Gift of Life Walk and Health Fair Team Captain Guide. Sunday, June 30, 2013 Soldier Field Great Lawn

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1 Gift of Life Walk and Health Fair Team Captain Guide Sunday, June 30, 2013 Soldier Field Great Lawn

2 Congratulations and Welcome! You have taken the first step in helping to fight chronic kidney disease and raise awareness about organ donation. We really appreciate your support in serving as a Team Captain for the Gift of Life Walk. In this guide you will learn: What is the Gift of Life Walk? About the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois Event Details Preparing for Event Day Team Recruitment & Building Tips Fundraising Tools If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to contact our offices by calling ext. 238 or by ing Lena Clement at lclement@nkfi.org. Good luck and keep on stepping! What is the Gift of Life Walk? Nearly 2,000 people will gather at the Soldier Field Great Lawn to participate in the largest National Kidney Foundation of Illinois event: The Gift of Life Walk! This fun-filled day includes live entertainment, refreshments, kids activities, healthy living tips and a leisurely three-mile walk along beautiful Lake Michigan. This event brings together those living with kidney disease, family members and caregivers, transplant recipients, living donors and donor families, as well as members of the healthcare community who all have one thing in common - making one step at a time to help fight chronic kidney disease and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. As a team captain you are helping the NKFI raise awareness about chronic kidney disease, its causes, and how it can be prevented, as well as spreading hope and encouragement to all those who are on dialysis, waiting for an organ donation or who have received a transplant. The walk is free and those participants who raise $75 or more for the NKFI will receive a t-shirt! In 2012, through the support of sponsors, teams, and individual walkers, almost $145,000 was raised after expenses to support the many programs offered by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois Gift of Life Walk National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

3 About the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois [NKFI] improves the health and well-being of people at risk for or affected by kidney disease through prevention, education and empowerment. The NKFI has provided services and programs for individuals, families and communities located within Illinois and who are most affected by kidney disease, for more than 60 years and is an affiliate of the National Kidney Foundation [NKF]. The NKF and its affiliates are leaders in the funding of medical research in the area of kidney diseases. Over one third of the medical research funded in the United States for kidney disease is funded by the NKF and its associated affiliates. The Illinois affiliate is a leader in organ donor awareness and in educating the public about the prevention of kidney disease through its free diabetes and high blood pressure screenings, education and referral programs, and provides a variety of related services for patients with kidney, urinary, and related diseases. The NKFI's main office is located in Chicago. In addition, there is one NKFI chapter located in Champaign County, which provides localized services and programs. In November 2005, the NKFI introduced the KidneyMobile, the nation's only mobile disease screening, interactive educational exhibit and follow-up patient program that is now traveling throughout Illinois to prevent chronic kidney disease by providing free early detection screenings and education. Since its introduction in 2005, the KidneyMobile program has screened and educated more than 35,000 people for high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and signs of chronic kidney disease. 74% of those screened had at least one result outside of normal range, and nearly 34% needed immediate referral to a health care provider. Individuals with abnormal results are provided with follow-up treatment information and are contacted by members of the NKFI staff. 90 cents of every dollar donated to the NKFI directly benefit the programs and services we provide throughout the state of Illinois. Event Details When: Sunday, June 30, 2013 Time: Walk check-in begins at 9:00 AM Walk step-off is at 10:30 AM Health Fair is from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Location: Soldier Field Great Lawn Distance: 3.1 Miles (5K) Registration: Registration is free and we ask every participant to sign up online at You ll also be able to setup a fundraising page and a team page online. Participants that raise $75 or more or the NKFI will receive a free t-shirt! Gift of Life Walk National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

4 Directions: By Car: Driving from I-55: Take I-55, the Stevenson Expressway, northbound to Lake Shore Drive (LSD)/Highway 41 North. Take LSD north to the 18th Drive exit. Driving from I-290: Take I-290, the Eisenhower Expressway, east to Congress Parkway. Take Congress Parkway to Columbus Drive. Turn right and take Columbus Drive south to the 18th Drive exit. Driving from I-90/94: Take I-90/94, the Dan Ryan Expressway, north to the Lake Shore Drive (LSD)/22nd street exit. Stay to the right and exit to LSD. Take LSD/Highway 41 north to the 18th Drive exit. Driving from I-94: Take I-94, the Kennedy Expressway, south to the Congress Parkway exit. Follow Congress Parkway to Columbus Drive. Turn right on Columbus Drive and follow Columbus south to the 18th Drive exit. Parking: Parking is located in the Waldron Deck (off 18 th Street) and the entrance is on the north side. The rate is $20. By CTA & Metra: There are several bus and train stops within walking distance of Soldier Field. We recommend contacting the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) at or or the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) at or to plan your bus or train travel. Prepare for Event Day & Recruit your Team! Leading up to the Walk, you do want to make sure that you are in good physical condition. One great way to get in shape and recruit for your team is to have a walking buddy. Once a day or even once a week, get together and chat about how your team is doing to brainstorm ideas to recruit more members or fundraise. Doing this while walking lets you accomplish two things at once! You will receive communication from the NKFI as you get closer to event day with status updates and fundraising ideas Gift of Life Walk National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

