Team Captain Guide Love Walk, Love Run, Love Abilities

5K Run & 2K Fun Walk September 20, 2015 Goucher College

Exciting Newness This Year!

New 5K run added to our traditional 2K Walkabout with family-friendly activities! New name to reflect the inaugural 5K!

New registration software to make it simple to register, increase donations, and grow your team!

Registration is open at www.abilitiesnetwork.org

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Friend

Music

Graphic Design Print

Media Sponsors

How to Start a Love Walk, Love Run, Love Abilities Team Starting a team for the Love Abilities 5K/2K event can be an excellent morale building activity for your company, a great way to show support for a loved one, or a way to bring others together in support of Abilities Network.

Here’s how you can get started:

1. Designate a Team Captain - The Team Captain will be the leader for the team in encouraging members to recruit more walkers and raise money. Or simply start a team, designate yourself as team captain, and start recruiting members.

2. Create a Team Name - Your team name could be a family member’s name, your company’s name (if a company team), or anything that symbolizes why you and your team are participating. Let your creative juices flow!

3. Register - You can register online at www.abilitiesnetwork.org

4. Recruit Team Members - Ask family, friends, co-workers and other people you know to join your team. Be sure to mention that there will be family friendly activities as well as live music. See Attachment titled “Event Specifics” for more details about the day.

5. Set a goal to recruit at least 10 team members and raise at least $1,000 for your team (that’s just $100 per person).

6. Start Fundraising a. Send emails to friends, family, and co-workers through your Fundraising Center to ask

them to make a donation to Abilities Network in honor of your participation in the Love Abilities 5K/2K event.

b. Hang posters at your company and keep the promotional business card size 5K/2K info with you. These business cards are easy to keep in your wallet or purse and provide registration info to anyone you’re speaking with. Contact Mary Kavanagh if you need these cards (mkavanagh@abilitiesnetwork.org or 410.828.7700 x1277)..

c. Host a fundraiser at your office or at your home (see “20 Fundraising Ideas” document and have some FUN!)

d. Post a link on your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) that connects directly to your Personal Fundraising Page and ask your family and friends to make a donation.

Have questions or just need a little help? We like questions! Please contact Mary Kavanagh at mkavanagh@abilitiesnetwork.org, or call 410-828-7700x1277.

(Note…this Kavanagh has no letter “u” in it.)

Event Schedule/Activities SCHEDULE 8:30am CHECK-IN and registration begins. Refreshments. 9:15am WELCOME remarks from Abilities Network & warm-up exercises with Brick Bodies 9:30am START of 5K Run and 2K Fun Walk 10am-12pm ACTIVITIES and ENTERTAINMENT Between 10:30 and 10:45 a.m., there will be an awards ceremony honoring the top male and female runners overall, the top finishers in various age groups, the largest teams and top fundraisers.

ACTIVITIES/ENTERTAINMENT Lots of fun stuff! DJ, professional and college mascots, a moonbounce, airbrush face/arm painting by Amy Malfa, wood kit activities in the Home Depot Kids Club, and arts & crafts and regular face painting by the National Art Education Association at Towson University, magic show by Melissa and Jay Silverman. LIVE MUSIC There also will be a special performance by funk rock artist, Damon Foreman, who has performed with major acts such as Ashford and Simpson, Gladys Night, Sista Monica, Mary Wells and Parliament Funkadelic. REGISTRATION FEES

• 5K run is $30 ( $35 on event day) Student rate -elementary through college - is $20 ($25 on event day).

• 2K Fun Walk is $20 for ages 13 and over ($25 on race day); $10 for children 4-12 and free for kids 3 and under.

Registration includes an event T-shirt, refreshments and entertainment/activities. T-shirts cannot be guaranteed if registration occurs after September 4. QUESTIONS? Contact Mary Kavanagh at 410-828-7700 ext. 1277 or mkavanagh@abilitiesnetwork.org. ATTN TEAM CAPTAINS – We are using different registration software from last year. To start your teams, you will need to first register yourself. After registering yourself, you will receive an email with two links: (1) fundraising page (2) advocacy center. Go to your Advocacy Center and select the “Teams” tab to create a team under your name. REGISTER at www.abilitiesnetwork.org.

Talking points about Abilities Network to help you recruit team members and collect donations.

Who We Are: Abilities Network is non-profit service organization dedicated to working with individuals living with physical, cognitive or situational challenges. We develop individualized plans to create personal paths to independence for the people we

serve, executing these plans as coach, mentor, and advocate to promote life skills learning, meaningful employment, and healthier, safer lives.

Our Mission: To challenge the community to acknowledge the value and equality of people of all abilities.

Our Motivation: We provide services to over 10,000 individuals in Maryland, but there are still many individuals that need support.

Our History: We began as The Epilepsy Association of Maryland in 1964. We were incorporated in 1964 by a group of physicians and parents of children with epilepsy who recognized a need for more than just medical care. As time progressed, the organization broadened its services to individuals with varying types of disabilities and situational challenges. To reflect a broader targeted population, Abilities Network was incorporated in 2000.

