We are currently in the process of updating this page on how to organize a 5K.  In the meantime, please review the articles listed below for some great tips and advice:

An Interview with Larissa Linton of Taylor’s Angels

Though her life lasted only 4 years, Taylor Brewton’s bravery while fighting against leukemia touched family and friends. Her will to live and the love and caring she brought out in people remains an amazing accomplishment.

Taylor’s parents, Chris and Larissa, wanted to help other parents facing a similar situation so they established Taylor’s Angels Memorial Fund.

The mission of Taylor’s Angels is to provide financial assistance to families caring for a child with cancer. The families can use the money as they wish to offset the many expenses associated with a childhood cancer diagnosis. Taylor’s Angels also seeks to educate and raise public awareness about all forms of childhood cancer.

One of the ways that Taylor’s Angels raise funds toward this cause is by planning a 5K run/walk. The first 5K was held in May of 2003. I spoke with Larissa about how they began organizing this event, and about its results.

What kind of fundraising does Taylor’s Angels do to support its mission?

We host a golf tournament every October as well as a 5K every May.

How did you come upon the idea for a 5K race for a fundraiser?

My co-chair for this event, Cheri Korstvedt, actually came up with the idea. She is a race-walking coach and has had lots of experience with 5K’s on the participation side. We decided to put our heads together and see if we could pull it off…and we did!!

How did you go about organizing the first race?

Our 1st step was to meet with a local running store that helps to put on these types of events. We chose Run On. They will do as much or as little of the planning/organizing/set up as you want. We handled the planning/organizing and we paid them to set up the scaffolding, sound system and provide timing equipment. They also pointed us in the right direction regarding course certification obtaining insurance, etc…

How many volunteers helped support the event?

Approx. 100

How did you get sponsors for the race?

We approached local businesses and pleaded our case!

What kind of advertising do you do to get participants?

We printed race brochures and posters that we put in area businesses. Our emcee was a local TV personality and she had me on her talk show to promote the race. We contacted local papers and magazines who did articles and listed our event for free in their calendar of events. We went to Chamber of Commerce and Rotary club meetings. We also listed it in various running publications/websites free of charge.

Taylor’s Angels 5K, May 2003

What was the race day like?

Very exciting. Everyone pulled together to make it work. It was truly amazing!! We had approx. 600 participants, and raised over $16,000 after expenses.

What advice would you have for other charities that would like to hold a 5K as a fundraiser?

Start planning at least 6 months in advance, solicit a strong committee, and solicit the help of a local timing/running store.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Larissa!

As you can see from Larissa’s experience, a 5K can be a fun and profitable fundraiser. It also has the side benefit of increasing awareness of your organization in the community.

As with any event fundraiser, establishing a budget ahead of time is important. Because of rentals, advertising and other costs, money will be needed upfront to prepare for the event.

As Larissa mentioned, start planning at least 6 months in advance. You need as much time as possible to raise corporate sponsors, advertise, gather volunteers and sign up participants.

With proper planning, enthusiasm, dedication and hard work, a 5K can be a rewarding fundraising experience!

If you are participating in a charity walk, run or other athletic event, join us and get your own profile page. Your free membership includes:

• Forum where you can ask questions, get tips on training and fundraising
• Find other members who are also passionate about your causes
• Connect with like minded people all over the world
• Photo gallery, blogs, polls and more

If you are on the other side — working directly for a non profit — and planning a charity athletic event then when you join you can:

• Post your event details in our event section
• Create groups so that you can keep in touch with participants
• Post photos from past events

Join Now

The SASS Foundation for Medical Research, Inc. has held a popular golf tournament for 15 years. This year’s event was held on May 7th and raised over $115,000. It was held at the Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, New York. This year they chose to add a tennis tournament to the event. “We decided that since the Mill River Club had both Golf and Tennis facilities - we would include tennis so we could maximize on the event, thus getting more people involved, and bringing in more money,” said Lois Lerner, Executive Director for the SASS Foundation. Funds raised were designated for cancer and blood related diseases. “Tennis is a very popular sport and is enjoyed by all ages and both genders,” said Lerner.

Running two events at the same time, some might wonder if people could play golf and tennis during the same day, as many who love one sport also love the other. “We did this (added the tennis event) to maximize the event. Our tennis portion was played at the same time as the golf took place and although the golfers were both men and women, all of the tennis players were women. Couples did attend and met up at our Cocktail reception and awards dinner immediately following the golf and tennis outings,” said Lerner.

