TEAM CAPTAIN S GUIDE SEPTEMBER BIKE mscycling.org

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1 TEAM CAPTAIN S GUIDE SEPTEMBER BIKE mscycling@pae.nmss.org mscycling.org

2 SEPTEMBER Every hour of every day, another person is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease of the central nervous system. The symptoms of MS are unpredictable and can prevent people from raising families, continuing their careers or simply walking. For 27 years, cyclists from all over the Greater Delaware Valley have pedaled from start to finish to find a cure for MS. TEAM MS Did you know that nearly 70% of cyclists ride as part of a team? That means, this year you will join over 5,000 team members dedicated to creating a world free of MS. In 2006, the City to Shore MS Bike Tour raised $4 million for MS research and services for the 11,000 local families living with multiple sclerosis. Out of that $4 million, teams raised $2.8 million. This is why your team is so important. How your dollars make a difference. With lower than average administrative and fundraising costs, the National MS Society is committed to ensuring that the maximum amount of money raised funds groundbreaking research and provides direct services for local people living with MS. Promising Treatments For MS Studies show that early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can reduce future disease activity and improve quality of life for many people with multiple sclerosis. Talk to your health care professional or contact the National MS Society at or FIGHT-MS to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.

3 STEP 1GET STARTED Get registered Pick a team name and register as the captain. Then, spread the word! You and your members can register using any of the following easy methods: Visit: mscycling.org Call: BIKE Fax: Mail the enclosed registration to: National MS Society City to Shore MS Bike Tour 1 Reed Street, #200 Philadelphia, PA Get Help Recruit others to help you. Recruiter: Gets cyclists to register and monitors online team roster report. Fundraising Champion: Teaches members to fundraise to meet the Tour average of raising over $600 per cyclist. Also reminds team of important fundraising deadlines. Party Planner: Plans kick-off, sign-up days, fundraisers and post-event celebrations. Set Goals Hold a meeting with all of your team leaders to build a plan. Recruitment Goal Did you have a team last year? Strive to increase the team size by 10-15%. Are you a first year team? Aim to recruit 10% of your company s employees. Fundraising Goal The average cyclist raises over $600 aim to be above average! Challenge each cyclist to raise $1000 in the fight against MS. OR Challenge your team to increase its fundraising by 10%. AND Set a goal to win a prestigious Team Award (see page 6 for list). Coach: Holds training rides and instructs members on how to prepare for the Tour. Safety Champion: Reminds members of the rules of the road during training. Each team of 10 or more members is required to recruit Tour Safety Advisors. The Safety Champion is responsible for this BIKE mscycling.org

4 STEP 2 RECRUIT TEAM MEMBERS Spread the word and watch your team grow! Posters and Brochures Display posters and brochures everywhere you can at work (cafeterias, restrooms, health clubs and break rooms are great). Drop a brochure in your co-worker s inbins or on their desks. Trading Cards These cards are the perfect size for cycling jersey pockets. Bring them to your next training ride to help you recruit fellow cyclists to join your team. Broadcast your efforts by sending Join My Team s from My Participant Center at mscycling.org. Ask members to everyone in their address books. Use our site to design your own team Web page. Word of Mouth Tell your family, friends and co-workers about the MS Bike Tour and ask them to join or sponsor your team. Neighborhood Stores Display brochures and posters in your local supermarkets and convenience stores. Add labels to identify yourself as a local team captain. Team Rally Hold a kick-off to energize your team and potential members! Call us and we ll provide you with giveaways! Publicize Your Goals People respond to challenges. Post MS Bulletin Board or Web site with a Recruitment Thermometer BIKE mscycling.org Contact Your MS Bike Tour Staff You ll get one-on-one help from your Team MS Coordinator. We can: visit your company for a Q&A or Sign-up Day meet with you and your team leaders to strategize provide customized team flyers and registration forms just answer questions to help you organize your team

5 STEP CONDUCT A CORPORATE 3RECRUITMENT EFFORT ATTENTION Corporate Teams: Start At The Top. Teamwork is the key to your success! How Do I Recruit? Company Support Announce your team in the company newsletter or intranet and ask about payroll stuffers (insert a save the date flyer). Corporate Sign-Up Days Ask your Team MS Coordinator to come out to your organization to promote the Bike Tour and take registrations. Corporate Sponsorship Ask your employer to sponsor your team (registration fees, donations or jerseys). This helps to encourage people to ride for the team. How can my company support the team? Ask your employer if the company supports matching gifts. This is the easiest way to double your fundraising efforts! Sell mile markers for a $200 donation. Your company and other businesses you frequent can sponsor a mile of the Tour. Contact us for more information. Campbell s Why is Team MS important for my company? Develop corporate team spirit & boost morale Increase the company s visibility AstraZeneca Offer employees a chance to bond outside the office Lockheed Martin Johnson & Johnson BIKE mscycling.org

