JOG/WALK-A-THON FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Jog/Walk-a-thon? ............................................................................................ 2 Why are we doing a Jog/Walk-a-thon? ............................................................................ 2 How will the funds raised from the Jog/Walk-a-thon be used?......................................... 2 Where is the Jog/Walk-a-thon held?................................................................................ 2 What is a pledge? ........................................................................................................... 2 Who should I ask to sponsor me? ................................................................................... 3 How should I contact potential sponsors? ....................................................................... 3 How do I fill out the Mail-Out Sponsor Request? ............................................................. 3 Why are there pledge levels with special names on the Mail-Out Sponsor Request? ...... 3 What should I say when I ask someone to sponsor me? ................................................. 3 How should I fill out the Sponsor Sheet? ......................................................................... 4 When do I collect pledge money?.................................................................................... 5 What if I can‟t collect all the pledge money? .................................................................... 5 What about the tax deduction receipt? ............................................................................ 5 Where can we get extra copies of JWAT materials, like Mail-Out Sponsor Requests, Local Sponsor Sheets, FAQ, Sponsor Thank You Notes, etc.? ....................................... 5 How much time do we have to get sponsors? ................................................................. 5 What is the deadline for turning in pledge money? .......................................................... 6 Are there any special dates I need to know about? ......................................................... 6 When does my class jog/walk? ....................................................................................... 6 Who can participate?....................................................................................................... 6 Can parents come and watch? ........................................................................................ 6 Do you need help? .......................................................................................................... 6 What happens if it rains? ................................................................................................. 6 What should I wear for the Jog/Walk-A-Thon? ................................................................ 6 Do I need to bring anything on Jog/Walk-A-Thon day? .................................................... 6 Do I jog or walk? ............................................................................................................. 6 How long will we jog/walk? .............................................................................................. 7 Will we get anything to eat or drink? ................................................................................ 7 How will you track the laps that I complete? .................................................................... 7 How will I (and my sponsors) know how many laps I completed? .................................... 7 What are the prizes? ....................................................................................................... 7 When will we receive our prizes? .................................................................................... 7 What if I have more questions? ....................................................................................... 7
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JWAT FAQ
What is a Jog/Walk-a-thon?
The Jog/Walk-A-Thon (JWAT) is a fundraising event during which students jog (or walk as necessary) around a marked track for a set amount of time. Prior to JWAT day, each student asks his/her friends and relatives to be sponsors by pledging a certain amount of money either for each lap the student completes or as a flat donation.
Why are we doing a Jog/Walk-a-thon?
Based on the success stories of many other private schools, the PTF Fundraiser committee chose to hold a Jog/Walk-a-thon as our school‟s primary fundraising event. The main advantage of the Jog/Walk-a-thon is that unlike catalog sales (which typically return between 35 – 50% of total proceeds), we have the potential to earn upwards of an 80% return after expenses (before our charity donation). In addition, jogging and walking provide healthy recreation for our children and the Jog/Walk-a-thon teaches them that physical exercise can be fun as well as good for them!
How will the funds raised from the Jog/Walk-a-thon be used?
▫ So that our children learn the importance of giving back to the community, a percentage of the funds will be donated to the Auburn Food Bank. ▫ The remaining proceeds (after expenses) from the Jog/Walk-a-thon will be used towards the teacher‟s stipends for fall 2007 and to pursue drainage solutions for our campus.
When is the Jog/Walk-a-thon?
The Jog/Walk-A-Thon is scheduled for Wednesday September 26th
Where is the Jog/Walk-a-thon held?
The Jog/Walk-A-Thon is held on the school play fields. Oval tracks of different lengths (shorter for younger grades, longer for older grades) will be marked off and the students will jog/walk around these tracks.
What is a pledge?
A pledge is an amount of money that a person (sponsor) promises to pay if a student takes part in the Jog/Walk-A-Thon. Sponsors can choose to make a “per lap” pledge – that is, the sponsor will pay a set amount (e.g., 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1.00, etc.) for each lap a student completes. Each sponsor can limit his “per lap” pledge by setting a maximum dollar amount or a maximum number of laps that he will sponsor. Sponsors can also choose to make a flat donation, regardless of how many laps the student completes (e.g., $5, $10, $20, etc.). While “per lap” pledges cannot be collected until after the Jog/Walk-a-thon has taken place, flat donation pledges can be collected either before or after the event.
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JWAT FAQ
Who should I ask to sponsor me?
Sponsors should be people you know, not strangers. You should consider asking relatives, family friends, church friends, teammates, and close neighbors. Think about people who are on your Christmas card list – even if they live out-of-town. Do not do any door-to-door soliciting! You and/or your parents should know the person whom you are asking to be a sponsor. Parents may also want to take a local sponsor form to work with them.
How should I contact potential sponsors?
