Be a Champion for St. Mary's Kids - Help Raise Funds & Friends

With your help, the Big Hearts Walk for St. Mary's Kids will be a huge success. Get started by using some powerful tools right at your fingertips.

 

Tips for Walkers

Tips for Teams

Resources

 

Print out these helpful forms and materials to promote your Walk efforts and keep your fundraising efforts on track.

Walk Fact Sheet - to help you promote the Walk in your neighborhood or place of business

General FlyerWalk 2021 Event information

 

  • Register as an Individual Walker, Virtual Walker, Team Captain or join an existing team on this website.
  • Set up your Personal and/or Team Page in the participant center. This is your own webpage to promote your efforts for St. Mary's Kids. You can track your progress and use the online tools to email friends and family to make a donation on your behalf. 
  • Lead by example! Make the first donation on your Personal Page
  • Get excited! Start sharing your story/enthusiasm to get others excited!
  • Use Social Networks to encourage participation.Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are a great way to promote your Team/Personal Page and make sure to link to St. Mary’s Facebook page
  • Tag Us! Twitter @StMarysKidsNY Facebook @Stmaryskids Instagram @stmaryskidsny
  • Double your fundraising dollars through a matching gifts program – ask your employer or HR department if they have a matching gift program.

                          

Set a Goal / Ask Away

The most common reason people aren’t involved in the St. Mary’s Annual Walk is that no one asked them. Talk to your family, friends, co-workers, and community about getting involved in any way they can.

Start by setting a fundraising goal and then plan on how to reach your goal. It's easier than you might think. Below are some tips on how to fundraise:

  • Contact 10 people you know to each donate
  • Ask 7 local businesses you know to donate  (beauty, salon, gym, grocer, etc.)
  • Ask 3 organizations you know to donate 
  • Host a team fundraising party - set a reachable goal 
  • Ask Away! Asl friends, family, social media, colleagues to donate

A-Z Fundraising Tips

A
Art Sales – Let your imagination run, try fundraising by selling artwork and homemade items.
Ask Everyone – Always carry your papers with you and walk information. Anyone and everyone you meet tell them about your fundraising and the amazing St. Mary’s Kids.
Auctions – Auction off experiences, items, or creative items.


B
Bake Sale – Bake tasty treats and sell them at school, church, at holidays, anywhere you can!
Bingo – Make your own cards and have a fun friendly game for charity.
Birthday Fundraiser – Ask others to donate to your team for your birthday.
Book Sale – Encourage co-workers, family, friends, or schoolmates to sell their new or old books.


C
Car Wash – Get together a group and some cars and have a charity car wash.
Challenges – Challenge other teams or individuals to raise the most money for their team!
Cycle-thon – Get sponsored for each mile you cycle.


D
Dance Marathon – Get your co-workers, friends, family, or schoolmates for a dance-a-thon and people can sponsor each hour you dance.
Dime Challenge - All you need is an empty 16oz. water bottle and a "St. Mary's Dime Challenge" sticker. Put one at your desk at work, your kitchen counter, or even your favorite business. When your water bottle is filled with dimes, you will have about $100.
Dine out for a Cause – Many restaurants will be hosting local charity nights where a percentage of your dining will come towards the event.
Dog Walking – Offer your services to local dog owners or dog walkers and charge per dog walk.
Dress Casual Day – If your employer allows, employees can make a donation to dress casual for the day.


E
Envelopes – Anywhere you are bring your donation envelope and let people know how they can support.


F
Facebook Fundraiser – Start a facebook fundraiser to raise money for your team, the funds will go straight to St. Mary’s from facebook.
Fashion Show – Host a fashion show and make the profits a donation.
Flower and Plant Sale – Sell houseplants or small flowers from your garden or local shops as donations.


G
Garage Sale – Check your garages, attics and rooms and host a garage sale to raise money for your team.
Garden Sale – Sell plants and flowers from your garden as donations.
Gift Wrapping – Offer your gift wrapping services and collect money as donations for your team.
Guess the… -- Put out a glass container of candies and have people guess the number of candies for a donation and the person who guesses the correct number wins the item!


H
Helper for a Day – Rake leaves, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, anything to help and raise money.
Home Parties – Host a candle party, make-up party, dinner party, jewelry party, etc. and donate the profits to your team.


I
Ice Cream Fundraiser – Host an ice-cream social and charge per person for a donation.


J
Jewelry Fundraiser – Host a jewelry party and put the donations towards your team.


K
Karaoke Fundraiser – Host a karaoke night and each person who comes brings a donation for your team.
Knitting Fundraiser – Host a knitting party and each knitted item can be sold for a donation.


L
Loose Change Drive – Collect spare coins from co-workers, family members, friends, or schoolmates and bring them to the walk.


M
Matching Gifts – Some employers host a matching program, ask yours if they will consider yours!
Mini-marathon/Marathon – Running a marathon or mini-marathon? Get sponsored and donate the profits to your team.
Murder Mystery Night – Host a murder mystery night or dinner and each person’s admission price can be a donation.
Magic Show – Host a magic show and the admission money can be used for your walk team.


N
Non-Uniform Day – Similar to a dress down day, if your employer can host a dress-down day and each person donates to your team.


O
Obstacle Course – Set up an obstacle course and charge for admission.
Odd Job Days – Lawn-mowing, dog walking, DIY jobs, shopping helper, offer your services for donations.


P
Pancake Breakfast – Who doesn’t love pacakes? Charge an admission price and raise some money and eat some amazing breakfast food.
Percentage of Sales at local stores – Ask local restaurants or stores to see if they will host a charity day where they will donate a portion of their sales to the walk.
Pet Service – Grooming, pet washing, walking or pet watching for donations to your team.
Picnics – Hold a picnic and each person can make a donation to your team.


Q
Quilts – Sell quilts and donate the profits to your team.


R
Races – Be imaginative and charge entry fees and donate the profits for your team.
Raffles – Raffle off gift cards, experiences, nights-out, baskets and all the raffle ticket money comes to your team.
Recycling – Recycle cans for money!


S
Sign Up! – Sign up and get others to sign-up for your team!
Sport Fundraisers – Get creative, host a basketball tournament, kickball tournament, volleyball game, baseball game, hockey tournament, the list is endless and all the money gets donated to your team.
School Fundraiser – Get your local schools involved! Have them host fundraisers that can go towards your team.
Swim-a-thon – Get sponsored per length or time for donations.


T
Theme day/evenings – Host a themed party and donate the profits! The list is endless, the 90s, Hollywood movies, etc.


U
University Challenge – Challenge your local college or university to fundraising challenges, your turn to get creative!
Unwanted gift sale – Do you have unwanted gifts? If so host a sale and donate the profits.


V
Variety Show – Host a variety and talent show and donate the admission fees.
Volleyball Tournament – Host a volleyball game and raise money for your team.


W
Wine Tasting – Host a wine tasting evening or wine tour at a local winery for donations.
Wall of Big Hearts – Print out blue hearts, for St. Mary’s Kids, and sell them for a donation and collect them and bring them to the walk.


X
Xmas Fair – Host a holiday fair and sell items, DIY gifts, decorations, etc.


Y
Yoga fundraiser – Host a yoga class and each attendee can pay as a donation.


Z
Zzzzz – Plan a day where you can sleep in and have people sponsor your minutes of extra sleep.

Thank you for your support for St. Mary's Kids!