Our Programs: Abilities Network serves Maryland residents through five programs that collectively address needs from birth through retirement. Our mission-driven employees work to develop and execute individualized plans of action so clients may achieve their highest level of independence despite physical, cognitive, or situational limitations.

• Epilepsy Services - Empowers individuals with epilepsy to experience fuller lives and the community to understand this disease through outreach, education and support groups

• Healthy Families - Empowers young parents to attain a nurturing skillset that provide a strong beginning for their children from birth through age five through in-home visits

• All Children Together - Empowers child educators and care providers to teach and include children of all abilities within classroom and community settings through on-site assessments, case work and training for childcare providers and teachers

• Community & Employment Partners (CEP) - Empowers individuals to maximize their abilities to live and work independently within their communities through individualized life skills coaching and job placement

• Senior Services - Empowers senior adults to transition smoothly from their present homes into continuing care retirement communities through downsizing, packing, move coordination and educational seminars.

Top 10 Reasons to Start a Love Abilities Team

1. To encourage the community realize and acknowledge the value and equality of people of all abilities

2. To honor a family member or friend 3. To see and meet your favorite ABC2 News

Anchor, Charley Crowson 4. To spend meaningful time with people you enjoy 5. To devour free ice cream sundaes from the

Coleman Family and hangout with cool mascots.! 6. To provide our children with a better

understanding of civic responsibility and empower them to effect change 7. To create camaraderie and encourage team

building, leadership skills (captain & co-captain), wellness and philanthropy among your company’s employees

8. To show your friends a fun and easy way to give back 9. To enjoy the easy Sunday morning jazz, funk music of Damon Foreman. 10. To be inspired by the strength of others

How to Get into the Team Spirit Abilities Network is all about diversity. Let’s walk the talk on Sunday, September 20 and get our diverse team spirit on! Here are a few ideas to get you thinking. Get crafty at your local Michael’s, AC Moore or JoAnn Fabric and create:

• a banner with your team’s name • t-shirts • hats

• buttons • or anything else you might wear as a team

• If you’d like to skip the crafty fun and go right to the pros, visit websites like www.customink.com.

Visit your local party store and get team-themed with:

• props from their theme party sections • temporary hair color spray

• face paint • temporary tattoos

Join the festivities with bells on…literally. Tie bells on each team member’s shoes (or decorate your shoes any way like).

20 FUNDRAISING IDEAS

1. Just ask. Tell someone about your cause and ask them to give. It’s as easy as that! 2. Link Up. It’s easy. Send the link from your personal fundraising page to family members, friends, neighbors, club members and others on your contact list. Ask them to replace that fancy coffee or smoothie with a donation to Abilities Network. If 20 people donate $5 each, you will have made your individual fundraising goal of $100.

3. Happy Birthday! Do you or someone you know have a July, August or September

birthday? In lieu of gifts, ask for donations for Walkabout Abilities 2014. 4. Paint and Sip. For a creative Girls’ (or Couples’) night out, just head to your nearest

palette, like The Painted Palette in Baltimore (www.paintedpalettebaltimore.com) and ask to have a percentage of the proceeds donated in the name of your Love Abilities 5K/2K team.

5. Help. I Need Somebody! Who has time to run errands? Spend a day running errands for a fee.

6. Got Game? Host a pot luck game night. Each person brings a $10 donation and a hors

d’oeuvre or dessert. 7. End the Hoarding! Create space for better things to come by selling items you no longer

need or use. List them on Craig’s List or have a garage sale. 8. We All Scream for Ice Cream. Head over to BJ’s and pick up a big box of prepackaged ice

cream bars. Set up shop in the lunchroom or at the main exit between noon and one. 9. Special Outfit Day. Have coworkers donate $5 to wear something special for a day – like

jeans, sports team hats or flip flops. 10. Get Tatted. Add some laughter to your day by selling temporary tattoos of your company

logo (or anything you want). You can order them from places like this online: www.tattoosales.com.

20 Fundraising Ideas – Page Two

11. Babysitting Sleepover. For a fee, offer to host a sleepover of 3 or 4 kids so that parents can

have date night and sleep in the next morning. 12. Karaoke Night. Find a neighborhood establishment that has regular karaoke nights (e.g.

Applebee’s on the corner of LaSalle and Joppa in Towson)! Promote the evening and ask for a percentage of the proceeds (or a cover charge).

13. Lunch with CEO or Local Celebrity. Ask a restaurant to donate a special lunch and then

auction or sell chances for employees to have lunch with a leader or celebrity.

14. Matching Gifts. If your company has a matching gift program, ask them to match what you raise.

15. Questions for Change. For one week, have each employee set up a jar for donations for each question they answer. Ask a local restaurant for a donated gift card to reward the employee who collects the most money.