6 STEP ENCOURAGE YOUR 4TEAM TO FUNDRAISE Get Your Team Involved More than 11,000 local people are counting on you to help create a world free of MS. So encourage your team members to start their fundraising campaigns right away. All cyclists raising $1,000 become part of the exclusive VIP Club. Tell your team members about the VIP perks including: commemorative clothing, VIP credentials, special treatment the day of the Tour and much more. Make sure your team members know about the fundraising kit and online tools. Plus, the sooner your members register, the sooner they ll get their fundraising kits in the mail. Ask local restaurants or stores to donate products or gift cards and raffle them off to your top fundraising team members. Online Fundraising Kit The online fundraising kit provides you with fundraising tips as well as a pre-written letter that you can to your potential sponsors. This is a fast and paperless way to fundraise. Team Awards Each year our top teams are recognized at an Awards Party after the Tour. Encourage your team members to aim high and win one of the coveted team awards. Fundraising Awards include: Top Fundraising Team, Highest Fundraising Average, Outstanding Team Spirit, Outstanding Rookie Team and much more. Hold Team Fundraising Events Hold a dress down day & sell stickers that say, I m dressing down to help fight MS. Set up a collection jar and ask people to contribute their spare change. Put this in your company s cafeteria or at a local convenience store. Hold auctions to sell fun perks: the boss s parking spot, golf with the Chair of your Board, or dinner with the CEO. Car washes, beef n beers, bake sales, candy sales are other fun ways to FUNdraise! Studies have also shown that sponsors give more when they pledge online. So tell your team members to start ing today BIKE mscycling.org

7 STEP ACCESS ONLINE TOOLS 5at mscycling.org Recruitment Remind Cyclists to click on Join a Team when registering and search for your team name. Fundraising Tools Log into My Participant Center to take advantage of : Your Own Personal Fundraising Page Customize your page. It was automatically set up for you when you registered s Send recruitment, solicitation, thank you and follow-up s to everyone in your address book My Progress See sponsors who have made pledges to you Fundraise Online: Direct sponsors to mscycling.org Instruct them to click on the Donate/ePledge button and follow the prompts Managing Your Team: Set up your team page. Include your team s story and photos from the event. The more you personalize it, the more likely you are to recruit new cyclists View and print your entire team roster Send messages to your team members Track your team gifts Follow-Up Reports Track all electronic correspondence Other tools- Send solicitation reminders, see who you need to send a thank you note to BIKE mscycling.org 5

8 TEAM MS Congratulations 2006 Team Award Winners Larry Kane s Chairman Cup St Albert the Great Gators Captain: Tony Faillace Largest Overall Team, Largest Corporate Team, & Top Fundraising Team Team J&J Captain: Bob Streit Largest Friends & Family Team and Partners In MS Team Team Tania Captain: Stacey Asbell Outstanding First Year Team Team Weichert Captain: Jim Robinson Outstanding Continued Support Team ELF Captain: Frank Plunkett Most Improved Team Rohm & Haas Captain: Scott Brockett Largest Bike Club Team CBBC Wild Bucks Captain: Wayne Siefert Corporation of the Year Team Merck Captain: Hiroto Kiguchi Most Team Spirit Team Journey Captains: Anna D Anna and Kathryn Schwartz Best Team Jersey Slug Herd Captain: Mark Cressman Most Festive Rest Stop Lockheed Martin Team Captain: Maggie Bosak Volunteer Captain: Mel Kovacs Team Safety Awareness Kernan PLACE Captain: John Kornick LiquidHub Hubbers Captain: Cathy Ingham Merck Cyclists Captain: Hiroto Kiguchi Philadelphia Rotary Captain: Jack Beiter St. Albert the Great Gators Captain: Tony Faillace Team Copaxone Captain: Amal Ward Team Journey Captains: Anna D Anna and Kathryn Schwartz Team Tania Captain: Stacey Asbell Team Weichert Captain: Jim Robinson Univ. of PA Health System Captain: Garry Scheib $100,000 Club Team J&J Captain: Bob Streit Merck Cyclists Captain: Hiroto Kiguchi Team Tania Captain: Stacey Asbell Jersey s Team Captain: Andrea Rosenthal This could be you! Set your sights on one of these awards for 2007! BIKE mscycling.org

9 HELPFUL TOOLS ORDER FORM Fill out form and fax to Name Team Name Address City State ZIP Phone (Home) Phone (Work) QUANTITY ITEMS BIKE TOUR BROCHURES SEPTEMBER BROCHURE STANDS BIKE TOUR POSTERS Register online at mscycling.org or call BIKE PARTICIPANT CUBICLE FLAGS BIKE TAGS FOR FUNDRAISING

10 Meaning in Every Mile If you ve participated in the MS Bike Tour, you ve probably seen cyclists sporting red bandanas. These bandanas are signed by a person living with MS and worn in their honor throughout the Tour. If you want to make your cycling experience even better, sign up for the Champions Against MS program. We will put you in touch with someone living with MS who will add inspiration and meaning to your ride. Make your ride even more meaningful by connecting with one of the thousands of people who depend on the funds raised by this event. Become a Champion Against MS today. Visit mscycling.org and click on Champions.

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