Providence Classical Christian School s 18 th Annual Golf Marathon Friday, September 22 nd, 2017 The Golf Club at Echo Falls For more information, please contact the Fundraising Office at Providence Classical Christian School 18943 120th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98021 Phone: 425.774.6622 Email: corymarshall@pccs.org
What s Inside? Welcome to the Providence Classical Christian School Golf Marathon! Thank you for taking part in the 18th annual Providence Golf Marathon. This packet will be a vital part of your experience as a golfer and pledge raiser. Inside you will find a detailed overview of a golf marathon, its format, rules and events of the day. We have included some advice about raising sponsors and examples of conversations and letters you might use in helping you reach your pledge goal. Part 1 Questions and Answers about the Golf Marathon What is the cost or entry fee to play in the MARATHON? Affiliated Golfer (parent of currently enrolled Providence student) Your entry fee in the marathon is to obtain pledges totaling $1,000 or more. This could come from a combination of people sponsoring from $0.25 or more per hole and others pledging fixed amounts of $25 or more for the day of golfing. You can also count matching gifts toward the pledge goal. Non Affiliated Golfer (friend/relative of Providence family or spouse of an Affiliated Golfer) $250.00 for the whole day of golf, food, and fun. This category is intended for friends or relatives who may want to come out and golf for the day and for spouses of another affiliated golfer. Pledges may be gathered from companies or individuals or pledged by the golfers themselves. What is a Marathoner? A Marathoner is first and foremost an ambassador for Providence who solicits pledges to be applied to the school s annual operating costs. He or she may be a parent, grandparent or a friend and supporter of Providence. A Marathoner does NOT need to be an experienced golfer. We will provide clubs (if needed) and instructions so you will be able to enjoy the day on the course whether you are a golfer or not. Depending on your affiliation with the school, your pledge amount will vary. As a marathoner you are not only raising funds to help the school, but you are also educating the local community about Providence. On Friday, September 22 nd, you get to enjoy the benefits of your labors to raise money for Providence by playing golf all day. What is the Marathon Format? Pledge Per Hole or Round Teeing off to a shotgun start, you and all the other marathoners will have the entire course to yourselves. Your goal will be to play as many holes as you can in one day. A goal of 100 holes for your team (50 holes per player) is recommended. All differences in the rules of the Marathon from normal golf rules are outlined in this packet. As you send letters and converse with sponsors, be sure to include these rule differences. Rules are set for fast play which adds to the fun. Please note that the minimum for per hole pledges is $0.25. Please inform your pledgers that they are pledging your team their pledge per hole will be applied toward the number of holes you and your partner play together. Pledge for the Day If you think shooting 100 holes for your team in one day would be too much, you can choose to spend the day golfing at your own pace. You would then solicit pledges for the day or one-time gifts. You can play from one hole to five rounds, however much golf you want. Your pledges would be set amounts ranging from $25 to $100 or more for the day, all totaling your goal of $1,000 (or $250). Please note that the minimum for fixed pledges is $25. What is Team Play? Each team will include two golfers assigned to a cart. Teams will also be assigned a pairing group and a starting hole. Different people will play faster than others. To play through, just give a whistle, wait until they see you, and golf away. If
you are letting someone play through, stop until he/she hits, then keep on playing the hole. Don t stop play. Most likely, people will play through you, and you will play through people all day long, but please stay together with your group, letting others through if they are playing faster. Will there be a tournament? Each golfer team will play one tournament round. A team s tournament round starts when it reaches hole number one for the first time. The teams that start at hole one are exceptions to this; they start the second time they get to hole number one, after they have played the whole course once. The tournament will be a two man scramble. After every hit the team will decide which of their balls is the best shot, and both golfers will take their next shots from that position. The team s score for the round is the cumulative number of best shots it took for one of the balls to be holed out. A prize will be given to the team with the lowest tournament score. Will I get anything for participating? Marathon Competition includes: