registration Team, and T-Shirt Order Form from T-Shirt Team.

Using your new logo and slogan, create and distribute publicity materials:

Posters and flyers on the walls if you have a physical location

Include Registration, T-Shirt order materials

Speak at group events and assemblies. Consider having a T-Shirt unveiling.

5 weeks before Send out reminder to turn in forms.

4 weeks before Send out final reminder for forms. Solicit entertainment volunteers.

2 weeks before Writeup or email reminder and progress notes and continue publicizing

various volunteer needs.

1 week before Writeup or email reminder and progress notes.

1 to 3 days before Big blurbs with last minute reminders (sunscreen)

1 week after Writeup or email thanks to all committee chairs. Send out reminder to

turn in remaining money.

2 weeks after Send out final reminder to turn in remaining money.


Notes on Publicity and Logo

How to go about this depends on the way people communicate in your organization. If

you have a newsletter, you can attach flyers and insert updates. If you have an email list,

you’ll use that in the two months prior to the event. You can have a lot of fun with a

website or blog with input from your walkers and supporters. Be a guest speaker at

assemblies and/or group meetings.

You’ll want to do regular publicity pieces to build excitement over about twelve weeks.

Frequent publicity conveys the importance of your event.

See Appendix 1 for example publicity flyers and email or newsletter inserts. Use these for

ideas in creating your own. To save even more time, you can get the Microsoft Word

version of these at http://www.walkathonshop.com/thebook.html. Just modify wording

for your purposes, add your own pictures if desired, and you’re ready to send them

out!

Rule of thumb:

People need to see your message at least three times to

pay attention, six times to get excited!



Slogan and Logo

Based on your specific cause, the publicity team can create the slogan and logo, or they

can have some fun with it by holding a contest or allowing older kids to have input. At

our school we let the oldest students, 6th graders, take the lead in design and wording,

and it has become a prized privilege that some of the children look forward to for years.

If you get input from your group via a contest or by collecting and combining ideas,

you’ll need a single person to act as the contest manager or coordinator. Then a

Graphic Artist volunteer can create or refines the art work.

Otherwise, your publicity team should brainstorm a slogan and create two or three

options for the logo, then have your other committee chairs vote on the best options.

Check with your T-Shirt committee / vendor on deadlines and color options. Limit the

number of colors used in order to minimize the shirt cost.

Example Logos

These organizations had nice logos and gave me permission to use them:

Bullis Charter School, Get Ready Get Set Improve1

Naperville Pet Walkathon, “Making Strides for Strays”2

1 Source: Courtesy of Bullis Charter School Walkathon 2008, http://www.bullischarterschool.com

2 Source: Logo courtesy of Naperville Pet Walkathon

http://www.bullischarterschool.com/


HARC Inc., Walk for Hope...Walk to Help...Walk for HARC! 3

How to Hold a Contest or Get Input from Older Students for Slogan & Logo

Start dates shown are relative to the walkathon date.


12 weeks before Create a flyer or hold a meeting to explain the contest. Cover:

The cause

The constraints of the logo. How many colors? How big?

The deadline. A week should be sufficient.

Encourage use of bold lines such as pencil covered with black marker.

11 weeks before Collect designs or ideas.

10 weeks before Have a vote to select the final slogan and art work, unless you plan to

combine all art work into a new logo.

9.5 weeks before Give slogan, art work to Graphic Artist for any final tweaks to make it

printable, or to combine the work together.

9 weeks before Give final version to T-Shirt committee for production

3 Source: Logo courtesy of HARC, Inc., an organization serving people with intellectual and related

challenges, http://www.harc-ct.org

http://www.harc-ct.org/


Early T-Shirts for Publicity

Consider creating a stir with a great unveiling of your logo and T-Shirt. Create a couple

of T-Shirts, prior to the major shipment, to wear when you speak to the group.

Alternatively, you could have your group’s mascot model the shirt. At our school, my

co-chair created an XXXL shirt for our Bear mascot to model, and the kids were so

excited when he made his appearance.

Option A: Print Your Own

Here is how. You need a color inkjet printer.

Purchase cheap T-Shirts and iron on transfer(s). You can find them at local drug

stores like Target or Walmart. I’ve seen the transfers online at

http://www.avery.com (search for “fabric transfer”).

Get the finalized T-Shirt design (logo and slogan) from the T-Shirt Team.

Print the T-Shirt design onto the iron on transfer, then follow the directions that

come with the transfer to iron it onto your shirt.

Option B: Order A Single T-Shirt From Your Supplier

This has the side benefit of letting you see a single shirt prior to ordering mass

quantities. Go to http://www.walkathonshop.com/tshirts-and-more.html for more

information about T-Shirts.

http://www.avery.com/

http://www.walkathonshop.com/tshirts-and-more.html


PR Opportunities

Are you seeking publicity beyond your own group members? You can find a great

example of a walkathon as PR at San Carlos Charter Learning Center’s Run for Funds:

http://www.whiteoaksblog.com/2009/04/30/san-carlos-charter-learning-center-runs-

to-raise-funds/, where they ran from San Carlos to Sacramento with the goal of raising

visibility for school funding issues along with earning funds for their school.

PR Tips, From Fundraiser Insight4

The following is a reprint of an article provided courtesy of Fundraiser Insight Magazine.

The Basics

Some private companies spend millions of dollars on marketing, but you don't have to.

Your first lesson is that as a benevolent organization, you can get a lot of publicity for

free. Never hesitate to ask for free press, all they can do is say "no," and chances are,

they'll say "yes." You may not have the budget for big-time marketing/advertising like

television and billboards, but then again, you may not need it.

Marketing starts at a grass-roots level (although it doesn't end there). You presumably

have a community in existence already, made up of your core group of activists,

members and supporters, and this group is the first target of your marketing campaign.

Make sure that everybody within your group's sphere of influence becomes aware of

your fundraiser.

This is usually easy enough to do, through things like take-home fliers, phone trees,

emails and direct mails, and announcements in newsletters. Don't neglect this valuable

core group, no matter how small, because they will deliver the greatest return on a

percentage of people contacted basis. They may also be very useful in getting the word

out to others outside of your sphere of influence.

Outside of this in-group, but within your own community, simple outreach can be done

through things like the following:

Local newspaper. Send a press release to your local paper's community editor, and if possible, get to know that individual. Be aware though, that any editor probably receives dozens, if not hundreds of press releases daily, and any one release has a pretty good chance of getting lost or ignored. Always follow it up

4 Source: http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/marketingyourfundraiser.html

http://www.whiteoaksblog.com/2009/04/30/san-carlos-charter-learning-center-runs-to-raise-funds/

http://www.whiteoaksblog.com/2009/04/30/san-carlos-charter-learning-center-runs-to-raise-funds/

http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/freegoogleadvertising.html

http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/freegoogleadvertising.html

http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/marketingyourfundraiser.html


with a phone call. Don't forget alternative newspapers, weeklies, college papers, and shoppers in addition to your daily newspaper.

Other local media. Other local media such as radio stations and television stations

are also often willing to lend a hand by providing free public service

announcements. Contact these locations as well, again through an initial press

release and a follow-up phone call.

Make It Interesting

There are always plenty of announcements in the local paper about local organizations

holding fundraisers, and to be perfectly honest, there's really nothing that interesting

about it. Most readers will just glance over it and move on to the sports page. A simple

announcement will get you some results, and it's definitely worth doing, but you can do

better.

Instead of just placing an announcement to the effect of "local organization holds bake

sale", make your story unique. If you have a twist, you may well be able to catch the eye

of some of the local reporters, and you'll get a lot more than a listing. A feature article in

the local section of the paper will go a lot further than the basic listing.

Getting that feature article in the paper isn't always easy. Just talking about your

organization and why it is so praiseworthy isn't enough. Newspapers want a human

interest story, and so it's up to you to give it to them. A bake sale isn't news. But a bake

sale that features international pastries from all over the world, with goodies baked by a

former chef at a five-star restaurant in Moscow, is news.

Look to your event and your organization for the unusual, and offer it as a feature story.

If you can't find something unusual, then create something to make your event stand

out. Here's just one example: Solicit local celebrities to contribute baked goods. Cookies

on sale that were baked by the booster club are boring, but cookies baked by a popular

anchor on a local news show will make the news.


T-Shirts5, Lap Cards, and Other Printed Materials

This is the team that is great at getting things produced, in most cases by outside

sources.


Designs the T-Shirt using the logo and slogan for the front and sponsor logos for

the back

Designs the lap cards, if needed, and any other printed materials

Collects T-Shirt orders from walkers and other participants

Coordinates production and pays the vendors

Distributes T-Shirts to all the walkers and other participants.

Team Members

The team can be a committee of one, or it can have one or two helpers who help mainly

with collecting orders up front and then distributing T-Shirts.

