SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MARCH 28-29, 2015 IRVINE VALLEY COLLEGE TEAM CAPTAIN TOOLKIT Register at ReachingForTheCure.org
Welcome Team Captain! Teams are one of the most integral parts of our annual Reaching for the Cure Event. In 2014, over 110 teams with 2,200 team members raised $185,000 at the Reaching for the Cure Run & Ride. We can t thank teams enough for their fundraising efforts and spreading awareness for pediatric cancer. CONTENTS GET THE FACTS 03 WHY FORM A TEAM 04 RACE PRICES & INFO 05 HANDY CHECKLIST 06 LETS GET STARTED 07 BACK TO THE BASICS 08 TIPS & TRICKS 09 FACEBOOK & TWITTER 11 PLEDGES & PRIZES 12 HOW TO REGISTER 13 PLEDGE SHEET 14 You are the key to keeping our mission moving forward. Ranging from corporations, to families, to local schools all teams share our vision of a world without pediatric cancer. Starting a Team is a great way to honor or celebrate a survivor, remember those who have lost their battle, and help make a difference in our community. Whether you've never participated before, walked as an individual or Team member, or been a Team Captain for the past 16 years, we are excited to have you join us for our 17 th year. In this Toolkit, you'll find helpful information that will serve to guide you through your role as Team Captain, including: o Information about Teams and Race Day o Team Awards, Incentives and Contests o Important Dates o Fundraising Tips Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, or need help with anything as we move forward toward Race Day. Thank you for joining us in the fight to end pediatric cancer forever. Sincerely, Erin DeHart Events Director FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT PAGE 2
THE PROBLEM. WHAT PCRF IS DOING ABOUT IT. FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT PAGE 3
ABOUT TEAMS We welcome Teams of all sizes at the Reaching for the Cure Event. Teams account for over 75% of the fundraising dollars raised each year at this Event last year having raised over $185,000. Reasons to Form a Team... Make a Difference - working together as a Team will maximize your impact and make a meaningful difference here in your community. Celebrate or Honor Someone you Love - rally behind a co-worker, friend, family member or stranger who is a pediatric cancer survivor or patient. Let them know they re not alone in this fight. Awarded for Making a Difference - working together, your Team can win fantastic prizes including Race Day event space, parking passes and more. We also have fun awards after the Race for our top fundraising Teams. Gain Exposure for Your Company or Organization - with over 6,000 attendees, the Reaching for the Cure Event is a good way to gain visibility for Teams formed by businesses or organizations. Have Fun! - The Reaching for the Cure event is a day to get exercise, spend time with friends and loved ones, and have fun! Enjoy the Finish Line Expo and all the great giveaways from our fabulous sponsors. Raise Awareness - as a Team you can inspire each other and those around you to learn about pediatric cancer research as well as teach others about PCRF and our mission to end the suffering of children diagnosed with cancer forever. Encourage Fitness and Health - with multiple Races to choose from, it's easy for every participant to get some exercise and practice living a healthy lifestyle. Did you know... in 1980, the survival rate for children diagnosed with cancer was about 74%. Today, that number is over 80%! LET S KEEP REACHING FOR A CURE! T E A M C A P T A I N T O O L K I T P A G E 4
IMPORTANT REACHING FOR THE CURE INFORMATION QUICK FACTS: o No rollerblades, skates, or scooters o Website: www.reachingforthecure.org o Teams email: edehart@pcrf-kids.org o Phone number: 949.859.6312 RACE FEES FOR PARTICIPANT USE TEAM NAME: TEAM CAPTAIN: USERNAME: PASSWORD: Registration Type *Age 12 and under RACE DAY SCHEDULE Starting Prices Increase 11/12/14 Increase 2/2/15 Race Day Registration Bike Tour $80 $85 $90 $100 Brick: Bike & Any Run $100 $110 $125 $145 Half Marathon $70 $80 $85 $100 Half Marathon Child* $40 $40 $40 $45 10K Run $37 $42 $45 $50 10K Run Child* $25 $25 $27 $30 5K Run $35 $37 $40 $45 5K Run Child* $25 $25 $27 $30 5K Walk $35 $37 $40 $45 5K Walk Child* $25 $25 $27 $30 1K Kids Fun Run $20 $20 $20 $25 Virtual Participant $20 Gold Ribbon Reception Includes catered food, private restrooms and two alcoholic beverages to enjoy $20 after the race! 6:00am 6:50am 7:00am 7:00am 1:00pm 7:15am 7:45am 9:30am 11:00am 10:00am Sunday, March 29 th Irvine Valley College Registration & Packet pick up opens (Until 15 min prior to each event) Opening ceremonies Half Marathon Start Finish Line Festival 5K Run Start 10K Run Start 5K Walk Start Kids 1K Fun Run Start Awards Ceremony T E A M C A P T A I N T O O L K I T P A G E 5
