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"Walk for an Aussie
Kid!”
turns 5
Some simple & more novel ideas:
Arrange a birthday party /family fun day and
invite your local "Walker Kids" to come along.
A birthday cake complete with candles for the
children to blow out could provide a focus for
local media.
If your club has contact with a family with a
child in a Walker, liaise with them to find the
best way to include them in supporting your
club’s effort. Your local media will usually
react positively to a “photo opportunity” if the
family is willing to assist in this way.
Simply measure 1, 5 & 10 kilometre distances or
any distance to suit your expected participants,
along a safe easy walking route. (Make
sure your club safety officer carefully checks
the planned route for any possible risks, and
apply to local council for permission. It is
important to comply with all local authorities
regulations.) Club members and any
other participants collect sponsorships and "do
the walk". Arrange to finish in the local
park for a family barbeque/picnic, or a
mini-fair etc. (Have a display of club
projects, and membership information at the
start or finish, and look for ways to involve
the public.)
Ask some of your local businesses if they would
display a stock of entry/sponsorship forms for
you, and publicise in your local media where
they can be obtained. Consider promoting a set
entry fee for those who do not wish to obtain
sponsorships (eg $10 per person / $25 family
entry).
Hint: Don’t just
rely on your own efforts to gain sponsors - Try
asking several of your friends to network for
you and raise money on your behalf. (Your $100
could become $300 if just four of your friends
raised $50 each from their friends and business
associates on your behalf.) Or better still,
ask your friends to get their own sponsors and
walk with you.
Make your event a “Walk” on the golf course
(along with a game of course) and involve as
many of your local golfers as possible to get
their own sponsors.
Plan your walk to finish at your favourite local
pub or club, and arrange a raffle/chocolate
wheel/lucky numbers at the other end.
Try to ensure your “Walk” is in a high
pedestrian traffic area, and have other members
on hand with collection cans, and signs etc.
Ask your local businesses to place a collection
can on their counter for the week before your
“Walk”, to collect donations of loose change
from clients/customers.
Co-ordinate the clubs in your zone or region
for a joint walk, or to walk to a central point
for a get-together. Talk to your District PR
Chairman and Membership Chairman and make the
most of the opportunity.
Hint: “Help an Aussie Kid to Walk“ - run a zone
fundraising dinner / auction, car boot sale,
raffle, trivia night, arts and craft exhibition
etc to tie in with the “Walk for an Aussie Kid”
®
campaign.
If your council will give permission to close
off a main street, organise a street fair in
conjunction with your “Walk”. If your local
area has a Market or other major event, arrange
to do a collection through the area - bucket or
can collections for a good cause are often quite
lucrative. (Personalised bucket stickers are
available to order.
Hint: Consider
doing your walk in two stages, with the first
around local streets with a letterbox drop
promoting the Foundation and your “Walk”
project. Stage 2 could then involve a weekend
doorknock seeking donations. (Make sure you
carry identification when doing any collections)
Plan your “Walk” around the local shopping
centre and set up a photographic
display/membership information stand in the
centre. (Start with permission from the centre
management.)
Find a high profile site to do your
“Walk” eg local tourist attraction, Olympic
venue, or ask your local politicians or
sports stars to lead off your walk for you.
This almost ensures local press will show
interest.
Hint: If you are
organising your event for a Sunday, try to take
into account the timing of local church services
so as not to preclude a section of your
community becoming involved.
Invite your local activity groups, eg.
swimming clubs, health and fitness groups,
walking clubs or cycling clubs to participate.
Take note of any other walkathons or fun runs in
your area in the month leading up to your
“Walk”, and arrange for your members to target
the participants with a handout publicising your
event.
Involve your local schools, especially if
there is a child attending in a Hart
Walker.
All primary and high schools around the country
have been invited to participate.
Organise a “Badge Day” at your local schools.
Talk to the principal, and ask if you can attend
for assembly and maybe show a video - send out
a notice in the school newsletter advising of
the date when you will be available to sell the
“Wozza” pins (before or after school might be
ideal when parents may often be about).
Talk to your local youth groups, Scouts,
Guides etc. and invite them to join you.
Try Little Athletics, Police Citizens Youth
Clubs, Pony Clubs (on horseback?).
Ask your local businesses to sponsor a
participant or a team, and provide a prize
(hopefully donated) for the highest fundraiser.
Hint: Many members
are cautious about fronting up to businesses by
themselves. Team up with another club member,
and work in pairs. This often doubles the fun
and the results. When talking to businesses,
don’t ask for too little. Take some
literature/photos on the Foundation and ask for
$20 - $100 depending on the size of the
business. If you only ask for $10, you won’t be
offered more. If you ask for $50, you may get
it, or at worst you might have to settle for
less. (Remember to mention that all donations
are tax deductible.)
If your club has another event on, combine the
two, and get sponsors to support your service
work on that day. Club members often walk miles
in the course of a simple catering event!
Make sure you let your local media know
what you are doing. Promotional material
including a draft press release is available to
assist your club to encourage participation.
Hint: Capitalise
on the awareness created by the national
campaign and your local efforts, and organise a
raffle with shopping centre promotions etc. The
video works well if you can arrange to have it
running. Clubs have raised up to $10,000
towards the Foundation doing just that!