Team Dependencies

From the Publicity Committee: the completed logo and slogan for the front of the

T-Shirt, and broadcast of the T-Shirt Order Form and order deadline

From the Sponsors Committee: the sponsor names and logos for the back of the

T-Shirt

With the Registration Committee and Treasurer: coordination of how T-Shirt

orders integrate with other registration forms and instructions

To the Registration Committee: lap cards to be handed out on the day of the

event

5 Information Source: Thanks to Michelle Nieda


T-Shirt and Lap Card Timeline

Orders, Design, Production and Distribution



9 weeks before Receive Logo from publicity team. Based on this logo, design

the T-Shirt front.

Make calls, get pricing estimates, select T-Shirt vendor (see

below for notes on vendor selection), and finalize pricing and

schedule. Review with Treasurer and Walkathon Chair.

8 weeks before Coordinate T-Shirt order form with other forms from the

Registration team. When complete, give form to the Publicity

team. See Appendix 1 for examples.

7 weeks before Receive Sponsor Logos from Sponsor team and design the T-

Shirt back.

6 weeks before Send front and back design to your T-Shirt supplier along with

approximate quantities.

Design and order lap cards and obtain string for lap card

necklaces.

3 weeks before Get final quantities from Registration Team. Send final

quantities to suppliers.

2 weeks before Receive lap cards and provide them along with their necklace

strings to the Registration team.

Receive completed T-Shirts from the supplier.

1 week before If possible, give T-Shirts to walkers who have pre-registered.

Sell T-Shirts to those who didn’t pre-order.

Walkathon Day Sell remaining T-Shirts.


T-Shirt Notes

In many walkathons, T-Shirts are free to registered walkers. Supporters who also want

the shirt may order one.

Whether you have T-Shirts be orderable for a separate fee, or included for all walkers,

you’ll need to take orders so people can tell you their sizes.

If you have paid staff in your organization, consider making the T-Shirts free for them.

However, you’ll still need to collect orders for their sizes.

Local merchants often jump at the chance to have their logo on the back of event T-

Shirts. Particularly with children, there is a high likelihood that the shirt will be worn for

years, giving these businesses repeated positive exposure all over town. This is a

lucrative opportunity for your group. Coordinate with your Sponsors Committee.

T-Shirt Vendor and Quantity

Vendor

You’ll want to select your T-Shirt vendor based on:

Cost

Delivery timeline

Quality of service – base this on your initial interactions, word of mouth, and

online reviews from sources like Yelp. Make sure you get input on their delivery

performance from sources that have worked with them directly.

If you go to http://www.walkathonshop.com/tshirts-and-more.html you’ll see my latest

advice on vendor selection based on the suppliers that I can highly recommend from my

success working with them. Alternatively, you may have a reliable local vendor that you

have worked with in the past. Just be sure that it is someone with a track record of

delivering on schedule.

As far as materials are concerned, you can’t go wrong with either Gildan 100% cotton or

Hanes Beefy T’s. My family is still wearing some of our walkathon shirts from 10 years

ago that still look great, so I know these shirts hold up well.

Some groups decide to offer a line of choices including women’s styles, hats, bags, etc,

with their logos. Some vendors I’ve worked with can support all of these needs.



T-Shirt Quantity

You can base your estimated T-Shirt quantity on the % participation expected from your

group. Remember to include any paid staff in your count. Also consider sponsors and

other supporters.

Break down quantity by sizes as well. For an example, an elementary school with 300

students and 25 staff (mostly young teachers who wear adult medium), grades K – 6,

near 100% participation, plus a few younger siblings and a few supporters ordering

shirts, might have the following needs.

Please note that this is just one example and your quantities will vary:

Size Quantity

Youth Extra Small 40

Youth Small 100

Youth Medium 100

Youth Large 80

Adult Small 35

Adult Medium 20

Adult Large 25

Adult Extra large 10

Adult XX Large 5

Total 415 shirts


How to Track Number of Laps Walked

If your walkathon route is a loop, such as a track or area perimeter, there are several

ways to keep track of laps walked.

Using Lap Cards

Here’s how it works:

The walkers wear a lap card attached to a string around their neck

Each time the walker completes a lap, a volunteer punches a hole in the lap card

while cheering wildly

At the end of the event, the walkers turn in their lap cards to show total laps

walked

I think Lap Cards are the best approach because they:

Are not easily lost (attached to each walker)

Provide a convenient record of laps walked that can be easily turned in at the end

of the event

Are inexpensive

Can have your logo printed on them – many kids have kept them as souvenirs

Seem to inspire the kids more than the other approaches we’ve tried

The most popular job at our walkathons is punching the lap cards as the kids complete

each lap. It’s amazing to see how proud the kids are as they hold up their lap cards to

show you how many laps they have already walked. It’s a lot of fun to see them accrue

punches as the day goes on, determined to get every last hole on their card punched.

Ideas for Tracking Laps and Miles

Lap cards (my preferred approach)

Wrist bands

Beads on a lanyard

Use a permanent marker to make tally marks right on the T-shirt


Creating Lap Cards

The first time we used lap cards, we made them out of heavy card stock that seemed

very sturdy. They looked great at the beginning of the walkathon, but after a day of

popsicles, orange slices, squirt bottles, racing, wrestling and all the other stuff that

young kids do, the cards were in pretty bad shape, and some had been torn or lost.

The next year, we decided that we needed to laminate them to make them strong

enough to withstand the day of wear, including water spills and squirt bottles. The cards

worked great, but the laminating process took ten hours for our 300 walkers, in addition

to the time we spent printing and cutting the cards.

So, I searched online, ordered samples, and eventually found a

couple of water-proof and tear-resistant alternatives that we could

customize with our logo and max lap count. We used these the next

year, and they worked and looked great. We’ve been using them

ever since. Go to http://www.walkathonshop.com/lapcards.html for

more details on these, as I may be adding more alternatives as I find

them.

Don’t Forget the String

You’ll need some string to loop through a hole in the lap cards and worn as a necklace

by the walkers. You can either string all the lap cards in advance, or just let the walkers

do it when you hand them their cards at check-in. If you want something a little fancier,

you could use reusable lanyards instead of string.

Other Printed Material

There are vendors that can supply items such as water bottles, posters, and signs

customized for your event. Please refer to http://www.walkathonshop.com/tshirts-and-

more.html for more info.

Figure 1: Testing

the Sample Lap

Card for durability

http://www.walkathonshop.com/lapcards.html




Registration and Treasurer6


The Registration Committee creates registration materials, encourages people to

register prior to the walkathon, checks-in the walkers on the day of the event, collects

their lap cards and checks-out walkers at the end of the event. The Treasurer is

responsible for collecting money, including upfront participation fees, donations, and

concessions, and also reports the financial results, including all expenses.

It is good accounting practice to separate the person who takes money for the group

(this is the Walkathon Treasurer) from the person who pays group expenses. The overall

Group Treasurer (who handles finances beyond the scope of this event) or Walkathon

Chair should pay walkathon expenses, but then copy the Walkathon Treasurer on all of

these outgoing payments. Similarly, the Walkathon Treasurer should copy the Group

Treasurer and Walkathon Chair on all incoming payments.

I have combined the Treasurer job with the Registration Committee because the two are

so closely linked, as checks often come in at the same time as registration materials.

Team Members

Three or four very detail oriented people need to:

Create the registration form

Create the registration instructions sheet

Create the pledge form

Collect materials and money before, during and after the walkathon

Create welcome packets to give walkers when they arrive on walkathon day

About fifteen people need to work at the registration table in shifts, throughout the day

of the walkathon

The Treasurer position should be a one person job. Keep it manageable by limiting the

scope to just responsibilities directly tied to collecting, counting and depositing

payments from walkathon participants, with others sharing the job of communication

and organization.

6 Special thanks to Carla Bottenfield, Michele Kirsch and Donna Young for much of this information


Team Dependencies

From the Publicity Committee: the logo to use for the registration materials

To the Publicity Committee: completed registration materials for distribution to all the

walkers, and cooperation in reminding people to turn in their registration as well as any

money due

From the Walkathon Chair: the flat participation cost, if any, to be published in the

registration materials

With the T-Shirt Committee: coordinate such that the registration materials either

include T-Shirt orders or match in style with the order form created for the T-Shirts; the

Registration team will receive T-Shirt orders along with other materials people turn in,

and reports on quantities ordered to the T-Shirt team

From the T-Shirt/Lap Card Committee: lap cards to include in the Welcome Packet

handed out at check-in for the walkathon

With the Technology Committee: if you will allow people to register and donate online,

work with the Tech team to create online registration materials

From the Concessions Committee: money collected from food sales during the

walkathon goes to the Treasurer

From all Committees: reports for any expenses that need to be reimbursed should go to

the Treasurer

To the Walkathon Chair: final financial report from Treasurer

To the Celebration Committee: info on how far each person walked and money they

raised


Registration Timeline



8 weeks before Receive logo from publicity team. Create or update the following, incorporating the logo. See Appendix 1 for examples.