TEAM CAPTAIN CHECKLIST Team Captain To Do List & Dates to Remember Date Completed Register your team. Recruit members and promote your team. Set a fundraising goal. For fundraising tips/ideas see included information. FUNDRAISING DEADLINE for Team Shirts is March 7, 2015 Start Early! Ongoing 3/7/2015 Remind your team members to register early. REGISTRATION DEADLINES for teams: Pre-registration (online & paper), March 23 rd 5:00pm In Person: Race Day, March 29 th Attend a Team Captain Kick-Off Meeting. January 27, 2015 we will host our Kick-Off Two Make-Up Meetings will be scheduled for those unable to attend the Kick-Off. **More information posted soon Check your email and share race newsletters with your team to keep everyone informed. Updates, events & incentives will be posted frequently on the event website and PCRF Facebook page. Cross Goals off your Team Captain Success Plan These goals are meant to support you and help you have fun! As you cross them off, document your progress and share with PCRF! Ongoing 3/23/2015 3/29/2015 Pick a Date Jan 27, 2015 Feb 4, 2015 Feb 5, 2015 Ongoing 3/23/2015 Pickup Team materials and packets. Thursday, March 26 th 4:00-7:00pm PCRF Office Saturday, March 28 th 9:00-3:00pm Irvine Valley College Sunday, March 29 th at 6:00am Irvine Valley College 3/26/2015 3/28/2015 3/29/2015 Teams claim their space in Team Land at the Expo 3/27 28/15 Teams assemble on Race Day! 3/29/2015 Team Captain Appreciation Event All Team Captains with 10+ members who have raised $1,500+ are invited! Date to be announced T E A M C A P T A I N T O O L K I T P A G E 6
GETTING STARTED CREATE A TEAM Are you motivated to help in the fight against pediatric cancer? Creating a Reaching for the Cure Team is a great way to help your community, unite your friends and family and join PCRF in the journey to cure childhood cancers! Register a Team Team Captains must register first to start the Team before individuals can join! Set your Team Goal Give your team a Goal to aspire to. It will help get your Team motivated and a running start towards fundraising for a cure! Get Official Teams with 10 members or more who raise a minimum of $1,500 are eligible for Team awards and prizes. RECRUIT TEAM MEMBERS Spread the word, create more awareness, send emails and hand out postcards to encourage others to be part of your team! See pg. 12 for steps to register. o o Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and colleagues about joining PCRF s 17 th Annual Reaching for the Cure Run & Ride at Irvine Valley College! Use online tools to spread the word. Maximize your team s webpage as a place for recruiting members. You can generate interest by creating a Team page on Facebook or Twitter and share them with your friends. Remember to share the importance of the Reaching for the Cure Event with others. It is not just a weekend race; it is a fundraising event that will help fund cutting edge therapy treatments dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancer so children and families can go on living healthy and productive lives. T E A M C A P T A I N T O O L K I T P A G E 7
THE BASICS TO FUNDRAISING SET GOALS Set a personal fundraising goal & share your goals with the friends and family that you are asking for support. Don t forget that each contribution makes a difference - no amount is too small! START EARLY While fundraising goes through the end of March, the earlier you start raising money, the more you will raise. ASK EVERYONE The local business that you support, ask them to support you! Your dentist, your yoga instructor, your dry cleaner or your customers and clients - all are great places to start. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR GIFT Select activities that you are excited about doing, and rely on your talents to raise money. Are you a fantastic baker? Host a bake sale! Want your kids involved? Host a lemonade stand! Research your company's matching gift policy and ask your donors and Team members to find out if their company's policy could help double your dollars raised. COMMUNICATE Keep your donors up to date. Let them know how close you are to reaching your goal and how much more needs to be raised. SAY THANK YOU Thank each person who helps you reach your goals and let them know that they are helping to make a difference! There are countless ways to fundraise, so take a look at the ideas listed in the following pages to see what works for you. Even if this is your first time, you have the capacity to be an incredible fundraiser! Just ask. People will be happy to support the mission of a world without childhood cancers. Every single dollar raised makes a difference. FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT PAGE 8