16. Tickets Please! Raffle off prizes donated from local merchants or simply offer to split the

pot with a 50/50 option. 17. An Honor to Serve. Have team members offer their expert service for a fee and then

donate the proceeds. For example salon/spa, photography, financial consultation, golf lessons, landscaping, odd jobs.

18. I Spy a Baby Face. Have everyone bring in their baby photo and see who can correctly

name the most. Charge an entry fee and ask a local establishment to donate a prize to the winner.

19. VIP Parking. Raffle off that coveted parking spot for a year (or sell chances for it). 20. Just Dance! Have a lunchtime or after hours dance off to determine who (or which

department) has the best moves. Dancers and judges pay an entry fee. Mix it up with different themes like disco, break dancing, moonwalking and even ballet).

REGISTRATION AND YOUR FUNDRAISING CENTER Go to www.abilitiesnetwork.org. Select the tab for Love Run Love Walk. From the drop down menu, select the registration option. On the next page, you will see details about the event and then the registration form at the bottom of the page. Select your registration type and complete your contact profile. Once you have submitted the registration form for the Love Walk, Love Run, Love Abilities 5K Run and 2K

Fun Walk, you will immediately be given the option to upload a photo and a personal statement that will show on your Fundraising Page. You may either do this now or click on Save Changes if you are not ready to take this action at this time. Once you click on Save Changes, the next screen will present you with your Fundraising Center, which is described below. Note: You will also receive an email with the subject “Love Abilities 5K/2K Personal Fundraising Information” that will include the link to your Personal Fundraising Page and your Fundraising Center. Please save this email for future reference WHAT IS THIS FUNDRAISING CENTER? Your Fundraising Center is the place where you can manage all of your fundraising tasks including uploading a photo, joining or creating a team, tracking your donations, and sharing your unique fundraising URL and page. Again, you will receive an email with the subject “Love Walk Love Run Personal Fundraising Information” that will include the link to your Fundraising Center. Save this email for future reference. Once inside your Fundraising Center you can manage all of your fundraising tasks by clicking on each of the available tabs and editing as needed. Following are descriptions of the tab contents.

Profiles Tab (Change your fundraising goal, upload photo, update personal statement)

The Profile tab allows you to change your fundraising goal, upload a photo and update your personal statement, all of which will display on your personal fundraising page. • Simply click on the “Edit” button next to each area to update your information at any time

• Clicking on the “Edit” button for the “Web Page Image” will allow you to upload a

personal photo or video explaining why you are fundraising for the Love Walk Love Run Love Abilities. Most images will work, and if you want to upload a video you need to paste in the URL of a YouTube or Vimeo video that you have already uploaded to one of those services.

To Register and Utilize Fundraising Center – Page Two

Teams Tab (Create or join a team. Extra options for team captains) The “Teams” tab provides you the opportunity to join a team that has already been created, or to create your own team and invite others to join you. • To “Join a Team” click on the name of the team in the team list and click on the join

button. If you do not see the name of the team you want to join it may be a “private” team. To join a “private” team you will need to contact the team captain and request a team invitation.

• To “Create a Team”, simply fill in the Team Name box and click Create Team. The team will be created and you will be made the Team Captain for the team.

• A Team Captain is given a few extra options to manage the team. a. Edit Team – The Team Captain can further control team functionality by clicking

“Edit Team”. On this screen the captain can change the team name, change the captain to be another member of the team and make the team “Invitation Only”. NOTE: If set to Invitation Only the team will not show in the Join Team list and the only way to add members is to send them the “Team Invitation” link.

b. Disband Team – This will delete the team from all lists and remove all individuals from the team.

c. Remove individual members of the team

d. Invite others to join the team.

All Donations Tab (Shows your fundraising progress) The “All Donations” tab will show you your overall fundraising progress. The information includes your fundraising totals as well as the names and donation amounts for each person that has donated on your personal fundraising page. You may also click on the donors’ name to open your default email program, with their email address pre-populated, and write each person an individual thank you note.

To Register and Utilize Fundraising Center – Page Three

My Tools Tab (Enables you to share and invite) The “My Tools” tab provides you with everything you need to share and market your personal fundraising page with your friends, family and co-workers. • Personal URL – This is the link to your personal fundraising page. You can copy and paste

this into an email to share, or simply use the sharing buttons located to the left of the link

• Status Widget – This is a small piece of code that you can copy and paste on your personal blog or pages and will display your fundraising totals in real time. The “Status Widget” will show the amount of money you have raised, how much remains to reach your goal, and the number of days remaining in the campaign.

• Donation Form – This is another small piece of code that you can copy and paste on your personal blog or pages and will display your personal fundraising form. The donation form for Love Walk, Love Run, Love Abilities will show right on your website or blog and your supporters can donate right there.

Do you have questions? Please contact Mary Kavanagh, Director of Marketing, at 410.828.7700 x1277 or mkavanagh@abilitiesnetwork.org.