Planning a Walk in Your City

[Marrowforums]

Each Hope, Steps & A Cure walk depends on organizers and volunteers to plan and carry out the fundraiser. Your event can be small (e.g., a block party), medium (a walk through a local community), or large (a city-wide walk with hundreds of participants). It's up to you and your team. The required effort grows with the size of the event but the potential rewards (raising awareness and funds) grow as well.

If there's already a walk being planned in your city, contact the organizers and ask to help. There's a role for anyone who is willing to share their time and skills. If you are the first to start planning a walk in your city, it will be very important to connect with others in your city, use the experiences of organizers from other cities, and work with the AA&MDSIF.

Planning a walk is likely to involve the following tasks. See also the AA&MDSIF Fundraising Walk page for general information and a suggested timetable.

1. Form your organizing team and recruit volunteers, including friends and family.
2. Contact Martha Crews, AA&MDSIF Program Support Specialist, at 800-747-2820 or by email to discuss how to put your ideas into action.
3. Use the Contact page to let Marrowforums know that you are forming a team and in what city.
4. Connect with other walk organizers. Exchange contact information and set up communication channels. The AA&MDSIF and Marrowforums can both help.
5. Select a location, date, and time for the walk. Check with city officials about rules or necessary permits.
6. Divide up tasks among your team members. Let volunteers know exactly how to help.
7. Set up a FirstGiving.com web page for publicity and donations. FirstGiving is the service used by the AA&MDSIF to collect donations and handle signups.
8. Look for sponsors or organizations that will help with publicity, donations of food and refreshments, or funding for food and refreshments.
9. Get the word out to recruit walk participants. Distribute flyers. Use social media. Ask everyone to spread your invitation and message.
10. Order T-shirts and signs.
11. Collect supplies and materials.
12. Confirm all plans, including the food and refreshments.
13. Make contingency plans for bad weather.
14. Confirm all volunteer assignments.
15. Alert local media.
16. Make final preparations.
17. The day of the event: Set up. Walk! Clean up.
18. Follow-up: Thank volunteers. Share photos and stories. Keep in touch with the new friends you've made.
19. Use your momentum to make it an annual event!

For other ways to help the AA&MDSIF with fundraising, see their Fundraising page.