Fundraiser #6: How to plan a Timmy Turkey Trot 5K
Event: Timmy Turkey Trot 5K
Description: The Timmy Turkey Trot 5K is an on-campus race planned to benefit the annual medical brigade in the Dominican Republic.
Timmy Chapter Success: Our first TTT 5K was a success, with over 40 runners who participated and more than $1000 raised for our brigade!
Event coordinator:
WashU Timmy Global Health:
Time to plan: at least 3 months, minimum
Cost of fundraiser: For this event, utilization of local businesses and on-campus leaders is key. With enough fundraising and reaching out to your school’s administrators, it is easy to acquire prizes (from food companies such as Noodles and co. and frozen yogurt places, etc), and monetary donations (from both restaurants as well as university staff who are willing to support you). Not only can you cut down the cost using these fundraising techniques, but you also create awareness of the event by networking locally.
Things to keep in mind when considering the cost of the fundraiser:
· Break stations for the runners, with water or Gatorade
· Timing supplies (stopwatches, etc.)
· Race-day entertainment (you can utilize student-run organizations like bands, etc.)
· Raffle prizes
· Runner numbers/pins
· Participant packets (with their numbers/pins, as well as any advertisements that your sponsors wish to include)
· Like I said – fundraising is key for this event, and can really determine the amount you are willing to or are able to spend with your budget.
Timeline:
Recruitment/Advertising (Starting up to 3 months before the event):
· Create/use your existing Twitter account for your Timmy club, where you can promote the event and provide updates.
· Create a Facebook Event to further advertise the race, probably about a month or so beforehand so as it is not too early for people to forget about it.
· Video: create an advertising video for the event incorporating members and providing details to play in common eating areas and student centers (if applicable)
· Put an ad in the student newspaper, and reach out to student-run radio stations and other global health groups to prevent your event
· Reach out to any Greek Life, sports teams, or other student organizations that members are a part of to create awareness of the events
· Flyers around campus and in dorms, starting around 1 month pre-race day
· Ask RA’s or student advisors to promote the race
· Chalk sidewalks, paint walls, etc. to get the message out
· Order t-shirts with the sponsors’ logos on the back as soon as you have secured your sponsors
Logistics (starting a minimum of 3 months before the event):
· Ensure that an emergency medical team is on site for the duration of the event
· Map out and mark with tape the race route (at least 2 weeks in advance), ensure that it is in accordance with city guidelines, and designate specific areas for water tables and break stations during the event.
· Make sure there are barriers at any possible construction spots, and map out specific places for member-volunteers to stand and direct if there is any confusion in the route (i.e. a fork in the road)
· Runner packets: create runner numbers, pins, and stuff packets with coupons and advertisements from sponsors (the week before the event)
· Rain-day Plan (2-3 months in advance, secure a possible venue for alternate plans if the weather is non-permitting)
Race-Day Tasks:
· Break station tables, water jugs, Gatorade, paper cups
· Raffle auction prizes, prize breakdown
· Race-day entertainment: student groups, local bands, etc.
· Timers: volunteers and equipment
Fundraising (at least 3 months in advance)
· Reach out to local sponsors for gift cards, taste-testing tours, coupons, or benefit nights to promote the event
· Send thank-you’s to sponsors post-event
Tips & Tricks:
Things to remember when planning your event:
· Create committees under the event coordinator, utilizing club members to help out with each aspect of the event to ensure that nothing is forgotten.
· Volunteers! Utilize other clubs on campus, and offer to help them with future events.
· Holding a raffle for race-time entertainment is a great way to increase participation, and you can often get raffle prizes from local sponsors, such as gift cards or coupons to their companies.
· Make sure to inform your local police of the event, as well as ensure that your race route coincides with the guidelines provided by your city.
· Be sure to increase tabling and flyers as the race date approaches to ensure a good turnout.
· Always reach out to administrators when fundraising. If you explain to them the nature of the event as well as the causes that it supports, they will be sure to help you start up the fundraiser.
· Make sure to maintain good relations with your sponsors so that you may reach out to them in the future, like sending out thank-you cards after the event and include the ways in which the fundraiser succeeded.
· It is a great way to encourage participation by creating a costume incentive. Since this event is centered around thanksgiving, suggestions could be having a member who is willing to run the race (and is a pretty good runner) dress up as a turkey, and whoever beats them gets a prize. Another possibility is having all runners dress up for the race (or have it as an option), and award the best costume a prize.
· Feel free to email me (Olivia Vetter, ) with any questions!