TRIED & TRUE FUNDRAISING TIPS Throw a Party! Host an event, like a potluck, barbeque or movie night and ask your family and friends to donate $10 per person to attend. Restaurant Night Out Ask local restaurants to contribute a percentage of the day's sales to help reach your goal. Restaurants in Orange County are often pleased to host a fundraising night out. Apple Bee s, Chili s, California Pizza Kitchen, Chick-fil-a, El Cholo, El Pollo Loco, Panda Express, Red Robin, Slater s 50/50 in Lake Forest, and more! Ask your local restaurants, many donate 15-20%! Sit for Donations Baby-sit, pet-sit, house-sit and offer services to your neighbors and friends for donations. Car Wash Host a car wash in your neighborhood or local parking lot. Charge each car and encourage attendees to make and extra donation to your overall fundraising goal. Involve Your Kids Have your kids get involved in their own way with a bake sale or lemonade stand. Let them use their imagination! Power of 10 Ask 10 friends for 10 dollars and you ll already be at $100! WORKPLACE GIVING Family Tradition, Cousins 2010 & 2014 Getting your company or employer involved is a great way to boost your efforts! Corporate Teams Ask about forming a company team! Wearing company shirts while participating at the event gives your company great exposure and helps team building as you collectively reach for your goals Office Potluck Have coworkers participate in an office/department potluck and charge each person a $5 donation. Dress Down Day Encourage employees and staff members to donate $5 to participate in casual jean Friday each week. Spare Change Put a donation jar on your desk and let your coworkers know what you re fundraising for. Pair it with a bowl of candy and ask your coworkers to drop in some change each time they take a piece. Try coffee pods and watch the donations add up! FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT PAGE 9
GET THE ASK OUT THERE Online Communication Put a link to donate in your e-mail signature and on your social media accounts. It will help spread awareness and encourage Team members to do the same. Email with Your Race HQ Use the tools in your Race HQ to create an address book and email your friends, family members, co-workers, etc. You can customize your message and direct people to your webpage so that they can make an immediate donation to you and your Team. Holiday Giving Send letters to people on your holiday card list encouraging their participation and support for the Reaching for the Cure Event. Through Others Ask your parents, friends, spouse, or significant other to pass the word around to their friends and co-workers. Share Your Story Include personal messages to explain to others why this is so important to you. Team Incentives Offer your own incentives to your highest fundraising Team members. Create healthy competition that encourages your Team members to fundraise on their own. Host a Tournament Host a tournament and get participants to donate to play their favorite sport. Have a putt-putt tournament in the office! Tribute Donations Encourage those who donate to make a gift in honor or in memory of someone they know who has been affected by cancer. They can do this right through the Race website or your personal link. DRAFTING YOUR MESSAGE Use emails and letters as a means to recruit members, ask for donations, and thank your supporters. Below are a few tips to help maximize your impact. Make it Personal Share your story, your reasons for fundraising, and why finding the cure is important to you. Make it Specific Request a specific amount. Make it Clear Make it clear that the money you raise will be used to fund vital research in some of the nation s top research institutions. Make it Easy Direct the reader immediately to your donation page. If you're sending a physical letter, include a pre-addressed envelope. T E A M C A P T A I N T O O L K I T P A G E 1 0
THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook and Twitter are powerful fundraising tools at your fingertips. You can spread awareness, share links to your Fundraising page and in just one click your friends and family can support your efforts! FACEBOOK Follow PCRF on Facebook so Try out these status updates: you can share our posts with your family and friends: At the Reaching for the Cure Run & facebook.com/pcrfkids Ride, your race becomes a cause greater than the miles ahead of you. Take the first step and join me today, www.reachingforthecure.org #ReachingfortheCure I m Reaching for the Cure with PCRF! Join me and together we can kick cancer s butt! www.reachingforthecure.org #ReachingfortheCure Join me for a half marathon in support of little kids fighting cancer! Time to join this great cause friends, www.reachingforthecure.org #ReachingfortheCure Gearing up for a fun 5K in March! Join me in the fight against pediatric cancer, and together we can Reach for the Cure! www.reachingforthecure.org #ReachingfortheCure TWITTER Try out these status updates: I m #ReachingfortheCure for @PCRF_Kids! Join me at the starting line, Register now reachingforthecure.org #HalfMarathon #10K #5K #BikeTour Make sure to always tag @PCRF_Kids, link to your page, and tag your posts with #ReachingfortheCure #ReachingfortheCure Run & Ride has a distance for everyone! 3 bike tours, half marathon, 10K, 5K http://ow.ly/esjtw #GetRegistered! Join me in #ReachingfortheCure and put an end to pediatric cancer. I m in for the 10k! Reachingforthecure.org #GetRegistered! I m training for the #ReachingfortheCure #HalfMarathon! Help support me by making a donation to my page: [link] FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT PAGE 11
TEAM AWARDS & PRIZES When you participate as a team, you win as a team. For teams who have 10 participants or more and reach $1,500 in fundraising or more by March 7, 2015 are eligible for Team Perks: Custom Team Shirts if you raise $1,500 on/before March 7, 2015 your team will qualify for custom Team Shirts to wear on Race Day. Be sure to submit your Top 3 color choices early! Express Team Packet Pickup PCRF will host an exclusive, long-line-free, Team Packet Pickup the Thursday before Race Weekend. Exclusive Team Land at the expo, Teams will be able to mark off areas and setup a Team meeting spot as early as Friday night before the race. Team Awards we can t do this without you, and we want to make sure you know how thankful we are. THE POWER OF MANY INDIVIDUAL PRIZE LEVELS PCRF recognizes and awards Reaching for the Cure fundraisers at the $200, $500, $1,000 and $2,500 fundraising levels. Be sure to pick up your individual prizes at the race! $200 = Canvas Bag $500 = Compression Socks* $1,000 = Running Buds* $2,500 = Sunglasses* *Alternate prizes available to choose between FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT PAGE 12
TEAM START UP INSTRUCTIONS To Start your Team: o Go to www.pcrf-kids.org/runwalk and select the Register Now button. o Accept the waiver. o Select the radio button for Start a Team. o Give your team a name and a goal. o The program will ask you to register personally and it will automatically make you a Team Captain. o Your will receive a confirmation by email that will allow you to log on to your personal HQ and your team s HQ. *You can upload images, edit text, set goals, send emails and so much more! TO JOIN A TEAM INSTRUCTIONS To Join a Team: o Go to www.pcrf-kids.org/runwalk and select the Register Now button. o Accept the waiver. o Select the radio button for Join a Team. Click the drop down menu to search for the team name. o The program will then prompt you to begin your registration. o Your will receive a confirmation by email that will allow you to log on to your personal HQ. *You can upload images, edit text, set goals, send emails and so much more! If you have any problems, please call our office: (949)859-6312 M-F 8:30am - 5:00 pm Or email cfarwell@pcrf-kids.org T E A M C A P T A I N T O O L K I T P A G E 13
Support me as I join in the fight against pediatric cancer at the 2015 Reaching for the Cure Run & Ride Event Participant s Name: Team Name: Team URL: Yes! I will make a contribution to help the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation save children s lives and end pediatric cancer forever. $500 $250 $100 $50 $25 Other: Please make your check payable to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) Please provide your information: Name Address City State Zip Phone E-mail Thank you so much for your contribution, together we are saving lives! Mail this form and your check to: Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation 9272 Jeronimo Rd. #122 Irvine, CA 92618 Donate online at: www.reachingforthecure.org