After you‟ve identified people who you think may be willing to sponsor you, decide which ones you will contact personally – either by speaking to them when you see them or by calling them on the telephone – and contact them as soon as possible. For those people you don‟t contact personally, fill out a Mail-Out Sponsor Request (included in your Participant Packet). Mail out the Sponsor Request forms. Record the names on your sponsor sheet for post Jog/Walk-A-Thon follow-up. Mail-out sponsors will send the completed form back to you at your home address.
How do I fill out the Mail-Out Sponsor Request?
1. Write the address of the person to whom you are sending the Mail-Out Sponsor Request in the front, upper right-hand corner of the request letter using the two blank lines that are provided. Please write neatly and make sure you include the entire address, including the zip code. 2. Write the person‟s name in the blank following the salutation, “Dear”. 3. Write your name in the blank following the phrase, “You are being asked to sponsor”. 4. Add a brief personal note at the end of the request in the section titled “A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE PARTICIPANT”, and then sign at the bottom. 5. Include a pre-addressed (your address) stamped envelope for your sponsor to return the form to you.
Why are there pledge levels with special names on the Mail-Out Sponsor Request?
Labels for flat pledges, such as “Recreational Walker”, “Race Walker”, etc., were added simply for interest and don‟t have any special meaning or benefit.
What should I say when I ask someone to sponsor me?
▫ ▫ Put yourself in the place of the person you ask to be a sponsor: what would make you want to be a sponsor? You might mention that the funds you are raising not only benefit you and your school directly, but they also benefit the community in which you live. (Refer to the question, “How will the funds raised from the Jog/Walk-a-thon be used?” for specific information.) Tell the person that (s) he gets to decide how much to pledge – there‟s no set amount. Remember, pledges don‟t have to be big amounts. Amounts like 10¢
▫
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JWAT FAQ
lap or $2.00 flat donations are pretty easy to swallow for most potential sponsors. Little amounts add up if you get enough sponsors! ▫ ▫ ▫ Let the sponsor know that the pledges are tax deductible Say that the Jog/Walk-A-Thon requires you to exercise, which is good for you! Stick to asking people you know well. If you‟re asking someone who cares about you to be a sponsor, it probably won‟t take much to convince him/her to make a pledge. Above all, don‟t stress over it!
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How should I fill out the Sponsor Sheet?
When you sign up a sponsor: 1. Write your name and your teacher‟s name in the blanks at the top of the sheet. 2. When someone agrees to be your sponsor, write their first and last name in the “Full Name” column. If the person wants to receive a tax deduction receipt for their pledge, write their address, including city and state, in the “Home Address…” column and their zip code in the next column. If they don‟t need a tax receipt, just write down their phone number instead of their address. No zip code is needed in this case. 3. If your sponsor is making a „per lap‟ pledge, write the per lap amount in the “Per Lap Pledge Amount” column. If the sponsor wants to limit the total cost of the pledge, write that limit (i.e., the maximum amount the sponsor will pay overall) in the next column. 4. If your sponsor is making a flat donation, write the amount of the donation in the “Flat rate pledge…” column. You can also write this amount in the next column, “Total Pledge Due”. When collecting pledges: 5. For each sponsor who made a „per lap‟ pledge, multiply the number of completed laps shown on your Certificate of Participation by the sponsor‟s “per lap” pledge amount. Compare the result of your calculation to the sponsor‟s pledge limit, if one was set. If there is a limit and it is less than your calculated total, write the sponsor‟s limit in the “Total Pledge Due” column for that sponsor. Otherwise, write your calculated total in this column. 6. As soon as you collect pledge money from a sponsor, put a check in the “Rec‟d” column for that sponsor and write the current date in the next column, “Received Date”. 7. If your sponsor requests a tax receipt for his/her pledge, put a check in the “Need Tax Rcpt?” column for that sponsor.
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JWAT FAQ
When do I collect pledge money?
Flat donation pledges can be collected either before or after the event, depending on when the sponsor prefers to pay. “Per lap” pledges cannot be collected until after the Jog/Walk-A-thon has taken place since the total amount of each pledge will have to be calculated. As soon as you receive back your certificate of participation sheet, you (possibly with your parent‟s help) need to calculate these „per lap‟ totals. Then you can collect these pledges. Checks should be made payable to “Kent View PTF”. For mail-out sponsors, send the pledge collection letter that is provided. Include a pre-addressed (your address), stamped envelope for your sponsor to use to return the form to you. All funds collected, must be turned into the office by Friday October 19, 2007 by 3:30pm.
What if I can’t collect all the pledge money?
Collect as much pledge money as you can. If you are unable to collect the full amount of a pledge from a sponsor, write down on the local sponsor sheet how much you were able to collect, if any, by that sponsor‟s name. Be polite. Sometimes people have good intentions but don‟t always follow through.
What about the tax deduction receipt?
When you are finished collecting your pledges turn in you sponsor sheet. The Jog/Walk-A-Thon committee will send out receipts based upon your sponsor sheet.