Registration Form

Registration Instructions

Pledge Form

Waiver / Permission Slip

Design for the way you and the Publicity team plan to distribute (paper flyer? Email? Online form using a system like DoJiggy or Convio? Both?).

Be sure the Registration instructions say exactly how people need to pay.

Have the Walkathon Chair and previous Registration Chairs review your updates, to be sure you have this material as clear as possible.

The Treasurer should create a spreadsheet that will list all walkers and payments due / paid. If you are using an online system for collecting payments, it may include a spreadsheet-like mechanism for tracking registration and payments.

7 weeks before Give completed forms and instructions to Publicity Chair for distribution.

In parallel, if you are using a web based system like DoJiggy, Convio or Groupvine, go live with registration materials.

Over the next four weeks, collect, tally, and report on registrations and payments accepted prior to the event. Send email updates on cash received to the Walkathon Chair and Group Treasurer.

Treasurer should be copied on, and make note of, payments for all expenses such as concessions purchases, T-Shirts, etc. The Walkathon Chair approves payments, but should CC the Walkathon Treasurer and the Group Treasurer. The Group Treasurer writes the actual checks.

4 weeks before Collect and tally registrations.

Create Check-In / Check-Out plan for day of event, then create associated instructions for volunteers (see examples in Appendix 1).

Confirm final schedule for walkathon day registration volunteers.

Make sure they respond with agreement on their commitment

Email them a copy of the Check-In and Check-Out procedures


3 weeks before Provide final quantities to T-Shirt team.

1 week before Create a welcome packet for each student as they arrive the day of the event (see below for details).

Print out Registration and Check-out Procedures to give to volunteers working at the tables.

Treasurer needs to get a cash box.

Walkathon

Day

On the day of the event, check-in all participants.

After participants are done walking, check them out.

The Treasurer should do the following:

During the day of the event, collect cash from the Registration Desk and the Concessions team. Keep a record of time, person who gave it to you, amount, and where it came from. Sit with the cash box or have a sub do so.

If the cash box feels too full, consider taking half to a safe place midway through the day.

At the end of the day, with another person watching, count the cash and write down the total. Make two copies which you both sign.

Take all funds to the Group Treasurer immediately after the event, for the earliest possible deposit. Count the cash together and write down the total on two slips of paper that you both sign.

1 week after For walkers who have not turned in their lap cards, email the families to get number of miles walked.

If your group would like to give awards to top walkers, report their info to your Walkathon Chair and Group Leadership.

For each walker, the Treasurer should check their lap cards to see how far they walked and write it down on their Pledge Form and in a spreadsheet created to record this information. Calculate any remaining amount due.

1 week after The Treasurer collects remaining balances from all walkers and updates their spreadsheet with this info. Periodically submit funds to the Group Treasurer.

5 weeks after The Treasurer provides a final figure for funds collected to your Group Leadership Team.

6 weeks after The Treasurer creates a report on overall Walkathon proceeds including expenses paid and funds collected.


Registration Welcome Packets and Check-In/Out Process

This process is critical to think through ahead of time, to avoid long lines during peak

arrival / departure hours. See Appendix 1 for example procedure documents to use on

Walkathon Day.

Create a welcome packet (a manila folder) for those who have pre-registered and paid

prior to the walkathon. In it, include:

Signed permission slip

Lap Card

Alphabetize them and put them in a crate or box.

Prepare blank welcome packets for the expected number of people who did not pre-

register. In these, provide:

Blank permission slip

Blank lap card

Blank pledge form

On the morning of the event, put out several copies of a Check-In Procedure Guide, as

shown in Appendix 1, to help volunteers remember what to do.


Registration Volunteers

The Walkathon Chairs will give you a starting list of volunteers, but you may need to add

more. You’ll need to schedule them into shifts and make sure they know what to do.

These were the shifts we used at Bullis Charter School in 2008, where we had almost

300 walkers coming and going all day. If your event is shorter, staff for a massive influx

of walkers at the start.

Volunteer Shifts

# of Volunteers

8:00 - 10 3

10 - 11:30 2

11:30 - 1 2

1 - 2:30 2

2:30 - 4 3

We scheduled these by exchanging email messages, but you could also use online tools

such as a Google Document, Groupvine, Volunteer Spot, etc.


Concessions


The Concessions Committee keeps everybody fed! They make food and paper good

purchases, prepare all food items, and then sell the food during the day of the

Walkathon. It may have the goal of making a profit, or it may just keep people fed.

Team Members

1 – 2 committee chairs

2-5 volunteers to slice oranges the day before the event

1 volunteer to get $250 in change the day before the event

Depending on size of event, about 25 volunteers for setup, sales and cleanup

during the event

1 – 3 shoppers

Team Dependencies

From the Sponsors Committee: the donated food

To the Course Volunteers: cups for water for the Lap Card Punchers, Squirters and any

other course workers

To the Printed Materials Committee: information on which food items will be available

for free to walkers, so that the lap cards can be designed to indicate whether a walker

has received each free item


Concessions Timeline



12 weeks

before

Provide Sponsors team with a list of food items you would like

donated if possible

3 weeks before Create a volunteer schedule, circulate it to all your volunteers, and

fill open shifts

Finalize your menu and shopping list - review the budget with your

Walkathon Chair and create a spreadsheet to track everything

1 week before Work with sponsors donating concession items on delivery

Purchase all remaining items

Submit a copy of the receipts to the Walkathon Treasurer

2 days before Set up the cash box

Slice oranges

Do any food prep

Walkathon Day Setup, Sell, Take down

Supply oranges and cups to the Course team

1 week after Update your spreadsheet with how much of each item you sold

Return unsold items where possible

Submit a report on finances to the Walkathon Treasurer, as well as a

receipt for all returns

Thank your volunteers!


Complimentary Items

During the event, walkers will come to the concessions table to get free items such as a

hot dog, popsicle, and drink. If the walkers wear lap cards designed to indicate when

they’ve received a particular free item, punch the associated item on their lap card so

that each walker is limited to one freebie of each kind.

If you want to give away food items, here are some suggestions. Try to get the items

donated in exchange for publicity, from local caterers or shops.

One hot dog

One popsicle

One drink

Unlimited orange slices

Unlimited water in paper cups

Volunteers

You’ll need the following for a walkathon that lasts from about 8:30 AM to 4 PM, with

almost 300 walkers and another 200 parents and volunteers, who will largely depend on

you for lunch and snacks. Adjust your schedule based on your own walkathon’s timing

and size.

1 – 2 committee chairs

2-5 volunteers to slice oranges the day before the event

1 volunteer to get $250 in change the day before the event

Depending on size of event, about 25 volunteers for setup, sales and cleanup

during the event

1 – 3 shoppers

Shifts should be about one and a half hours starting with setup from 7:00 – 8:30 AM,

then selling until 4 PM, and finally cleanup from 4:00 – 5:30 PM. You’ll need three

volunteers per shift, except four-five volunteers at the lunch shift.

You’ll get a list of volunteers from the Walkathon Chairs to start, but will need to

augment that list. Your job is to set up the shifts and make sure all the volunteers are

able to show up for those time slots. Don’t skimp on the effort of getting enough

volunteers!


Sample Shopping List

Here is a sample table of concessions items, generously supplied by Bullis Charter

School7. This list is for a group with almost 300 walking kids, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM. You can

adjust according to your circumstances.

If you are tech savvy, consider setting up a Google Doc containing all food items. You

can pass this on from year to year so you can better estimate your needs.

item vendor Bought in 2007

Sold in 2007

Bought in 2008

Sold in 2008

Price we paid

Price we

charged

donuts Donut Du Jour Donated $0.50

bagels House of Bagels

10 dz 3 dz 5 dz 4 dz $.66 $1.00

chicken salad Lucky Chinese 100 100 40 40 $3.68 $4.00

potstickers Lucky Chinese 100 100 300 150 $.80 $1.00

kitkat Smart & Final 72 18

M&Ms Smart & Final 24 24 48 13 $.44 $1.00

skittles Smart & Final 72 72 36 36 $.41 $1.00

starburst Smart & Final 120 84 60 35 $.41 $1.00

sour rope Smart & Final 60 60 72 72 $.23 $1.00

twix Smart & Final 36 36 36 36 $.41 $1.00

cornnuts Safeway 20 11 $.43 $1.00

chips Smart & Final 150 50 50 26 $.21 $1.00

sodas Smart & Final 288 260 264 240 $.36 $1.00

popsicles Smart & Final 248 200 316 220 $.29 $0.75

cookies Safeway 72 72 $.27 $0.75

hot dogs 250 250 Donated $3.00

samosas 200 200 240 160 $.50 $1.00

cups for water Safeway 450 N/A $.02 N/A

ice Safeway 16 bags

N/A $36.20 N/A

oranges Di Martini's 2 cases N/A Donated N/A

7 Special thanks to Christine Di Bona


Cash Box and Cash Runs on the Day of the Walkathon

Let me start by saying that I am no expert in crime prevention or the steps you need to

follow to safeguard your cash. If you are working with local police they may have

suggestions for you. However, here are a few tips that may help.

