2016 Polar Plunge Team Toolkit

Transcription

1 2016 Polar Plunge Team Toolkit 1

2 Table of Contents What is the Polar Plunge?...3 Polar Plunge Teams..3-5 Team Fundraising Resources.6-9 Plunger Business Card Plunger Letter Campaign Fundraising Incentives..14 Special Olympics Oregon Fact Sheet 15 Polar Plunge Event Checklist.16 Too Chicken To Plunge/Other Ways You Can Help.17 Contact Info. 18 2

3 What is the Polar Plunge? The Polar Plunge is when thousands of people around Oregon run into icy cold water to raise money for Special Olympics Oregon. As a plunger, you register to participate in one of the five plunges around the state. You can either join a team or participate individually. Then, you raise a minimum of $50 in pledges from friends, family, co-workers, Facebook friends, etc (the more you raise, the bigger your incentive prizes). On plunge day, you jump into the water and get out as fast as you can. However you want to do it, it's all done for fun and to raise money for a great cause. LETR is the largest grassroots fundraising effort for Special Olympics Oregon. More than 70 law enforcement agencies throughout the state raise money and awareness year round for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon. How Do I Start a Team? Create your team online at Choose a team name that includes your name and team name. Recruit your friends, family, and co-workers by having them sign up under your team. Use the recruitment cards to help people sign up on your team. Polar Plunge Teams Why Put Together A Team? This is a great opportunity to bond with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers while showing your support to Special Olympics Oregon. When you start a team of other impassioned fundraisers, you re making the greatest difference possible in your neighborhood and community. It s cold enough, and YOU are bold enough! 3

4 Why Should I Be A Team Captain? Team Captains are an instrumental component to the Polar Plunge s continued success. As Team Captain, you are the liaison between Special Olympics Oregon and your network of team members. Not only will you set the example on how to raise the donations, but you will also keep your team motivated and excited for the plunge! But don t take our word for it. Read below to see what motivates our current team captains! It s not just about running into the cold water. It s about athletes coming together, and not just from all of the counties. Everybody just rallies together and they forget about anything else for that day. It s all in for Special Olympics. It s a day where it s all about the athletes. And that s what we do. Sarah Leahey, the Fierce & Frozen Plunge Team It s just so ridiculously fun standing there, waiting to get in. It s a really good bonding experience to be huddled with people about to do something that silly. We say that you re about to do something really cool to help someone else. People show that they care for their community. Eileen Shattuck, from the Brrrridge City Polar Paddlers Team. Build a team Team Captain Duties Set specific goals regarding recruitment and fundraising Share fundraising tools with teammates Assist in organizing and delegating team fundraising events Attend Team Captain lunches Help brainstorm and create a great team costume- Yes there s a contest Create a Team Facebook Page to keep your friends and family updated on your progress! Stay connected with the team by: o Sending regular s to update members of team progress, fundraisers, etc. o Phone calls o Meetings o Setting up an official team Facebook page 4

5 Leading a Successful Team as Captain Being a successful Team Captain boils down to following three simple but invaluable guidelines! Recruit Set a goal for number of team members Set a goal for total amount of money Aim high! Motivate o Stay in contact with your teammates o Always provide positive encouragement, regardless of results Educate o Let your donors & teammates what they are working towards, and who they will help through their hard work o Learn and spread Special Olympics Oregon s vision & mission Tips From The Pros Here are some great fundraising and team management tips from past Polar Plunge Team Captains! The community is much more responsive to the athletes. The athletes are the face of the organization. It s really about getting their faces out there and reminding people that Special Olympics is just as important as any other sport. It s just bringing the community out and getting them involved. Sarah Leahey We ask all of our plungers to bring a few friends to plunge with them. We try to get our minimum of 50 people, but then we encourage them to invite their friends. And what happens is, they recruit and generally end up going crazy. The volume really helps quite a bit It takes a little of the pressure of the fundraising portion. Eileen Shattuck I let my team know if someone is doing an exceptionally good job. Or, I ll offer incentives or prizes to keep them motivated. Eileen Shattuck 5

