Hosting A Race To Support Your School: Four Steps To Consider
Hosting a race, such as a 5K, can be a great and unique way to raise money for your school, and it also helps promote health and wellness within the community. To host a race like this, there are some essential steps you'll want to take. Use the following guide to help plan your fundraising for local schools.
Partner With The Local Government
You'll need to make sure you have permission from the local government body and police department to host your event. Streets may need to be temporarily closed to ensure safety for your runners, and the community may need to approve the use of public spaces for the run. Appoint a school administrator and student representatives to coordinate these details, and challenge your school's math classes to ensure a running path that totals your event's total distance. This can be a great class project to tie into your event.
Ask For Local Sponsorships
While you'll be charging runners a registration fee to participate, you can also generate additional revenue by asking for local sponsorships. For example, a large local business may want to add its name to the event and may even be wiling to pay a significant fee to do so. Car dealerships, fitness centers, and local hospitals are all great places to start looking for sponsorships. You can also approach local grocery stores and restaurants to provide bottled water for runners and refreshments for crowds of fans cheering the race on.
Sell T-Shirts
You can generate additional revenue by selling T-shirts for the day of the event. Parents of runners, for example, may want to wear shirts to show their support. Work with a local print shop to create shirts for both the runners and fans. You should give shirts to runners at no additional charge, but be sure that the cost of race registration covers the cost of the T-shirt. You can also expand your merchandising to include water bottles or knapsacks that feature your race's name and logo.
Include Walkers And Pets
Not everyone can run, so consider making it easier for more people from the community to get involved. Add a shorter walk to your 5K event with a lower registration fee. This event is great for families with small children and even younger elementary school kids. Another fun option is to add a pet parade before or after the race. For a nominal fee, residents from your community can show off their pooches. You may even want to host a cute dog contest as part of the pet parade with prizes provided by your sponsors.