Both sports at the event were popular and the event was very successful. “As our first tennis tournament ever, we had the full compliment of tennis players (for the number of courts that the club had) which were a total of 20 players who competed in a round robin tournament. We raised an additional 10K from the tennis. We had a tennis awards (outdoor) luncheon with vendors showcase and where the tennis participants shopped and more money was raised,” said Lerner. “We had 100 golfers (full capacity) take place and we raised over $115,000 in total for cancer research.”

“The SASS Foundation for Medical Research Inc. has been in existence for over 21 years. Our co-founders, Barbara and Marty Sass pay all of the general operating expenses so that all monies raised go directly to funding cancer research, patient care, and education. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity and we are committed to research, educating medical professions and providing resources and educating the public at large on the latest therapies and treatments. Research and education is how we make headway into finding cures,” said Lerner.

The Friendswood High School Tennis Team (Friendswood, Texas) of holds a unique tennis fundraiser: it is 48-straight hours of tennis playing. From Friday at 4:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm. Sunday on August 3rd through August 5th at the Friendswood High School, the Mustangs Tennis Team will play tennis with anyone making a donation. If you are interested in a 3:00 a.m. game of tennis, this is the place for you!

The tennis event is successful and quite popular in the community. “They (Friendswood High School) have done it in the past before I came to work here and it has been very successful fundraiser. It has been running for three years and they have done it every other year. The kids love it. We get a lot of community support here. We have about 75 to 100 from the community and about 65 kids working the event. The kids play in 4 hour shifts and they have to play tennis the whole time they are there. The people from the community come out and that’s how we raise money and they challenge the kids to play and they donate money to play the tennis team,” said Andi Morman, the Coach of the tennis team. The Friendswood High School has a Freshman, JV, 10th and 11th and also a Varsity Tennis Team. All of the tennis teams participate in this event. “Last year we did some car washes but we’ve found that this one is the main one that we really need. The kids liked it but they liked the (tennis) marathon a lot more,” said Mormon.

Mormon is the high school tennis coach. She has been there for two years, and is going into her third year. “I love working with children especially high school age. I played tennis in high school, it’s my passion. During college I also taught tennis. The secret to playing good tennis: one you have to love the game and if you want to play competitively it’s a lot of hard work. It’s a sport you can play your whole life,” said Mormon.

To play tennis it is done on donation. “From five dollars to five hundred dollars, they can donate whatever amount they want,” said Mormon. This year’s event made close to $11,000, up from last year’s event earning $9,500. They sold t-shirts and snack foods at a concession stand which helped to raise about $1,500.

The money goes to a very worthy – and tennis-focused cause that makes the kids happy. “Funds raised will be used to cover expenses of the team’s annual pilgrimage to Corpus Christi in September for the Little State Team Tennis Tournament,” said Mormon. Funds also help with other team and court necessities. The school pays for the hotel and the bus that is chartered for the trip, but these funds pay for all other expenses related to the Corpus Christi event. The trip costs about $6,000. They will also get new uniforms for the team and court benches.

“The kids look forward to it. It’s a big tournament, four hours from where we are. Play four different team matches, different schools, it’s a big tournament they have in Corpus Christi every year. The kids can win big trophies,” said Mormon.

Creating a Successful Event with Dedicated Volunteers

“Next year we hope to have the golf and tennis at a club that has larger facilities and accommodations so that we can have more tennis players involved. A not-for-profit needs to make certain that when implementing a tennis tournament that they have very capable (which we did) tennis co-chairs who know how to run the tennis tournament and have peers that will attend. Our 2 tennis co-chairs were just phenomenal!” said Lerner. They also had twelve dedicated volunteers assisting with every aspect of the event. The tennis tournament included a brunch, a round robin tournament, outdoor awards luncheon and a vendor’s showcase. Players were given the option of attending a cocktail reception and an award buffet dinner.

Funds were raised with this event through underwriting sponsorships for both tennis and golf, such as event sponsor, lunch sponsor or a dessert sponsor. “We also sold raffles, and ‘lucky bucks’ and also held a sports silent auction,” said Lerner.

The major fundraising event for the SASS Foundation each year is their annual Black Tie Gala and Dinner Dance and Casino. This event is held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, New York. Last year’s event raised over $550,000 for medical research and this year’s event anticipates to do even better.

The Friendswood High School event has 65 tennis team players volunteers. They also have approximately 50 to 60 parents. “They put the whole event together (the parents). They get everything ready to go. Have great parent support. They get the tents and tables and chairs donated. Parents also work in four hour shifts; there are parents there around the clock. There are four to six parents there at the event for each shift. The parents are really behind this event, they love it,” said Mormon.

