The University of California, San Diego Medical Center held
a walk-a-thon inNovember, 2003 which yielded tremendous success.
What began as a small party outside the hospital turned into
a $36,000 fundraising event. Nurses, doctors and patients worked
side-by-side as they educated the community about PH, and generated
a spirit of volunteerism and accomplishment.
www.PHAssociation.org/Awareness/events/event11.asp
“I felt like the
mother of the bride- I had so much fun! It was doable
even for
someone like me who has never done anything in their
life even close to this. No one here, in fact, had any
experience
with fundraising, or writing, or any of it. But it was
patient driven and everybody on staff came up with ideas.”
-Sandra Lombardi, RN and Walk-A-Thon organizer
|
How to get started
1- Ask your hospital administrator for permission to use
hospital grounds on a Saturday in November to host a 3-4 hour
walk-a-thon, or work with a doctor or nurse to get permission.
2- Seek sponsorships to cover costs (administrative, food for
event, promotional item, other) [see sample
sponsorship letter]
a. From the workplace and the offices of your spouse, friends
and family
b. From local businesses
c. From specialty pharmacies servicing the PH community
3- Identify specific volunteers to handle the following areas:
a. Parking permit at the hospital
b. Order tables and have exhibits
c. Registration/money handling
d. Promotional items: tee-shirt & brochure design
e. Someone to plot the 1 mile walk
f. Community/student volunteers- provide service hours
4- Create a timeline for the day of the event
a. Registration opening
b. Meal service
c. Walk
d. Closing ceremony
If you are interested in hosting a walk-a-thon and would like
additional information, please contact Deirdre Farrell at event@PHAssociation.org.