Have a cash box ready prior to the event. You can purchase or borrow one, or

simply make one out of a cardboard box. Put dividers between each

denomination. Put a sheet of paper in it which will serve as your tally throughout

the day of the walkathon, as you transfer cash from this box to the main

treasurer’s cash box.

Have an opening bank with about $1 per walker in change. Have plenty of $1s and

quarters. Plan on making change for many $20s and $10s. Start the tally sheet by

noting how much money is in the cash box at the beginning of the day. Have a

volunteer count out the money as well, and initial your starting tally.

Keep the cash box out of reach of your customers.

You’ll need to manually walk money from Concessions to the Registration area

every one to two hours for safekeeping.

- Count the cash at Concessions with one of the volunteers watching.

- Keep your total cash supply low by transferring cash to the Treasurer.

Each hour, remove any money not needed for making change. Count it

out with a volunteer watching. Update your tally sheet that you keep in

the cash box with how much you have removed. Have the volunteer

initial it.

- Walk the cash over to your Registration table. The Walkathon Treasurer

should then recount the cash and give you a signed receipt.


Entertainment


The Entertainment Team provides music and other entertainment. They are responsible

for setup and equipment and performances during the day. They are also responsible

for setting up the microphone for announcements as well as music or performances.

Entertainment check list:

Determine where your main entertainment station or stage will be located

Plan for the stage if you’d like one

Plan for a complete sound system with a microphone

Plan for a DJ if you want one

Decide on your power source, be sure you have enough extension cords and that

your power system will be safe

Determine whether you want to bring in any outside entertainment

Team Members

Get a volunteer to help with setup in the morning, and another one to help with take

down at the end of the day.

Invite people to participate in live entertainment. Appendix 1 has an example

Entertainment Flyer.

Consider adding a “Crazy Hair” volunteer who likes to give crazy hair styles and

temporary colors. This person can do as much or as little as they wish. Be sure to get

permission from the Walkathon Chair before purchasing hair dye and other supplies.

Team Dependencies

With the Publicity Committee: recruits people to entertain the crowd with prepared

skits, songs, etc.

With the Course Setup Team: coordinate where you will be located and plan for

potential issues with equipment placement – for example, if you have extension cords,

make sure they don’t stretch across the course

With the Walkathon Chair: review entertainment plans to ensure they are consistent

with the theme of the overall event


Course and Event Layout, Setup and Cleanup


This committee is responsible for:

Planning the course and event layout and communicating plans to the Walkathon

Chair

Purchasing supplies for setup such as cones and caution tape

Borrowing or finding other supplies such as tables, shade tents, and seating

Course layout and setup, including all the cones and tape to mark the course

Course cleanup after the walkathon

Team Members

The team needs:

One or two leaders who get volunteers, do all site design, communicate with

others who are depending on this layout, and make the shopping / supplies lists

One or two people who will borrow / find supplies

One or two shoppers who will order supplies not already available

About 20 volunteers for about two hours prior to the event for setup. You can

include a few people from each committee here but be sure to clear that with

those committee chairs.

About 20 volunteers for the last half hour of the event for cleanup. You can also

ask all participants for help with cleanup as well.

Team Dependencies

To all other Committees: provide details of the course and event setup plans and

provide tables, shade tents, and seating for various teams as needed

From the Sponsors Committee: any items for the course setup that were donated


Setup Timeline

Start date shown is relative to the walkathon date.


4 weeks before Create a setup plan

Purchase supplies and find needed items (see Event Setup Table on

the following pages)

Confirm volunteers

Inform the neighbors so they do not schedule tree trimmers or

other disruptive activities the day of the walkathon

1 week before Confirm volunteers again with schedule (setup, take down)

1 day before Begin setup

Walkathon day 2 hours before the event, do all major setup. Allow at least two

hours for the 20 volunteers.

During the last hour, and for an hour or so after the event, clean up

and take down


Notes on Course Layout

Sample Course Plan, from Bullis Charter School8

Example Setup Map. This is how we planned to set up for our 2008 Walkathon, but we ended up

making some changes. We learned that the water station should be right next to a hose and it would be

nice to have the orange slices close to concessions.

Caution tape: Calculate how many feet of caution tape you need based on the total

distance of your course, x 2 (for both sides of the path), minus any fencing. Consider

purchasing tape locally and keeping receipts so you can return unused tape. You can

purchase tape at most hardware stores.

Cones: Where there aren’t trees or other options for tying the caution tape, you can use

safety cones or folding chairs.

8 Thanks to Lynne Reed for donating this sample plan.


Event Setup

Event setup took us about two hours with 20 people. All committee chairs helped for

their own stations.

Sample Equipment and Supplies List

Area Number of

tables

Number of

tents Other Items

Course Caution Tape

Cones

Registration 6 2

Concessions 6 2 Water cooler

Awards / Punchers 1 2

Water and Orange slices

at station #4

1 0 Water cooler

Water station and Orange

slices at station #9

1 1 Water cooler

Crazy hair 1 Umbrella 2 chairs

Garbage 8 garbage cans

First Aid 1 2 chairs

Entertainment Stage

Throughout course Encourage

people to

bring chairs,

umbrellas

Totals 16 8

Cleanup

During the last hour of the walkathon, use the microphone to ask everyone to help

clean up. Rally the assigned cleanup team to begin as well. After the event is officially

over, the cleanup team puts everything away with help from the other committees.


Course Volunteers9


This team has people stationed at checkpoints throughout the walkathon course. On the

course they:

Provide first aid at a first aid station

Keep water supplies full and paper cups available

Keep orange slice table(s) stocked

Spray water on hot walkers

Watch for any safety issues and help supervise child walkers

If there will be a slide show / celebration, take pictures of as many walkers as

possible

If your walkathon course is a loop such as a track or the perimeter of a park or

school, you can track walker progress by counting laps. This committee provides

people who punch lap cards and cheer for walkers. If the course isn’t a loop, they

can cheer anyway.

This committee sets up a tent at the awards table to keep cool, and tables along

the route for water and oranges.

Prior to the walkathon, this committee purchases any incentive prizes, such as

ribbons, beads or bracelets to mark major milestones (such as each mile) and

gives them out during the walkathon

Team Members

For 300 walkers, you need about 35 course volunteers, one person to do the shopping,

and volunteers for photography and first aid. In addition, get about 5 backup volunteers

in case some team members aren’t able to make it.

For the course volunteers, on a loop-style route, for an 8 AM – 4:30PM event, plan on 5

shifts, 1.5 hours each. Each shift has 7 volunteers:

3 punchers who punch lap cards and encourage walkers

2 spotters who keep the water and oranges filled and watch for safety

9 Special thanks to Kara Park, Bullis Charter School volunteer, for supplying a great deal of the information

about course volunteers.


2 awards people who give out the trinkets when a walker hits a major milestone

Photography needs vary widely based on walkathon goals. If you are a school, consider

having a photographer parent from each classroom with the job of photographing every

participant in that class. Have a photography lead if you have aggressive photography

plans.

The First Aid station needs to have a well qualified volunteer at all times. This person or

team provides first aid throughout the day of the event. They should be trained in CPR

and first aid techniques.

Example Walkathon Shifts

(not including photography and first aid)

This example was for a walkathon with almost 300 walkers on a ½ mile loop course.

Volunteer

Shifts

# of

Volunteers

8:00 – 10:00,

includes some

setup

7

10:00 - 11:30 7

11:30 – 1:00 7

1:00 - 2:30 7

2:30 – 4:30,

incl. some take

down

7

First and last shifts also handle setup and take down of shade tents, tables and chairs.

You might want to try using an online tool like Groupvine, Big Tent, or a Google

Document to allow people already on the committee to sort themselves into shifts,

rather than relying on a whole lot of emails to get it all sorted out.


Team Dependencies

From the Registration tables: Lap Cards distributed to walkers during check-in, which

you will be punching as walkers complete laps of the course

From the Concessions workers: orange slices and water cups for tables on the course

From the Course Setup team: tables for water and help setting up any shade tents you

might need

From the Walkathon Chair: approval on expenses for award items

To the Celebration and Publicity Committees: all the photos that you take during the

walkathon


Course Volunteers Timeline



5 weeks before Purchase items such as milestone awards, any needed hole

punchers, squirt bottles

Create a big poster that shows which awards are given for which

mileage

Recruit course volunteers, photographers

2 weeks before Schedule your volunteers into time slots and confirm their

participation

If you have a lap checkpoint, plan its layout and exactly what

volunteers will do there. Work with Course Setup to coordinate

plans.