6 I have several meetings where the entire team gets together. They just talk about things amongst themselves, and I just serve as the mediator. It s just being there to listen, and to make sure they have assistance for events This year we re going to have a couple of different get together, where we ll make t-shirts, or dress in a funky costume. It s a time for us to grow, and a time to get together. Sarah Leahey If I have to go to any event or business for work, I ll call them up before and say Hey, is it ok if I plug in the Polar Plunge? They are always so nice and welcoming about it. Sarah Leahey Facebook works really well for us. It gives you something to start with and personalize. Eileen Shattuck Team Fundraising Resources We have a number of resources at Special Olympics Oregon that we d love to share with teams. Please contact Drew Steinbeiser at ext. 46 or asteinbeiser@soor.org if you are interested in using any of the resources below: PB, our Polar Bear mascot! Table Top Prize Wheel SOOR Athlete Speakers Polar Bear icons Polar Plunge posters Polar Plunge flyers PB in action at the 2014 Polar Plunge! 6

7 What do your donations support? $50 Provides an athlete with training equipment for one season $100 Provides uniforms for one athlete for the entire year $250 Provides training and equipment for an entire basketball team for one season $500 Allows an entire youth soccer team to compete for one season $1,000 Allows an entire team to travel and compete in Summer State Games Fundraising Event Ideas Raising donations for a terrific cause is much easier than you d think! Here are a few simple ideas: Personal Assistant for a day Offer to run errands, babysit, organize, clean a fridge, dog-sit, etc for a donation. Bake Sale Bring baked goods into workplace and sell. All money goes to your Polar Plunge. Chili/Pie/BBQ Cook Off Charge a small entrance fee, then small tasting fee. Invite friends over to watch a sporting event. Sports Bracket or Pools Organize weekend game brackets for NFL/College Football. Charge a fee, with a split of proceeds to the winner. Charity Game Night Organize a game night. Charge a small entrance fee, all money goes to your Polar Plunge. Craft Fairs: Participate in local craft fairs, especially around the holidays. Make holiday ornaments that promote the plunge as well as support it. Potluck lunch at work Have co-workers bring a dish into work, and everyone can donate money for the food instead of eating out or bringing lunch. Post Fliers at Work: Place a informational sheet in your office breakroom, with instructions for your co-workers to see you for more information. Pancake Breakfast at Work Cook breakfast at work and sell it. Christmas Light set up and/or removal Offer to help set up or remove lights for donations. Gift Wrapping Offer to wrap gifts in exchange for a donation to your Plunge. Used Book Sale Ask people to donate their used books, and sell them at work. 50/50 Trivia Night-organize a trivia night at your house, with a small buy-in. Split proceeds with winner. Change Collection-Set up a collection jar at your workplace or ask friends for spare change. Pop Can Drive Reach out to neighbors for pop cans. Yard Sale Clean out your house and sell what you no longer need Guess Jar Fill a clear jar with candy, and people pay a small fee to guess how many pieces are in the jar. Proceeds split and go to your Polar Plunge. Bar/Restaurant Night- Get a local bar or restaurant to donate proceeds to your Polar Plunge efforts. Examples: Chipotle, Burgerville, etc. 7

8 How to Raise $500 in 7 days! DAY 1: Start by sponsoring yourself for $25 DAY 2: Ask 3 family members to sponsor you for $25 DAY 3: Ask 5 friends to donate $15 DAY 4: Ask 5 co-workers to sponsor you for $10 DAY 5: 15 people and ask for a $10 donation DAY 6: Ask your company for a $75 donation DAY 7: Ask 2 businesses you frequent for $25 Important Links Visit and share the links below to learn more about Polar Plunge and Special Olympics Oregon. Plunge Oregon s Home Site Plunge Oregon s Facebook Page Plunge Oregon s Twitter Page How to Use Your Pledge Page to EASILY Raise Funds Special Olympics Oregon YouTube Channel Plunge Oregon: Why Your Company Should Have a Polar Plunge Team Plunge Oregon Profile: Officer Dan Ashworth Medford Police Department Plunger Business Card The next page contains a template with cards for you to personalize. Share these with your donors to help them in making a donation to your plunge. Make sure to print the front and back sides. Then, share them with everyone you know! 8