5 Submit All Offline Registration Forms and Donations Mail registration forms and checks to the NKFI office by June 26 th in order for those totals to be included in the preliminary team totals that will be announced at the walk. You can also bring them to the walk on Sunday, June 30 th where the team totals will be ed after the walk. How do I form a team? Go to and click on the blue Start Fundraising button Select the Gift of Life Walk Select the number of participants you are registering for (you are able to register multiple walkers) and click Register If you have registered for an event through FirstGiving before, sign in. If you have not used FirstGiving before, you will be asked to create an account Follow the prompts to create a new team, join an existing team, or walk as an individual Create a fundraising webpage and upload photos or tell a personal story that you can share with friends, family and coworkers You are now registered and can spread the word! Recruit team members! Once your fundraising page is created, spread the word through Facebook, Twitter and via to your contacts. Ask them to consider making a donation and/or joining your team. Contact Lena Clement at lclement@nkfi.org if you would like posters or brochures to place in your community in order to recruit more team members. Be a fan of the NKFI on Facebook and RSVP to the Gift of Life Walk & Family Health Fair! Recruit three people for your team and then have a competition to see who can recruit the most additional team members! Fundraising Tips! Set a goal and layout a plan to reach it. Each participant who raises $75 or more will receive an official NKFI walk t-shirt! Kickoff your fundraising efforts by making the first donation! Personalize your webpage by adding pictures and sharing the story of why you walk. People will be more likely to make a donation if they understand why it is important to you and Illinois kidney patients. your friends, family, and co-workers and let them know that you are participating in the annual Gift of Life Walk. Ask them to make a donation to your fundraising page. Ask again! Most people need a reminder (or two!) so plan on ing your contacts at least three times to remind them. Use Facebook to spread the word! Post your webpage link and ask people to make a donation or register to walk with you. Also be sure to Like the NKFI s page ( Illinois/ ) and ask your friends to like it as well Gift of Life Walk National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

6 Use Twitter to send messages about the walk, invite people to participate, and ask for donations! Think about businesses you frequent (restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, dry cleaners, etc.) and ask them to make a donation to your team. If they can donate a gift certificate, raffle it off to friends and family! Add your webpage link to the signature line of your s. That way every time you send an you will also be asking for a donation! Send updates on your fundraising progress. Sharing stories about challenges and reaching milestones makes donors feel a part of your fundraising efforts. You may inspire donors to join or advocate for your efforts! Donate your birthday! Instead of bringing gifts for a birthday party, have everyone bring a donation for your fundraising page. This also works for holidays, weddings, or any get big event. Throw a fundraiser! Work with a local restaurant or bar to have a night where a percentage of their proceeds benefit the NKFI. Ask your donors if their company will match their donation. A lot of companies give matching gifts and it s a great way to raise more money! Thank your donors! FirstGiving automatically s a thank you message to your donors. When editing your fundraising page, personalize the thank you! Tell donors what it means to you or how their donation is helping the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. As well, the NKFI mails an acknowledgment letter to anyone where a complete name and address has been provided. Workplace Fundraising! Talk to your boss about getting your workplace involved! Ask co-workers to help raise funds and spread kidney health awareness! Invite co-workers to join your team or setup a company team and have employees recruit walkers and help with fundraising. This is a great team building activity! Host a jean s day where people can wear jeans if they make a $5 donation. Penny Wars! Setup a friendly competition between departments and collect pennies for a week. The department that raises the most gets a prize (ask management to donate an ice cream social to the winning department!). See if your employer will match donations made by employees or ask the company for a corporate donation. Arrange an educational lunch to distribute information on kidney disease, preventative health, and the NKFI. Ask your vendors to make a donation! Need more ideas? Contact Lena Clement, Manager of Special Events, at lclement@nkfi.org or x238. Thank you for your support of the NKFI and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday, June 30 th at the Soldier Field Great Lawn! Gift of Life Walk National Kidney Foundation of Illinois