The Grand Prize will be awarded for the Most Sponsorship Money Raised. Other prizes will be awarded for: Hole in One, valued at $20,000 Best Team Score on 18 Holes (tournament round) Longest Drive Principal s Challenge (closest to the pin) Accuracy Challenge Each Marathoner will receive: A premium size Providence Logo Umbrella All the golf balls you need to play 100+ holes of golf Golf Tees A golf cart for your team on the course A delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner Snacks and beverages throughout the day The royal treatment and endless thanks Where will these funds go? The funds raised from the Marathon are applied to the Providence Classical Christian School tuition assistance program. Business underwriting will be sought to cover the expenses of the Marathon, where possible. What should I bring to the Golf Marathon? Please bring an updated list of those who have pledged, as well as any money you have already received. It is imperative that we have a full name, address, phone number and pledge amount for each person. We cannot thank and receipt donors for their pledge if the information is not complete. Bring to the Marathon: Pledge Sheet Payment for all fixed pledges Golf clubs (if you don t have any, let us know in advance and we can rent some for you for $50) Extra pair of socks (the greens are wet with dew in the morning) Hat for sun or rain Jacket it will be cold in the morning What if we are rained out? Golfers are rugged people. Play is stopped only for extreme atmospheric conditions. If we are forced to cancel, we will set a new date for the Marathon.
Part 2 How to Develop your Sponsorship Team What are my goals? 1. To seek sponsorship pledges totaling $1000 or more 2. To share your commitment to support the work of Providence What can I expect? Not everyone you ask will say yes. Do not let this discourage you. You are giving people an opportunity to help better the school and their community, so ask boldly and ask as many people as you can. Experience has shown that close to 70% of the people you ask will sponsor you. Many will be people you hardly know. Will I have any help? Yes, the Fundraising Office will help in any way we can. So if you come to a dead end, run out of contacts, or are uncertain if you ll make your pledge goal, call the school at 425-774-6622 and ask for Cory Marshall, the Fundraising Director (corymarshall@pccs.org). We want to do all we can to ensure your success in your sponsorship effort. How should I go about developing my sponsorship team? 1. Pray! Ask God for confidence and help in expressing your support of Providence and explaining why you are participating. 2. Get to know Providence. People will ask you questions about the school so make sure you understand our goals and mission. 3. Make a list of individuals you want to contact. The list of suggested groups below should help you think of people. 4. People pledge you online by going to the school giving site at http://www.pccs.org/support-us/give-now. They can register to give on the site, choose "Golf Marathon" in the designation area, and put your name in the comment box. Just text/email/facebook people you think would be willing to give and tell them these simple directions, along with a personal request from you and an explanation of what you'll be doing. 5. Or, send a letter (or email) to each of your people asking them to consider becoming one of your sponsors. Providence will provide pledge sheets for you track your pledges and a copy of a suggested letter for your use. a. Use the letter as is, or you may modify it with your style and own personal reasons for supporting Providence. Then simply fill in the names of your prospective sponsors and mail it. b. Ask for Providence Letterhead for your letters if you desire. c. Ask us for anything else you need to ensure your success. 6. Plan to call each person within a week to ten days. Ask if they received your letter and if they would like to sponsor you. This call is crucial. 7. When you talk to people, be enthusiastic. A little enthusiasm is contagious and will go a long way in securing pledges. 8. Ask your sponsors if their employers offer a matching gift program. You can add that amount as an additional pledge to help you reach your goal. Lists to jog your memory: Personal address list Wedding and Christmas card list Church directory Country Club directory Business Rolodex (do people use rolodexes any more?) Email Contacts List Contact List in Your Smart Phone
