This blog is just for future Racers – so if you’re a supporter/friend/family member, thanks for stopping by, but don’t spoil anything by finishing this one. Pretty please?
Since that’s been taken care of… Hello my fellow future Racers! I know that we all already feel the community in our individual squads, but I think there’s also some comradery between all Racers – past, present, and future. Alum have been so supportive and encouraging, and their packing lists have been a God send! Current Racers supply us with an amazing Instagram feed that gives us hope on those hard days; and remind us through their blogs that it really is hard work, when we get caught up in our wanderlust. And my fellow future Racers, we are the shoulders to cry on, the ears to listen, and the hearts that lift each other up. We can talk fears and excitement, how our community is reacting, tips on the current sales and coupons at REI, and share what’s working and (mostly) what’s not for fundraising.
I don’t know about you, but I get tired of seeing the same old fundraisers that every organization is doing. Movie nights, car washes, bake sales, t-shirts, etc. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re done so much because they work! For some people… and if you’re one of those people, that’s so awesome! Keep on doing what you do.
If you want some other, more out-of-the-box fundraisers, I thought I would share the ones I’m currently setting up. They’re bigger than a t-shirt sale, and require more planning, but I expect them to yield more profit. In no particular order:
- Kiddie Camp. Chances are, if you’re doing the Race, you have a heart for kids. You also probably don’t care a whole lot about Black Friday because, let’s face it: you’re not going to have enough time to enjoy anything you buy. So, instead of sleeping Thanksgiving night, why not earn some cash? See if you can use your church, or maybe rent out your local Rec center and do a Kiddie Camp. Let the parents drop the kids off sometime Thursday afternoon, and pick them up sometime Friday.
I was a Secondary Education major before I switched, and I made a few future teacher friends. They all have a portfolio they have to get different certificates for. So, in exchange for their volunteering, I’m creating a certificate for them to use for that portfolio, and since I’m using my church (and it’s technically a church-sponsored event) I’m going to have the Secretary sign them. Between using the church for free, and getting volunteers, I’m not out any money for that.
I still have to iron out all the details but it’s going to look something like this:
- 4:00-11:00PM Thursday: Registration and Parent Drop Off
- 8:00PM – ???: Movies/bedtime
- 7:30AM: Breakfast
- 7:30AM-12:00PM: Various activities, probably based on age group
- 12:00PM: Lunch
- 12:00-3:30PM: More various activities
- 3:00-4:00PM: Pick up
Things to consider: safety for drop off/pick up; food allergies; fees (pay per hour/pay per kid/pay flat rate); fees if children aren’t picked up on time; compensation for workers.
You can check out the website I made for my Kiddie Camp here: blackfridaybabysitting.weebly.com
- Gift Wrapping Service. I worked in a department store that offered gift wrapping services. They charged between $4 and $8 per gift depending on its size. I wrapped at least 2 gifts every shift, all year long. I’m probably going to do a flat fee of $2.50 per gift.
Bonus points: Slip the parents a flyer or two for the gift wrapping service when they drop their kids off at the Kiddie Camp.
You might also want to check with some local stores to see if you can set up a booth outside on Black Friday to wrap the items people buy as gifts. Maybe even sell some coffee/hot chocolate/baked goods? Those shoppers get hungry!
- Community Wide Photo Scavenger Hunt. Have people register in teams of up to 4 people. Create a list of things for them to take pictures of. Set a time limit to take said pictures. Team with the most pictures wins! Of course, you can do it based on a point system (more difficult pictures are worth more points than easy pictures).
I don’t have the list of pictures yet, but mine will be in December, so it’s going to be mostly Christmas themed. I’m going to rent out the Rec Center for the day. It costs $10 per person. Registration starts at 2:00PM. When the teams register, they will be given a rubber ducky that must appear in every picture for it to count. At 3:00PM, all teams will be given the task list, and be allowed to leave. They must stay within the city limits. They can buy items, as long as they spend no more than $10 all afternoon. All but one team member must appear in every picture, and the photographer can change (if it’s a team of 4, then 3 people must be in every picture, but they can take turns behind the lens). Everyone meets back at the rec center at 5:00PM. I’ll have pizza and drinks available for $0.50 for them to snack on while we wait for the results. Teams get docked 1 point per minute they’re late arriving back. If any team breaks any laws, they are disqualified – no exceptions. First, second, and third place teams will receive prizes.
Hint: talk with your local police department and let them know what’s going on. Maybe even get them involved: a picture with a police officer, maybe?
- I haven’t decided if I’m doing this one or not but, I think it’s pretty awesome, in theory. Bad Movie Night. Have your community vote on the 3 worst movies ever. Rent said movies. Entry for the movie night is free, as is the popcorn. The key is: they pay to get out. If they leave during the first movie, they pay $10. If they leave between the first and second movie, they pay $8. If they leave during the second movie, they pay $6. If they leave between the second and third movie, they pay $4. If they leave during the third movie, they pay $2. And if they make it through all three, it’s free! Maybe do some raffles, or have a game night set up in a different room for those who don’t make it all the way through?
5. Fruit Butter Sales. My squad mate, Morgan, had a pretty great success with this one. I stole the idea from her, and I’ve been doing pretty well with it, too. Choose a few types of butters to make (they’re actually fairly easy) and sell them by size of jar. I offer apple, strawberry, and pumpkin fruit butters, and honey and honey-cinnamon dairy butters. Small 4oz. jars are $3; medium 8oz jars are $5; large 8oz (pint) jars are $8; and x-large 16 oz (quart) jars are $15.
6. Choose the Torture. I saw a few of my old squad mates did this fundraiser with success, and I just started it for myself, so we’ll see how it goes! The idea is this: pick a handful of challenges you can video yourself doing, set financial goals for each one, and a length of time for donations to be made. Mine looks like this:
- $250 – Pie in the face
- $500 – Eat a can of cat food
- $750 – Get hit with balloons full of paint
- $1000 – Have a bucket of glitter dumped on my head
- $2000 – Lego fire walk
- $4000 – Food roulette (have cups set up with random foods like ketchup, mayo, cookies, honey, etc. in a circle. Spin a bottle 3 times, whichever ones it lands on, mix them together and eat/drink the concoction)
- $6000 – The “What’s in my mouth?” challenge (youtube it)
- $7500 – Dramatic reading of Song of Solomon
- $10,000 – Polar bear plunge
- $15,00 – (which would get me fully funded) They get to pick the torture – within reason.
I’m giving them from October 3rd until November 11th for the donations to be posted to my account.
So, my fellow Racers, what all do you have planned? Any fundraisers we should know about? Drop ‘em in the comments, and they may just make it in this blog post! Let’s help each other out.
I’m praying for you guys and your efforts in raising the money you need for your race. Don’t lose heart! God is our provider! He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
*Ideas that were added after the original posting are in orange*