9 PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE THE PLUNGE! PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE THE PLUNGE! 2015 ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE Donate online at: Click on the Sponsor Plunger button and search for my name. Your donation is helping make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 Special Olympics Oregon athletes who benefit from this crazy event! 2015 ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE Donate online at: Click on the Sponsor Plunger button and search for my name. Your donation is helping make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 Special Olympics Oregon athletes who benefit from this crazy event! Thanks, [Plunger Name] Thanks, [Plunger Name] PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE THE PLUNGE! PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE THE PLUNGE! 2015 ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE Donate online at: Click on the Sponsor Plunger button and search for my name. Your donation is helping make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 Special Olympics Oregon athletes who benefit from this crazy event! 2015 ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE Donate online at: Click on the Sponsor Plunger button and search for my name. Your donation is helping make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 Special Olympics Oregon athletes who benefit from this crazy event! Thanks, [Plunger Name] Thanks, [Plunger Name] PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE THE PLUNGE! PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE THE PLUNGE! 2015 ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE Donate online at: Click on the Sponsor Plunger button and search for my name. Your donation is helping make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 Special Olympics Oregon athletes who benefit from this crazy event! 2015 ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE Donate online at: Click on the Sponsor Plunger button and search for my name. Your donation is helping make a difference in the lives of the 10,000 Special Olympics Oregon athletes who benefit from this crazy event! Thanks, [Plunger Name] Thanks, [Plunger Name] 9

10 YOU PLEDGE, AND I LL PLUNGE! Help me reach my goal! My goal is to raise at least $ for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon and I need your help. Consider making a donation or joining me in taking a chilly dip into the icy cold water this February! You can do either by visiting this website and clicking Sponsor Plunger and searching for my name or clicking Register to start your own fundraising. YOU PLEDGE, AND I LL PLUNGE! Help me reach my goal! My goal is to raise at least $ for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon and I need your help. Consider making a donation or joining me in taking a chilly dip into the icy cold water this February! You can do either by visiting this website and clicking Sponsor Plunger and searching for my name or clicking Register to start your own fundraising. YOU PLEDGE, AND I LL PLUNGE! Help me reach my goal! My goal is to raise at least $ for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon and I need your help. Consider making a donation or joining me in taking a chilly dip into the icy cold water this February! You can do either by visiting this website and clicking Sponsor Plunger and searching for my name or clicking Register to start your own fundraising. YOU PLEDGE, AND I LL PLUNGE! Help me reach my goal! My goal is to raise at least $ for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon and I need your help. Consider making a donation or joining me in taking a chilly dip into the icy cold water this February! You can do either by visiting this website and clicking Sponsor Plunger and searching for my name or clicking Register to start your own fundraising. YOU PLEDGE, AND I LL PLUNGE! Help me reach my goal! My goal is to raise at least $ for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon and I need your help. Consider making a donation or joining me in taking a chilly dip into the icy cold water this February! You can do either by visiting this website and clicking Sponsor Plunger and searching for my name or clicking Register to start your own fundraising. YOU PLEDGE, AND I LL PLUNGE! Help me reach my goal! My goal is to raise at least $ for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon and I need your help. Consider making a donation or joining me in taking a chilly dip into the icy cold water this February! You can do either by visiting this website and clicking Sponsor Plunger and searching for my name or clicking Register to start your own fundraising. 10

11 Letter Campaign This is an effective way to raise a substantial amount of money in just a few quick hours. Write personal letters to your family, friends, and coworkers and let them know that you are plunging. Make it easy for people to donate! Consider including a self-addressed envelope (stamped or not) in the envelope when you mail a letter. Feel free to compose a one-page letter. Hand-write the letter and personalize it as if you were sending it to an individual friend. Send it to everyone who has ever sent you something Early on, make the ask. Don t limit your donors, but ask for a specific range. Ask for $10, $20, $50 or whatever your budget will allow. Give a 10 day deadline for response. People will respond when there is a sense of urgency. Copy the letters. Before stuffing into the envelope; handwrite in colored ink, on the top of the letter the person s name and a quick line, Hope you can support me. Sign it to add that personal touch. Feel free to use our sample letter on the following page. Remember to share sample letter with team members to get them started. Also, make sure your plunge date is correct (the sample letter is for the Portland Plunge, so for others you should change it accordingly). 11

12 Dear [Insert Name], On February 28 [change to your Plunge date], I will be participating in the 2015 Polar Plunge in Portland, Oregon [change to your Plunge city]. I have decided that it s cold enough, and I m bold enough to take a freezing dip into the Columbia River [change to the body of water you will be plunging in] for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon! I have set a personal fundraising goal of $[insert amount], and I need your help to reach it! I would greatly appreciate any amount it all goes to a wonderful cause, and every little bit gets me that much closer to my goal. Or, you could join my plunge team and jump into the body of water with me! There are three easy ways to support my Plunge: 1. Online donation: Credit or debit card. Visit [insert donation page URL] 2. Offline donation: Cash or checks. Make checks payable to Special Olympics Oregon then mail to SOOR / 5901 SW Macadam Ave, Suite 200, Portland, OR If you do it this way, please be sure to include my name in the memo area so that the staff will know where to credit the contribution. 3. Join! Join my team [insert team name] at If you want to learn more about this exciting and inspirational event, visit to find out all the chilly details. Think warm thoughts for me as February 28 th approaches. Can you believe how much WARMTH can come out of so much COLD? Your support changes lives! Thank you! [Plunger Name] 12