“My kids play in 4 hour shifts and the people playing them typically play for two hours. If no one challenges them, they’ll play each other,” said Mormon. The players will play more than one shirt at this event, they play at least two shifts. They may play one Friday and one on Saturday. They also get a break during the event.

“Its something that the community loves, they look forward to playing the kids on the team,” said Mormon. Some people play for two days of the tournament, others play all three days. They return over and over again to play tennis with the students.

Someone might wonder: who plays at 3:00 a.m.? With a 49-hour tournament, someone is always playing! “Mostly the varsity kids play in the middle of the night, the younger ones are there during the middle of the day. Usually the people from the community play until about 1:00 a.m. Then they come back at 6:00 a.m., but between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. it’s just my kids playing,” said Mormon.

Interested in Running A Tennis Tournament? Consider These Tips!

“In order to make an event like this work, you need a lot of volunteers and a lot of help. You need to have people to help you. If it is at a school you have the ability to get a lot of parent help. If it is through the community you could go about getting sponsors to help. Through the school I think it is easier because you can get a lot of parents that are eager to help,” said Mormon. She has found that typically the parents volunteer when their children are there. So if a tennis player is playing in the early hours of the morning, their parent is there as well.

Mormon also suggests using all the resources that you have available to you. “If you know people, get with them as soon as possible. Early planning helps a lot. We started planning, a parent meeting in April to get ready for August. We start taking donations in May. About 50% of donations taken in May, mostly business donations. Individual donations came at the tennis marathons. On the t-shirts we put all of the big sponsors, they donated early to get the recognition,” said Mormon. She states that “early planning is key,” for this type of event.

No matter the size or type of organization, a tennis tournament can be a great idea. Tennis can be played in every season: fall, spring and summer outdoors and in the winter indoors. This may just be the ideal fundraiser for your organization!

The group, 700 members strong, is well-known for its charitable works. They have raised approximately $90,000 for good causes, such as youth sports leagues and wheelchairs for the Marlborough Hospital in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

The motorcycle ride attracted riders from many locations, such as Hudson, Marlborough and other Metrowest towns in Massachusetts. The Poker Run event was a 54-mile loop that included stops at several local stores before finally returning to the Marlborough Fish and Game club for the picnic and concert finale.

At each stop along the way, motorcycle riders were given a playing card. The rider who wound up with the best poker hand at the end of the ride won $150 in prize money. This year’s winner was Jeremy Erlandson who had four sixes in his poker hand.

The event included celebrities such as rapper T.I., Mike Epps formerly from Def Comedy Jam, Dwayne Wade (another Miami Heat player) and actress Gabrielle Union.

The comedy show and concert were held at the Hard Rock Live Arena at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Comedians included Katt Williams, Marvin Dixon, Benji Brown and Gary Owen.

The Publix ZSG Benefit Dinner and Auction was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami. The auction included a personal meeting with the Miami Heat coach Pat Riley, a kids’ birthday party with Dwayne Wade and custom art by David ‘LEBO’ Le Batard.

The Volkswagen ZSG Block Party was held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. The event included music, food, rides and entertainment. Miami DJs entertained the crowd. The Carnival Cruise Lines ZSG All-Star Basketball Game was also held at the American Airlines Arena inMiami. It featured top NBA players such as Damien Wilkins from Seattle, Mike James fromHouston and Antawn Jamison from D.C.

An important event of the week is Saturday’s Youth Summit. This all-day long event includes activities and “rap” sessions where at-risk youth can ask questions of celebrities such as Mourning.

The first Zo’s Summer Grove was held in 1997. This year’s event is anticipated to raise $1 million dollars.

Miller died from injuries related to a car accident on March 12, 2004. She was vacationing in Florida on spring break from college. Miller was a volleyball player at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

On Saturday, June 23rd, 24 volleyball teams participated in the fourth annual Danielle Miller Memorial Volleyball Tournament. It was held at Sideout’s bar and eatery in Island Lake. The event is organized by Miller’s mother and has raised approximately $6,000 each year for the last four years for volleyball scholarships in Miller’s name.

Miller was on partial scholarship during her sophmore season. Her coach was going to award her a full scholarship when she returned from spring break.

With the proceeds from the charity tournament, Miller’s mother and father supervise a $1,000 scholarship toward graduating seniors from McHenry County that wish to pursue the “Libero” position at a Division 1 institution. They have also donated a $2,000 scholarship the last four years to the “Libero” at UNC-Charlotte.

The volleyball tour was first held July 17th 2004 at Spikes in Crystal Lake. They had 150 people. Now “well over 200 people” turn out for the memorial tournament. Registrations are typically taken off of the website and also through Sideouts, where the tournament is held.