Where can we get extra copies of JWAT materials, like Mail-Out Sponsor Requests, Local Sponsor Sheets, FAQ, Sponsor Thank You Notes, etc.?
Extra copies of the following documents can be obtained from the school office or from the “PTF” link on our school website (www.rainiercsd.com/kvces/index.htm) ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ Participant packet contents listing & instructions letter FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Sheet Teacher packet contents listing and instructions letter Parent Volunteer form JWAT Calendar Schedule of Events (with Track Map) Local Sponsor Form (with Permission slip) Mail-out Sponsor Request Prizes and Incentives Listing Mail-out Pledge Collection Letter Pledge collection instructions Sponsor Thank You Note Volunteer Information/Instructions Sheet
How much time do we have to get sponsors?
Jog/Walk-a-thon packets go home September 4th. You will have 2 ½ weeks to get sponsors. The Jog/Walk-A-Thon is September 26th.
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JWAT FAQ
What is the deadline for turning in pledge money?
The deadline for turning in pledge money is October 19, 2007 at 3:30pm. Pledge money turned in after this date will not count toward class or grand prizes.
Are there any special dates I need to know about?
There are several key dates to keep in mind. They can be found in the JWAT Calendar.
When does my class jog/walk?
Please refer to the Schedule of Events to find out when your class‟ jogging/walking session is.
Who can participate?
All Kent View students are encouraged to participate. To participate, a student must turn in a permission slip signed by his/her parent or guardian.
Can parents come and watch?
Absolutely! Parents are encouraged to come out and cheer on their child(ren). We hope to have lots of family members come and show their support.
Do you need help?
Definitely! An event like this requires a lot of planning and help. We will need volunteers to help do a variety of things before and during the day of Jog/Walk-AThon. A Parent Volunteer Form is included in your child‟s Participant Packet. Please fill out and turn in the volunteer form ASAP if you are interested in helping. Remember, all hours you spend helping count toward your HOST hours.
What happens if it rains?
We will still walk/jog if it is raining. If it is not safe for the students to be outside, we will reschedule the event.
What should I wear for the Jog/Walk-A-Thon?
Wear loose, comfortable clothes, running shoes, and plenty of sunscreen on Jog/Walk-A-Thon day. You may want to wear a hat and bring along a light hooded rain jacket in case of misty rain. Have an extra T-shirt in your backpack to change into after the run.
Do I need to bring anything on Jog/Walk-A-Thon day?
You should bring an extra T-shirt in your backpack to change into after the run. You will be given a snack and water while you run/jog but you are welcome to bring additional snacks or drink to give you extra energy if you like. You may want to label your items.
Do I jog or walk?
You may do whichever you prefer. You will complete more laps if you jog so if you have „per lap‟ pledges, you should try to jog as much as possible. However, if you get tired or if jogging is too difficult, you should walk. The most important thing is to
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JWAT FAQ
keep moving at a comfortable pace so that you receive the benefits of healthy exercise.
How long will we jog/walk?
Kindergarten and First grades jog/walk approximately 200 meter laps for 30 minutes. Second and Third grades jog/walk approximately 300 meter laps for 40 minutes. Fourth, Fifth and Sixth grades jog/walk approximately 400 meter laps for 45 minutes.
Will we get anything to eat or drink?
A snack and drink will be provided during your jogging/walking session.
How will you track the laps that I complete?
Just before your jogging/walking session, your teacher will give you a lap card to wear (e.g., pinned to the shirt, worn on a ribbon around the neck or worn on a rubber band around the wrist). Your lap cards will be the same color as your class‟ start-finish table. You begin your first lap around the track starting at this table. Each time you pass your class‟ start-finish table, you need to pause to let a table helper (i.e., a parent volunteer located at that table) punch or stamp your lap card. Each punch/stamp represents a completed lap. When the end of the session is signaled, complete the lap you are currently on and get a final punch/mark for that last lap on your card. Then hand your lap card to the table helper, who will tally up your laps and record them on a Certificate of Participation. The table helper will give all Certificates of Participation for your class to your teacher.
How will I (and my sponsors) know how many laps I completed?
Your teacher will hand out a Certificate of Participation to you in class after you complete your Jog/Walk-A-Thon session. This certificate will show the official total of laps that you completed. Take care of this certificate. You can show it to your sponsors when you collect their pledges.
What are the prizes?
Please refer to the Prizes and Incentives listing for details about the prizes.
When will we receive our prizes?
Participation prizes will be handed out after you complete your jog/walk session. Individual, class and grand prizes will be determined once all pledge money has been turned in. Individual prizes will be handed out in class. Class and grand prizes will be presented in an awards assembly.
What if I have more questions?
If you have questions that have not been answered in this document or any of the other handouts you have received, you can contact Denise McArthur (253-6315860 or denisemcarthur@msn.com). The teachers and staff have been given some additional information so they may also be able to answer your question.
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