13 Fundraising Incentives Prizes o At each plunge, prizes will be awarded to the: Plunger raising the most money. Team raising the most money. Law Enforcement employee raising the most money. Team with the most members Best Costume Contest K-12 School Raising the most money o Win a LCD TV Each Polar Plunger who raises $1,000 or more will be entered into a drawing to win a 40 LCD TV, courtesy of Fred Meyer 2015 Incentives o $50 Official NIKE Long Sleeve Polar Plunge T-Shirt o $250 : Polar Plunge Oregon NIKE hat, in addition to the above. o $500 : Polar Plunge Oregon NIKE duffle bag, in addition to the above. o $1000 Polar Plunge Oregon NIKE Sweatshirt, in addition to the above o $2500 Polar Plunge NIKE Jacket, in addition to the above 13

14 Special Olympics Oregon Fact Sheet WHO WE ARE: Special Olympics Oregon is a statewide year-round sports program for Oregon s children and adults with intellectual disabilities. We currently offer training and competition opportunities in 14 different Olympic-style sports. We serve the largest disability population in the state, more than 12,000 participants, ages eight and above. OUR MISSION AND VISION: The mission of Special Olympics Oregon is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. The vision of Special Olympics Oregon is to help bring all persons with intellectual disabilities into the larger society under conditions whereby they are accepted, respected and given the chance to become useful and productive citizens. OUR HISTORY: The concept for Special Olympics was born in the early 1960s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in Rockville, Maryland. The first International Special Olympics Games were held in 1968 at Soldier s Field, Chicago with 1,000 athletes participating from 26 states and Canada. HOW WE VE GROWN: Mrs. Shriver s vision of an international sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, one that would bring the joy and pride developed through sports competition to those the world believed could not learn or play sports, has grown into one of the largest and most successful sports and volunteer organizations in the world. Special Olympics programs are in every state and in over 160 countries worldwide, serving close to four million athletes every year. WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Throughout Oregon, there are over 100,000 persons with intellectual disabilities and/or closely related developmental disabilities who could benefit from our sports programs. Eligible athletes are all children and adults, at least eight years old, with intellectual disabilities, a cognitive delay, or a closely related developmental disability. Children age six and seven may participate in Special Olympics training, but may not compete. OUR GAMES ARE ALWAYS: There are training and competition opportunities every day throughout the year. Our programs are free to all eligible athletes and are possible thanks to the generous support from individuals and businesses who believe in Special Olympics athletes. Financial support comes exclusively from individuals, organizations, corporations and foundations. We receive zero government funding. The average cost of supporting one athlete, for one season is $ Your support changes lives. 14

15 Plunge Day Checklist Plunge costume Shoes to plunge in (required except in Medford) A dry change of clothes Towel Cell Phone Plastic bag for wet clothes Offline Donations Family, Friends, and supporters Camera 15

16 Too Chicken to Plunge? You can also make a positive impact by joining a team or raising money for Special Olympics Oregon. Register, and when it asks if you are a plunger or a chicken, give the honest answer. You will receive the same incentives as the plungers, and we promise to not tell anyone that YOU were Too Chicken to Plunge! Other Volunteer Opportunities If you don t want to take the Plunge, but still want to help Special Olympics Oregon with this great cause, there are plenty of other ways to help out! We will be at several community events spreading the word on Polar Plunge, and would love to have you volunteer at one of our booths! It s a great way to meet new people, give out great raffle prizes, and help build a strong community interest in this year s Polar Plunge! Below are some of the events we will be at, but contact us for more opportunities. Bite of Oregon: August 8 10 Rip City 3 on 3 Tournament: August Special Olympics Oregon Youth Games: September 27th Special Olympics Oregon Fall Regional Games: Late October/Early Nov. TBD Special Olympics Oregon Governor s Guild Awards:: October 29 Special Olympics Oregon Fall State Games: November

17 CONTACT THE TEAM RECRUITMENT MANAGER IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP WITH FUNDRAISING Team Recruitment Manager ext SW Macadam, Suite 200, Portland, OR