Annual Volleyball Tournament Grows More Popular Each Year

The tournament will be held every year fourth Saturday in June. “The location can change, Sideouts has 5 courts and we fill all 5 courts. We are always on the lookout for a larger location. We do like the location they have, it is a great place but we had to turn away teams this year because we didn’t have enough room for them. But Sideouts is a beautiful location and the players love the environment,” said Degraw.

“One of the Nice things about this event is we have some very competitive teams in the pro division and so if someone is looking to play top quality competitive volleyball, they have that here. There are also recreational teams to play — so you’ve really got the best of both worlds.”

Finding players seems to be easy for the tournament, as both Degraw and her daughter are passionate players. They know many volleyball enthusiasts and people who love Danielle are always ready to come to the tournament. “Myself and my daughter also play, so we have a lot of friends that play, it is a lot of ‘word of mouth’ and also Danielle’s friends,” said Degraw. “Danielle was very popular and very active. Our community was very supportive and very tight. We are fortunate to have people around us to have helped make this very successful event.”

Registration For A Sports Event Can Be A Challenge

“The only challenging part of it is the registration process. We do offer pre registration and we offer a discount if they do sign up ahead of time. But people wait to see what the weather will be like. So there is always a delay, and this is something to look out for. We do a number of different things, but still we have to do all of the bracketing the day of and it takes forty five minutes the day of and you start a little later than you’d like to. But we also have the benefit of some coaches who do this for a living and they help out,” said Degraw. They have also had some weather trouble. But volleyball players will play in just about anything

“People play in all weather — except lightening and tornadoes. We did have some rain this year in the morning but everyone showed up. The rain stopped by noon.”

The Meaning of The Event is Clear When Meeting the Scholarship Winners

The event is very meaningful because it raises money that gives scholarship money to deserving players, just like Danielle. “I know the challenges we faced with Danielle getting a scholarship because of her size. This year I talked to two girls and one of them had the same struggles and it was amazing the similarities she had, it was extremely rewarding to hand that check off and say make it happen. Danielle must be looking down saying ‘thanks’ for not just - that her life wasn’t in vain. I know that if it were reversed, that she would be proud to recieve this,” said Degraw.

The event has had sponsors in the past. “I’m a fund-raiser by profession and I’ve been really busy, so this year I didn’t work as hard on it (obtaining sponsors). Sponsorships will go on the T-shirt and they will also have tables. One lady had vitamin therapy. There is sponsorship available for T-shirt logos and also we have had bag sponsors where people could donate toothbrushes. Taco Bell gave us coupons, and these would be in the registration bag that people would get for free,” said Degraw. Degraw works for an organization that helps homeless men and children.

The event is so popular that people have asked if Degraw would consider doing another event. “I have been asked about doing an indoor tournament in the fall, that is something I might consider for the future.”

Taking a Moment to Honor a Special Girl with a Tremendous Spirit

“The most rewarding thing about the tournament is seeing everyone show up in support of the event. The most fun is providing the scholarship checks to the participants. The atmosphere is light, there is a lot of music playing, there is food and socialization and it is a lot of fun,” said Degraw. To honor Danielle in a special way at noon everything stops and they toast her. Those 21 and over can have an alcholic beverage and the under 21s can have a water or a soft drink.

The event takes place on the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and should bring 5,000 walkers to help raise money to support programs to eliminate stigma and raise awareness of epilepsy.

“Epilepsy is the most-common neurological condition in almost three million Americans, but few people know that it can affect anyone, anywhere at any time,” said Eric R. Hargis, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. “The goals of the Walk are to raise public awareness about the condition and to secure much needed funding to find a cure. We are also striving to create an environment where people living with epilepsy have equal access to all life experiences.”

The National Walk for Epilepsy is hosted by The Epilepsy Foundation, a national voluntary health organization established in 1967, works to ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences; to improve how people with epilepsy are perceived, accepted and valued in society; and to promote research for a cure.

The event is sponsored by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics. “Ortho-McNeil Neurologics is very excited to be a part of the National Walk for Epilepsy, because our commitment to the epilepsy community extends beyond providing treatment,” said Janet Vergis, President, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc.

Honorary Chair for this first-ever Walk is actor Greg Grunberg, who is best-known for his television roles as Sean Blumberg on Felicity, Eric Weiss on Alias, and Matt Parkman on NBC’s new hit show, Heroes. Greg and his wife Elizabeth’s 10-year-old son, Jake, has epilepsy. “It is such an honor to participate in any way we can to raise awareness in the fight against epilepsy,” Grunberg said. “To be able to march on Washington with those directly effected and their families lets our family know we are not alone.”