1 week before If you want to check off all walkers as you photograph them, to

be sure to capture everyone, contact the Registration team for a

list of people planning to walk. This becomes your photo

checklist.

Confirm photo volunteers. Give them each a checklist of walkers

to photograph.

Walkathon Day Set up tents at awards table

Man these stations throughout the day and keep water and

oranges stocked

Make sure photographers are able to take pictures as planned

When walkers are done, direct them to the Registration Table

for checkout

Make sure the First Aid station is covered throughout the day

Take down tents and tables after the event

1 day after Make sure photographers send photos to the Publicity Chair for

newsletters, and Celebration Team for slide show


Supplies

Hole Punchers

Purchase 12 hole punchers, which includes the two for concessions to use when walkers

get their complimentary foods.

Squirt Bottles

For a potentially hot day, have about five squirt bottles ready. Your course volunteers

who are stationed by the water and oranges can also squirt the walkers. You can get

these at places such as Target for about $1 each.

Lap Cards

If you use lap cards to track laps, they will be supplied to you by the T-Shirt and Lap Card

team.

Mileage Award Items

Consider giving walkers small awards for achieving milestones such as completing each

mile. Our awards in 2008 were very thin rubber bracelets. After the event, the children

who walked wore them with pride for most of the school year. Similarly, in other cases

walkathons have used ribbons on a safety pin or beads on a thin necklace or bracelet.

Create an awards chart showing what award items will be given for each mileage

achieved and stand it near the lap card punching station.

You’ll need to figure out how many awards to purchase. The following table shows the

data from a previous walkathon. For 307 walkers, ages 5 – 12, walking from 8:30 AM to

4 PM, the table shows how many award items were given away.


Example Number of Awards Given to Walkers

Miles # of walkers that stopped at this point

Total # of award items for this level

1 1 307

2 7 306

3 11 299

4 12 288

5 17 276

6 14 259

7 11 245

8 18 234

9 11 216

10 22 205

11 11 183

12 59 172

13 11 113

14 8 102

15 11 94

16 10 83

17 1 73

18 4 72

19 5 68

20 30 63

21 12 33

22 3 21

23 1 18

24 4 17

25 4 13

26 1 9

27 1 8

28 4 7

29 0 3

30 1 3

31 0 2

32 1 2

33 0 1

34 0 1

35 1 1

307 3797


Celebration

Consider holding an Awards Event once all totals are finalized, money is collected,

certificates are created and the slide show is ready.


Celebrate your walkathon with a group-wide event, such as a school assembly or

presentation at a group meeting. This team creates that event.

Team Members

Committee Chair, organizes the event’s agenda

Walkathon Chair, speaks at the event along with other group leadership

Certificate maker, gets the final lap counts and creates a certificate for each

walker

A person to create the slide show

Equipment setup person if you have sound equipment

Team Dependencies

From the Registration team: miles walked by each walker

With the Walkathon and Committee Chairs: set the agenda for the event


Timeline and Event Agenda



5 weeks before Set the date for the awards event

Recruit volunteers for making certificates and slide show and to setup equipment if needed

1 -3 days after Photography team makes slide show

Registration team tallies miles walked

Walkers / Treasurer collect donations

3 weeks after Obtain mileage for each walker from Treasurer, including names of top walkers

Obtain total amount of money earned from Treasurer

Create certificates

Arrange for equipment for the event, such as a sound system

4 – 8 weeks after

Hold the Celebration Event

Sample Event Agenda

Introductions, thank all volunteers

Present the slide show

For each walker, announce miles walked and present certificate.

Present top walker awards

Announce total earnings


Appendix 1: Example Forms, Flyers and Emails

Documents related to getting sponsors

Example Newsletter Insert

WALKATHON SPONSORS

We are looking for sponsors for our Annual Walkathon again this year.

Don’t miss this opportunity to have your business listed on the backs of

our walkathon T-Shirts, worn for many years to come, as well as

walkathon publicity materials. We offer donor levels of $100, $250,

$500, and $1000. Please contact Jane Doe via email ([email protected]) if

you are interested. Many thanks! We hope to see you on our t-shirts!


Example Sponsor Solicitation Letter

Valley School 1234 Valley Road Valley, CA 94022 July 21, 2010 Dear Sir or Madam, On Saturday, October 23rd, Valley School will be holding its Third Annual Walkathon. Funds generated from this event help support the outstanding services we provide. Last year we “sprinted for science” and raised nearly twenty one thousand dollars. Please consider two ways your business can help support the Valley School Walkathon:

Sponsorship: Sponsorship levels are Bronze at $100, Silver at $250, Gold at $500 and Platinum at $1000. Your company logo will be printed on the back of about 400 walkathon T Shirts, which people will wear for years to come. Also, your support will be acknowledged in our publicity materials. Please email either your logo or the exact wording of the name of your company as you’d like it to appear on the shirt. The logo size printed will correspond to your sponsorship level.

Materials Donation: During the day-long event we will provide food and beverages to the walkers and attendees. In the past, local businesses have generously provided refreshments. Discounts on the purchase of food and supplies have also been thoughtfully given. Your donation in the form of an item to raffle or food and beverage supplies would be greatly appreciated.

Donations or instructions for pickup of your donation may be sent to:

2010 Walkathon Committee, Attn: Jane Doe 1234 Valley Road Valley, CA 94022 (123) 555-1212 [email protected] Thank you for considering our request. The Valley School community truly appreciates your support. Checks should be made out to Valley School PTA. For your records, the federal tax I.D. number is 12-3456789. Sincerely, Jane Doe 2010 Walkathon Committee


Publicity and Registration Materials

As Soon as Possible - Save the Date

If you are a school, early in the new school year, get on everyone’s calendars. Insert a

note like this into the school newsletter. Otherwise, as soon as you have set the date,

publicize via email or the group newsletter. Here is an example notice:

12 Weeks Prior to the Walkathon - Begin to Get Volunteers

Flyer to Recruit Volunteers

See the next page for a full page flyer you can copy. Revise this based on where you

already have volunteers and where you need them.

At this point, if you don’t have your graphics ready, the flyer can be quite simple and all

text.

WALKERS, JOGGERS, RUNNERS!

Purchase new tennis shoes and prepare for Walkathon 2010!

Join fellow students, staff, parents and friends on October 23rd for

Valley School’s Fifth Annual Walkathon! The fun starts at 9 AM and

continues until 4 PM on the Valley campus. More news to follow…


Example Volunteer Recruiting Flyer

VALLEY SCHOOL WALKATHON 2010

SPRINT 4 SCIENCE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23rd, 8:30 AM – 4 PM

ON THE VALLEY SCHOOL CAMPUS

Have you missed the opportunity to sign up for the Walkathon so far?

Volunteers are still needed for:

Sponsorship: Contact businesses to sponsor the Walkathon and/or

Donate required items for the event.

Treasurer: Track expenses, receipts and deposits. Volunteers tally

and collect ledge card payments.

Food / Refreshments: Sell food items. Serve snacks, drinks, lunch

and dessert during Walkathon. Hand out hot dogs, water and

popsicles earned by walkers. Coordinated by Fred Foodgetter.

Set up / Clean up: Help set up the course the morning of the event,

and/or help clean up after.

Spotters: Staff stations where children can be sprayed with water

and get a drink or snack as they walk along the course.

Please contact Jane Doe at [email protected] or (650) 123-4567 if you are able

to volunteer for any of these positions.


8 Weeks Prior to the Walkathon - Keep Getting Volunteers

Eight weeks prior to the event, you’ll be heavily recruiting volunteers. Make sure

everyone feels welcome via newsletter inserts like these, modified based on where you

still need volunteers:

7 Weeks Prior to the Walkathon - Get Walkers to Register

Now you need to get people to register for the walkathon, so this is the first big peak of

publicity efforts. Insert the following into an email that goes to the entire school or

group:

Walkathon / Sprint 4 Science

The Walkathon Committee has been busy designing a T-shirt, contacting

sponsors and planning “SPRINT 4 SCIENCE”, scheduled for Saturday, October

23rd at the Valley School Fields. Volunteers are still needed to help with

sponsorship, preparing forms, treasurer, set-up / clean-up and food sales.

Please contact Jane Doe at [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering!

Mark your calendar for the Walkathon on Saturday, October 23rd.

- 8:30 AM – 4 PM, on the Valley School Fields

- A signup form will go out this Thursday. Please sign up to participate and order T-Shirts by October 9th.