Potential Sponsors: Friends Relatives Fraternity brothers Pastors Golf pros Sorority sisters Banker Lawyer Bible Bookstore Sunday school class Prayer groups Friends of friends Realtor Accountant Neighbors Golfing buddies Bible study group Stockbroker Dentist Civic Club friends Printers Doctors Business groups Customers Coworkers Contractor Barber What do I say to people? Share your thoughts about the school with them. Tell them why your children are in the school and why you are involved with helping support it. If you don t have children in the school, tell them why it is still so important. Here is a possible conversation you might have: John: Hi, Bob. This is John Smith. How are you today? That s great. Hey, I am calling to see if you received my letter about the Providence Classical Christian School Golf Marathon. Bob: Yes. John: Great! Are you familiar with Providence Classical Christian School? Bob: No, I am not. What is it? John: Providence is a private Christian school in Kirkland committed to teaching that provides a Christ-centered educational environment, producing students who have a love for learning and are equipped to think critically with a biblical world view. To support Providence I am participating in the Providence Golf Marathon from dawn until dusk this September. Although my team s main objective will probably be to survive, our goal is to play 100 holes in a single day. I am looking for individuals and businesses that would be willing to sponsor me. Bob, I think this school is a tool used by God to further His Kingdom in our community. Would you consider sponsoring my team and helping Providence? Bob: Yes, I think I would. How do I do that? John: Well, most people sponsor between $1.00 and $2.00 per hole. Bob: How many holes do you think you will play? John: My goal is to play 100 holes. Moe: Well, then put me down for a dollar a hole. John: Great, Bob. I really appreciate your help with this, but I know that the school appreciates it even more. Shortly after the Marathon, Providence will send you a letter to let you know how many holes my team played. And Bob, can you think of anyone else who might be interested in supporting Christian education? Sound easy? It is! Be sure to get address, phone number, and other pertinent information. How will the funds be collected? We need you to collect payment for your pledges. Experience shows that you are much more successful at collecting payments than we are. We strongly encourage you to collect payment for all fixed pledges prior to the Marathon, as long as your sponsor is willing to pay before you play. You can collect the rest of the due pledges in the two weeks following the Marathon. All pledges must be collected no later than October 11th. In past years, approximately 10% of the money pledged was never collected. That s a good amount of money lost that could have gone to the school. Please help us prevent this loss by collecting all the money that you are pledged. Once we receive pledge payments, your sponsors will be sent a special thank you letter from Providence confirming that you completed the Marathon and the number of holes you played. The letter will also serve as their tax deductible receipt. Finally! You re ready to raise your sponsorships and play golf. Thank you so much for taking the time to help Providence in such a great way. You truly are the most important part of making this event a success. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sample Letter Dear (New Sponsor), I d like to ask for your assistance in a very important cause. Together with a group of men and women from all over the Puget Sound, I have committed myself to support Providence Classical Christian School in Kirkland by participating in their golf fundraiser. Providence is a growing and thriving private school that is working hard to educate 220 Pre-K through 12 th grade students from the Snohomish and King County areas. Providence depends on our donations to support the Financial Aid Fund that aims to allow any child to receive a classical and Christian education who desires one. Ultimately their goal is to provide an environment that produces graduates with a love of learning who are prepared for life wherever God may direct them, and they would like to see everyone with the desire be able to attend Providence. The financial aid they offer to families is tremendous and they would love to be able to continue that. On September 22nd, some 20 teams will participate in the 18th Annual Providence Classical Christian School Golf Marathon at The Golf Club at Echo Falls. Most teams will be shooting for 100 holes of golf between sunrise and sunset. I need your help to sponsor me in order that I might reach my fundraising goal of $1,000. Would you consider a contribution or pledge of $5.00, $2.00, $1.00, or even $.25 cents per hole? Or even a flat donation of $25, $50, $100, or more would be tremendous. Proceeds will provide for the financial aid of students at Providence, and your contribution is tax deductible. Please let me know if you will sponsor me in this endeavor. If I don t hear from you within the next week, I hope you won t mind if I phone you for your response. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration! John Smith P.S. If you make a pledge, you will receive notice after the event that I survived and my team reached its goal. It will include your total pledge amount to Providence.