Last Minute Fundraisers:

These fundraising ideas can be put together pretty quickly…

1. Krispy Kreme Donuts - This is a good fundraiser if your workplace will let you sell them there and even better if your team is made up of people from different jobs. Announce that the week before relay is Krispy Kreme week and that each day you’ll have donuts available for a $1 donation each. There are several ways that you can use donuts as a fundraiser - find out more about Krispy Kreme Fundraisers.

2. Game Night - Choose a game that your group of friends like to play such as bunko, dominos, or trivia and invite everyone over for a night of fun. You can ask for a flat donation for the entire evening, or for games like cards or dominos, players can chip in $1 for every hand or round.

3. Ice Cream Socials - There are many ways that simply sharing in a bowl of ice cream can raise money for Relay. Find out more about ice cream fundraisers.

4. Movie Night - Host a movie night at your home screening a popular recent new release DVD or a classic movie and charge admission. For fun have a mini concession stand where everything is only 50 cents.

5. Friday Fun Day - If you’re in a management position at a company, make an executive decision that Friday will be fun day! Let employees wear flip-flops and silly hats and have a water balloon fight at lunch time.

Fundraising Ideas for the night of the Relay for Life event:

Some fundraisers can take place at the Relay, as long as they are pre-approved by ACS. Here are some fundraising ideas for the weekend of Relay for Life:

1. Food booth - Sell BBQ, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, funnel cakes or anything people would like. It’s best if you can find out what other groups are doing so you don’t end up selling the same things!

2. Blow up Obstacle Course - Check party rental places for a blow up obstacle course. It’s like a bounce house but adults AND kids can play. Charge $1 each time someone goes through the course and time them. Have a board with the best times and prizes for the top 3 competitors. Of course let people go through as many times as they want until the cut-off time when you give out the prizes.

3. Do a Jail N Bail or a Luxury Lock-Up the night of relay.

4. Face Painting - Kids love it! Glow in the dark sticks, necklaces or Princess garlands are also good sellers.

5. Carnival Games are always fun!

Related Articles:
Relay for Life Fundraiser Success Stories
Traveling Potty Fundraiser
Party Fundraising Ideas

I didn’t think that fundraising would be that difficult. Since this was my first foray into fundraising I learned many things from some pros, but most things I learned the hard way. I was resourceful at finding good fundraising opportunities but not on actually implementing them.

Here are some things I learned:

Don’t expect your fundraising letter to do all of the work for you. Unless you have friends and family with money, you’re probably going to have to do some other types of fundraising.

An event at a bar or nightclub isn’t guaranteed success from the regulars who frequent the place. You may set up a concert or dance at a popular bar or club and think that the venue will draw enough people to make you a decent chunk of money. Think again. Usually you will only get week nights, when the club’s business is slow. Publicity is key. An announcement in the paper, fliers, a raffle, and word of mouth weren’t enough, I learned. Endorsements, sponsors, and radio ads are all better ways of promoting an event.

Businesses are more than happy to donate items or tickets to your cause but not money. Even talking to managers doesn’t usually net a monetary donation.

You can use the business’ gifts as raffle or door prizes. You may be able to auction the item online as well. You can make or cards to hand out with the auction’s information for family, co-workers, and friends to increase the auction’s hits.

Some local sports teams will have special game nights with part of ticket proceeds going to your organization. I had a special game night arranged with the local baseball team.

Some of the more successful things I tried involved more human power than I could provide. You’ll have to ask for help from family, friends, or co-workers for the following suggestions.

Street corner fundraising: Contact your local police station to get permission for a date and time to fundraise at a street intersection. Then all you’ll need are some helpers and some containers. Within a few hours you can raise a $100 or more. A couple of the girls in my group raised over $400 in four hours doing this.

Have a car wash: You’ll need several people to help out with this, but it’s worth it. Some stores will match the amount you raise when you have the car wash in their parking lot; just call around to businesses before you choose which one to hold your car wash at. I have a friend that raised $500 at a car wash.

Bake sale: If you can find a good spot to hold a bake sale you can make a decent amount. Friends and family are invaluable for bake sales as well, unless you want to spend all day baking goodies alone and then sitting at a store, school, or business by yourself selling them.

Although I ended up falling short of my fundraising goal, I learned lots about promotion, fundraising, and publicity during my experience with the Train to End Stroke program. I also enjoyed the team training atmosphere the program provided.

About the Author: Laura Munion is a freelance writer and copyeditor. She is also an advocate for children with special needs and the mother of twin daughters who have autism.