- Paper pledge cards will go out this Thursday – get ready!

- We still need many more volunteers! Please email Jane Doe at [email protected]. Indicate interest in Concessions, On the Course, or Photography.

One of our largest family events, the walkathon gives our children the chance

to raise funds for a tangible and visible cause within the school. This year we

will walk for a combination of two things - Campus Beautification and

Technology Purchases in the Library.

Watch for the official theme and logo, now being designed by our 6th graders

working with parents Sam Smith and Joan Jones to be unveiled later this

week!

Don’t miss this wonderful family event.


Also, if your group includes staff and/or teachers, send a note like this to them (or have

the director / principal send it):

Poster or Banner

A single volunteer can create the poster, at least 2’ x 3’ but ideally an 8’ long banner. If it

doesn’t rain, leave it up until the Walkathon date. You can paint the poster by hand or

have it printed – I’ve listed printing services at

http://www.walkathonshop.com/tshirts-and-more.html. Have the poster say:

Register Today for the 2010 Walkathon Sprint 4 Science!

Saturday, October 23rd, 8:30 AM – 4 PM

Valley School Fields

Check your Thursday Folders for all registration forms

Note to teachers and staff: All teachers will get a free T Shirt to wear the Friday before the Walkathon, whether they can attend the event or not. Later this week you can specify your size, and also let us know whether you can attend, using the signup form coming on October 2nd. If you can attend, families may donate money in your honor. We will publicize which teachers are attending in advance. Extra T-Shirts will be available for purchase. Please add these points to your class newsletters:

Don’t miss the Walkathon! It’s one of the most highly attended school events and a wonderful, positive, friendly and healthy event.

- An opportunity for our children to contribute directly to the school in a visible way. This year’s cause is Campus Beautification and Technology Purchases in the Library.

- Saturday, October 23rd, 8:30 AM – 4 PM, on the Valley School Fields

Thank you Valley School Teachers.



If you have an assembly or group meeting, make these points in a brief speech:

Registration and Pledge Forms

Modify the following documents based on the detailed logistics required for your

walkathon. Provide copies of each of these full sheet flyers and hand them out to all

potential participants.

Note that if you opt to use technology you can simplify this process and enable your

participants to register and pay online. In that case you could omit the order form or

only provide it for those unable to register online.

Also, in some cases you’ll need to use a waiver form in lieu of the permission slip. For

one sample waiver form, refer to Appendix 3.

Registration Instructions, to hand out to all potential walkers and their families

Permission Slip, for all potential walkers who are children

Pledge Form

Walker Registration Form

Pledge Payment Instructions

Announcing the Walkathon!

Explain – what is a walkathon?

Announce the cause

Announce date. Ask the participants to:

o Fill in the registration forms

o Get pledges

Announce the slogan

Show off the T-Shirt design. If possible, you or your

group mascot should model the shirt.

If applicable, list those who helped with the slogan

and T-Shirt design.


Example Registration Instructions:

LOGO GOES HERE Fifth Annual Walkathon Sponsored by Valley School PTA

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM


1234 Valley Avenue

One of our largest family events, the Walkathon gives our children the chance to raise funds for a tangible and visible cause within the school. The proceeds from this year’s Walkathon will go towards campus beautification and technology purchases for the Valley School Library.

Sign-up & Pledges: A Sign-up Notification went out October 2nd to remind you to sign up, place a T-shirt order and

pay the minimum fee. Please note the following:

o The minimum pledge for participants is $30, due by Oct. 9th, payable online or by check o T-shirts are free to all Walkathon participants who make the minimum pledge, and available to other family

members for $15 each. Order T-shirts online or on our paper flyer. o Parents, please support your student in gathering pledges! Pledges can be made for every mile walked or for a

flat amount. Many participants walk about 10 miles. Using the attached Pledge Card, record each sponsor’s name, telephone number, and address. Sponsors must initial Pledge Card. Pledge Card is a two-part form; whatever is written on top page will be reproduced on bottom page. Additional Pledge Cards are available in school office. Bring Pledge Card with you to Walkathon.

Sponsor VALLEY Staff: Raise more funds by making a pledge for participating Valley Staff! Write in staff pledges

on your student’s Pledge Card. A list of participating Valley Staff will soon be made available in Thursday Folders.

Siblings and Alumni are welcome to participate! Sign them up and order T-shirts using the same forms or online.

Each participant must complete a Permission Slip and Pledge Card. Obtain additional forms in school office.

Tot Walkers: For siblings under 5 who want to participate as walkers, you can purchase a T-shirt for $15, online or

by check, and a punch card & associated food for $2 (at the Walkathon). Or, you may request a free punch card (no

food included) at the Walkathon. A signed Permission Slip is required and may be submitted in advance to school

office or at Walkathon.

Pledge Collection: Participants who have secured pledges for more than the $30 minimum may pay balance at the

Walkathon, or submit payment later to Walkathon mailbox in school office. Detailed instructions for pledge payment

will be provided at Walkathon check-out. Pledge balances are due by Monday, November 10th.

Awards: The top walker from each class will enjoy a catered lunch with our principal, later this year.

Got a conflict that day? Come any time and for as much time as you can. Students who play in other sporting

events that day and arrive in uniform will get a free mile!

Final Notes: No pets please. An adult should accompany children when soliciting and collecting pledges.

Participating students must be accompanied by an adult while at the Walkathon.

Questions? Please contact Walkathon chair Jane Doe, [email protected]

Get ready for the Walkathon in three steps:

Step 1. Due Oct. 9th: Use the registration forms to sign up and order a free T-shirt, and pay the minimum fee, or

sign up and pay online at www.valleyschoolwalkathonsignups.com

Step 2. Due Oct. 9th: Fill out your student’s Permission Slip (provided in Thursday Folder) and return to Walkathon mailbox in school office.

Step 3. Due Oct. 23rd, day of Walkathon: Bring your student’s completed Pledge Card to Walkathon.


Example Permission Slip (assuming waiver form is not needed):

LOGO GOES HERE

P E R M I S S I O N S L I P

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM


1234 Valley Avenue

EACH PARTICIPANT WILL NEED AN INDIVIDUAL PERMISSION SLIP

IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WALKATHON.

Please return this form to the Walkathon mailbox located in the school office

by Thursday, October 9th.

STUDENT NAME ________________________________ GRADE __________

Check box if

STUDENT’S TEACHER NAME _____________________ not a Valley Student

I hereby grant permission for my child,_________________________________

to participate in the Valley School Walkathon, sponsored by the Valley School

PTA, on October 23rd, 2010.

_____________________________ ____________

Parent Signature Date

_____________________________

Parent Name (please print)


Example Pledge Form:

If you have the Microsoft Word version of this form (available at http://www.walkathonshop.com/thebook.html),

you can double click on the picture below to open it in Microsoft Excel (this form was created using Microsoft Excel

2007). Then you can select and copy all cells and paste them into a new Excel worksheet to use as a starting point

for creating your own Pledge Forms. This example form is designed to be printed in landscape mode.

Participant Name Grade Teacher

Sponsor Name Flat Donation $'s Per Mile Sponsor Miles Total $'s Amount

& Telephone # ($10 Minimum)($1 Minimum) Initials Walked Pledged Received

$ $ $ $

$ $ $ $

$ $ $ $

$ $ $ $

$ $ $ $

($ 30.00) ($ 30.00)

$ $ $ $

FLAT PLEDGE SPONSORSHIP OF PARTICIPATING VALLEY STAFF (ADMINISTRATIVE & TEACHERS) - Refer to posted list of participating staff members

Participating Staff Member: $ $ $



$ $ $

$ $ $

$ $ $

$ $ $

TOTAL MILES WALKED:

VERIFIED BY: THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VALLEY SCHOOL!

DEDUCT MINIMUM PLEDGE IF PAID IN ADVANCE

SPONSOR SUB-TOTALS

STAFF SUB-TOTAL

PAGE TOTAL (add ALL Sponsor Sub-Totals and Staff Sub-Total)

Put the sum of the GRAND TOTALs from Additional Cards here

GRAND TOTAL

Check box

if not Valley

student

PLEDGES FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Sponsor Address Check # Initials



Example Registration Form:

LOGO GOES HERE Valley School Walkathon 2010

Registration Form

Please enter the walker name(s), circle the appropriate T-Shirt size(s), calculate the

total, then submit with a check made payable to the Valley School PTA, to the

Walkathon mailbox in the office.

Note: The $30 minimum pledge for each walker is due upon registration.

Extra T-Shirts ($15 each)

Qty Qty Total number of

Youth XS _______ Adult S __________ extra T-Shirts x $15 = $______________

Youth S _______ Adult M __________

Youth M _______ Adult L __________

Youth L _______ Adult XL __________

Youth XS _______ Adult XXL __________

Total Submitted $______________

T-Shirts for registration received by Friday, October 1 will be distributed to students in their classrooms the week of

the Walkathon.

If you haven’t already done so, please fill out and turn in a permission slip (extra copies available in the office) for

each walker and turn in to the office with this order.

Walker #4 Name __________________________________________ $ ______________ ($30 minimum)

T-Shirt Size: Youth XS S M L

Adult S M L XL



Adult S M L XL



Adult S M L XL



Adult S M L XL


Example Pledge Payment Instructions:

LOGO GOES HERE

VALLEY SCHOOL

WALKATHON 2010

PLEDGE PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

These instructions apply to any pledges that you have ABOVE the $30 minimum you paid to

register for Walkathon.

1. Double-check that any calculated pledge amounts (dollars per mile) are correct on your Pledge Card.

2. Collect pledge(s). Payment must be by check(s) payable to: Valley School PTA. If a sponsor

chooses to give you cash, please write a check for that sponsor’s amount, submit your check as payment

and keep the cash. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT CASH PAYMENTS TO WALKATHON BOX! Important

Safety Reminder: An adult should accompany children when collecting pledges.

3. Staple check(s) to your Pledge Card. If you have a check from a sponsor to cover pledges for more

than one participant, group all participants’ Pledge Cards together and staple this check on the top.

4. Submit Pledge Card with check(s) attached to Walkathon mailbox in the Valley School Office. Please

wait to submit your Pledge Card until you have all pledge payments.

PLEDGE PAYMENTS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15th.

Questions: Contact Jane Doe at [email protected].

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING & SUPPORTING

VALLEY SCHOOL!


4 Weeks Prior to the Walkathon - Place This Notice in Your Group Newsletter or Distribute in an Email

Walkathon Signups Due this Thursday

Get Ready, Get Set, Improve

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010, 8:30 AM - 4 PM

We're walking for: School beautification and technology for the library

By Oct 4th, be sure that you:

1. Pay your child(ren)s minimum participation donation in advance and specify

the size for their free T-Shirt. Order your own T-Shirt at the same time if you'd

like.

2. Turn in your child(ren)s permission slip to office (copies available in the office if

needed).

Before the Walkathon, be sure that you:

Help your child use the pledge card to get pledges. Bring that pledge card to the

Walkathon.

Pledge cards came home in last week's Thursday folder. You can get one if the

office if yours is lost or missing.

We still need volunteers for the day of the event. Please contact your friendly

chairs,

Jane Doe at [email protected], ... …

Your walking friend,

Jane Doe


4 Weeks Prior to the Walkathon - Solicit Entertainment Via a Flyer Like This

VALLEY Walkathon Music

And Variety show! *Starring Valley School parents and students/staff*

Sign up now for a time slot to gain fame, and add fun and laughter

to this year‟s Valley School walkathon by presenting a musical act,

doing a skit, or exercise routine, or be the DJ, to keep the

Walkathon rocking!

We will be providing some sound equipment, electric pianos, and

mixers, amplifiers and the stage. You provide the act and the fun!

Put that band back together and start jamming for your big event

at the Walkathon on October 23rd.

To sign up your act or activity, please contact Dee Jay at

(123) 456-7890 or by email at [email protected]


1 Week Prior to the Walkathon – Distribute Info Like This in an Email or Newsletter

Please Register for the Walkathon and Order your T-Shirts TODAY Ignore this email if you've already registered for the Walkathon, and sorry for the extra note. Otherwise, please select the size for your free T-shirt and register to participate in the Walkathon. 1. Fill in the attached registration form, attach your check, and drop it off in the office. 2. If you haven't already turned in your permission slip to the office, please do so. Attached is an extra copy in case you need it. Also, join us in thanking all of our sponsors who are buying your students' T-Shirts!

La Poll Realtors Back to Health

TLC Builders Kamin Properties Winter Consulting

Because of them, our Walkathon costs are minimal, so that funds raised can go to campus beautification and technology for the library instead. Thanks also to Sam Smith for finding these great sponsors. Yours, Jane Doe


1 Week Prior to the Walkathon - Distribute a Reminder Flyer Like This

Logo Goes Here The Walkathon… Get Ready, Get Set, Improve!

Remember, all proceeds go towards upgrading technology programs

and campus beautification. See you on Saturday, October 23rd at

8:30, here at school for the 5th annual Walkathon!

Volunteer slots still open – we need you!

To take a concessions shift, contact Carol Cook ([email protected]).

To help on the course, please email Ronda Route ([email protected] ).

Either way please cc Jane Doe, Walkathon Chair: ([email protected] )

Forgot to register? Fear not.

Fill in the attached form (electronic), attach your check, and submit to the office by October

17th. If you miss that deadline, your child can still participate by signing up at the Walkathon

itself. However T-Shirts will be on a first come first served basis.

Sponsor a Staff Member!

Now that you are filling out your Walkathon Pledge Card, think about adding sponsorship for a

teacher or staff member. Find the section on your Pledge Card for staff sponsorship, and give

them your support! The following teachers and staff members are ready to join students.

Mr. Fastpace

Mrs. Longway

Mrs. Pacer

Mrs. Walker

Mr. Miler

More staff may decide to join in—look for final list of participating staff at

the Walkathon Registration desk. You can add staff pledges to your Pledge

Card at the Walkathon.


4 Days Prior to the Walkathon – Send Email to the School/Group and Another Email to Teachers or Staff if Appropriate…

To the teachers or staff:

And to the school or group:

Count Down to the Walkathon - Just Four More Days!! Saturday, 8:30 - 4 PM at Valley Fields

We need a few more volunteers for the Walkathon course. Please email (course volunteer chair) directly, at [email protected].

Don't miss this opportunity to show your Valley School spirit. Last call for faculty/staff Walkathon T-Shirts. Either send me an email letting me know your size or stop by the Walkathon T-Shirt table after school on Thursday to get your free T-Shirt . Don't forget to wear it to school on Friday! Yours, (T-Shirt chair) P.S. Even if you can't be at the Walkathon on Saturday, we would like you to have a shirt.


1 or 2 Days Prior to the Walkathon - Send Email to the School/Group

Walkathon Tomorrow!

Get Ready, Get Set, Improve Proceeds benefit technology for the library and campus beautification 8:30 AM - 4 PM at Valley Fields

Final reminders:

1. Wear sunscreen and a hat, and consider bringing a sun umbrella to carry or put in the grass. It's gonna be warm. If you have a canopy tent, we could still use more. Email (course setup chair).

2. Bring a water bottle and get a beautiful, free sticker! We won't sell bottled water at the event, but you can fill up all you need. We'll sell VALLEY water bottles while they last.

3. Remember your pledge card. 4. If you haven't already registered, you can do so on site for a minimum

$30 donation. T-Shirts will be given on a first come first served basis. 5. Bring money for food.

We don't have a separate cleanup crew so we'd appreciate it if everyone could

just pitch in during /after the event. Thank you.

1. Thank the volunteers! We can't say enough about these amazing committee chairs - Christine De Bona, Michele Kirsch, Donna Young, Carla Bottenfield, Kara Park, Michelle Nieda, Lynn Reed, Dave Beyer, Brian Mellea, Scott Vanderlip, Jamie Lucia, and all the committee members who continue to slice, move, beg, find, sell, buy, create, set up, google, groupery, publicize, organize, count, clean up, and cheer lead.

Have fun!!

Jane Doe


2 days After the Walkathon – Send Out This Notice to the School/Group

We Did It!

Watch upcoming newsletters for a full wrap up of Walkathon News. Meanwhile:

Please collect those pledges and turn them in. All donations are due on or before Nov 12th (extended due to school holiday). See attached instructions.

If you did not return your lap card, please email your name and miles walked to (walkathon treasurer) at (email address)

Also contact (walkathon treasurer) if you need a copy of your pledge card.

Thank you!


Check-In Procedure - Set This Out at the Registration Table and Email to Volunteers

Walkathon 2010

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE

FOR PRE-REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS

1. Retrieve participant‟s folder from „Check-In‟ crate. These are filed

alphabetically by last name.

2. Double-check that Permission Slip is in folder. If no slip, give Permission

Slip to parent to complete. If Pledge Card is also in folder, skip to step #3.

3. Ask for Pledge Card and scan for complete information. Request any

missing information.

If participant doesn’t have Pledge Card, give new one to parent to complete. Inform

parent of $30 minimum pledge for participation and collect payment.

If parent not available to complete Pledge Card, a supervising adult may pay $30 and help

complete a Pledge Card.

If no adult supervising, child does not receive a lap card and must go get parent’s (or

supervising adult’s) help.

WE MUST HAVE PERMISSION SLIP, PLEDGE CARD, AND $30 MINIMUM

PLEDGE PAYMENT BEFORE WE GIVE OUT A LAP CARD!

4. Give Lap Card to participant and explain s/he MUST check out at

Registration Desk when finished walking.

5. Point the way to starting line.

6. Check Pledge Card for any Valley Staff sponsorship and record on Staff

Sponsorship Tally Sheet(s). Put a check mark next to staff member’s name on

Pledge Card. Replace Pledge Card in participant’s folder.

7. Return folder to appropriate file in „Walking‟ crate.


Set This Page Out for Registration Volunteers to Review on the Day of the Event

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE FOR WALK-INS

1. Create a new folder. If Valley student, find ‘folder name label’ on sheet of

pre-printed labels and place on left side of folder tab. For non-Valley participants

(siblings, etc.), handwrite a folder name label and set up folder.

2. Have parent complete a Permission Slip & Pledge Card; inform parent of

$30 minimum pledge and collect payment. Verify that all information on both

forms is complete. NOTE: Tot walkers who are not collecting pledges may

purchase $2 punch card and buy a T-Shirt for $15. $30 minimum pledge

does not apply.

If parent not available to complete Permission Slip and Pledge Card, a supervising adult

may complete these forms and must pay $30.

If no adult supervising, child does not receive a lap card and must go get parent’s (or

supervising adult’s) help.

WE MUST HAVE PERMISSION SLIP, PLEDGE CARD, AND $30 MINIMUM

PLEDGE PAYMENT BEFORE WE GIVE OUT A LAP CARD!

3. Write participant‟s name on back of Lap Card (using sharpie), give to

participant and explain s/he MUST check out at Registration Desk when

finished walking.

4. Give participant a T-Shirt Voucher. No guarantee that we will have her/his

size.

5. Answer any questions and say,“HAVE FUN!” Direct to T-Shirt table.

6. Check Pledge Card for any Valley Staff sponsorship and record on Staff

Sponsorship Tally Sheet(s). Put a check mark next to staff member’s name on

Pledge Card. Replace Pledge Card in participant’s folder.

7. Return folder to appropriate file in „Walking‟ crate.

8. Add participant‟s name to Participant List (one for each class and one for all

others—siblings, etc.).


Set This Page Out for Registration Volunteers to Review on the Day of the Event

CHECK-OUT PROCEDURE

1. Retrieve participant’s folder from ‘Walking’ file crate.

2. Ask for participant’s Lap Card.

3. Record total miles on Pledge Card. Give Lap Card back to participant. If

applicable, calculate total pledge dollars due. Initial Pledge Card. Remove white

Pledge Card copy. If additional pledge money is due, staple Pledge Payment

Instructions to white Pledge Card copy and give to participant.

If participant wants to pay additional pledges in full at this time, see

‘Procedure For Accepting Minimum Pledge Payment At Walkathon’ instruction

sheet.

4. File yellow Pledge Card copy in participant’s folder.

5. Return folder to ‘Finished’ file crate.

6. Shake participant‟s hand for a job well done and thank her/him!


Appendix 2: Technology Options

Another great resource for choosing which solution is right for you is “A Few Good Tools

for Online Distributed Fundraising”, by Stella Hernandez of Idealware, April 2009. You

can find it at http://www.idealware.org/FGTOnlineDistributedFundraising.php. I am

summarizing her list of options here, plus augmenting it with a few solutions I have

found as well. This list includes both online fundraising tools and group organizing tools.

Artez Interactive (http://www.artez.com ), The Artez Solution helps charities create,

manage and execute a wide range of online fundraising campaigns.

BigTent.com (http://www.bigtent.com), a general purpose tool to connect people with

the communities they care about, making it easy for groups and their members to

participate, communicate, and organize.

Change.org (http://www.change.org) A free basic service and social networking site.

ChangingthePresent.org (http://www.changingthepresent.org) A free basic service that

encourages donations in place of gifts.

Chipin (http://www.chipin.com) This service is very simple and straightforward. It

provides a fundraising widget you and all walkers can use on any web site or Facebook

profile with a donate button and thermometer.

Convio (http://www.convio.com/products/convio-teamraiser-special-

events.html?gclid=CKS1kt-p8JkCFYJM5QodTx6oSA) This is a more robust system with

lots of features, including TeamRaiser Special Events.

DoJiggy Pledge (http://www.dojiggy.com/app/services/pledge/) DoJiggy Pledge is a

complete web-based registration management system for events where individual or

team participants collect and track pledges.

Donor Perfect (http://www.donorperfect.com) Another full featured system,

DonorPerfect includes the ability to allow walkers to collect via their MySpace, Facebook

and other pages.

Facebook Causes (http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2318966938)

This is specific to Facebook and allows walkers to set up fundraising pages and collect

donations there.

Firstgiving (http://www.firstgiving.org) Easy to use tools for fundraising and tracking

donations.

http://www.idealware.org/FGTOnlineDistributedFundraising.php

http://www.artez.com/

http://www.bigtent.com/

http://www.change.org/

http://www.changingthepresent.org/

http://www.chipin.com/

http://www.convio.com/products/convio-teamraiser-special-events.html?gclid=CKS1kt-p8JkCFYJM5QodTx6oSA

http://www.convio.com/products/convio-teamraiser-special-events.html?gclid=CKS1kt-p8JkCFYJM5QodTx6oSA

http://www.dojiggy.com/app/services/pledge/

http://www.donorperfect.com/

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2318966938

http://www.firstgiving.org/


'Friends Asking Friends' Kintera Thon Online

(http://www.kinterainc.com/site/c.owL8JoO7KzE/b.4953593) This is a robust solution

appropriate for large events.

Groupvine (http://www.groupvine.com) This is a generalized tool for organizing and

communicating with groups, and allows you to collect funds from group members. It is

not specific to a single event like a walkathon but rather an ongoing group management

tool.

SixDegrees.org (http://www.sixdegrees.org) Affiliated with Network for Good,

SixDegrees.org lets your organization and individual walkers create a donation widget

and insert it into a web site or social networking site.

Volunteerspot.com (http://www.volunteerspot.com) This is a generalized tool for

organizing volunteers.

http://www.kinterainc.com/site/c.owL8JoO7KzE/b.4953593

http://www.groupvine.com/

http://www.sixdegrees.org/

http://www.volunteerspot.com/


Appendix 3: Sample Waiver Form You will need a form like this for all participants in your event. Even with the best of intentions,

accidents can and do happen. You can help protect your organization by collecting Waiver and

Release of Liability Forms from each of your participants before the event. This sample waiver

was provided courtesy of DoJiggy (http://www.dojiggy.com). Walkathon Guide and DoJiggy do

not assume any liability for your event or the accuracy of this document.

The following waiver has been provided as a sample for DoJiggy clients and non-profits. Please

check with your legal counsel to determine if this waiver is appropriate for your organization.

1. In recognition of the risk of injury while participating in the ___________________ (Event), and as consideration for

the right to participate in the Event, I hereby for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or personal

representatives knowingly and voluntarily enter into this waiver and release of liability (Agreement) and hereby waive

any and all rights, claims or causes of action of any kind whatsoever arising out of my participation in the Event, and do

hereby release and forever discharge (Event) and its affiliates, managers, members, agents, attorneys, employees,

volunteers, heirs, representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns, business and its affiliates, managers, members,

agents, attorneys, employees, volunteers, heirs, representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns, the event site

and its agents, attorneys, employees, volunteers, heirs, representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns and all

sponsors and/or beneficiaries of the Event (collectively Hosts) from any and all liability, claims, demands, damages,

actions, or causes of action now existing or which hereinafter may arise as a result of my participation in the Event,

whether any injury is caused by the negligence of the Hosts, the negligence of myself or third parties, the conditions of

the course or any other cause.

2. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Hosts against any and all claims, suits or actions of any kind whatsoever

for liability, damages, compensation or otherwise brought by me or anyone on my behalf, including attorneys fees, if

litigation arises on account of claims made by me or anyone on my behalf.

3. I attest that I am physically fit and have trained sufficiently for the Event, and that a licensed medical doctor has

recently verified my physical condition. I will not knowingly push beyond my physical limits at any time during the Event.

4. I recognize that various photographs, video recordings, and other media will be taken during the Event. I agree to

grant the Hosts full permission to use any photographs, video recordings, or other media of the Event that contain my

likeness for the purpose of promoting ______________________________ (the organization) or the Event, or for any

purpose deemed appropriate by the organization.

5. For safety purposes, I agree to refrain from using headphones (and/or cellular phones) during the Event.

6. I acknowledge that this Agreement is the entire agreement between the Hosts and me, and that this Agreement

cannot be modified or changed in any way by representations or statements of the Host or by me.

7. I hereby declare that I have read and fully understand this Agreement in its entirety and that, by clicking below (or

signing below), I assent to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement.

http://www.dojiggy.com/