Register on February 28 for a chance to WIN!

On February 28, register for the 2013 Mandarin MS Walk and you will be entered for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate for Mr. Lube or a $200 gift certificate to a spa of your choice.

Already registered? Spread the word by inviting you family and friends to register and join you!

Raise $125+ and receive a participant t-shirt!

Want to walk in style while letting the whole world know who you’re walking for? Raise $125 or more and you’ll receive an official Mandarin MS Walk participant shirt! The shirt includes a space to write in the name of the person you’re lacing up for. Markers will be available on event day.

Fundraising Tip: Release your inner artist!

Creating your own art is a great way to personalize your fundraising efforts. Whether you like painting, drawing, crafting or writing, there are plenty of ways you can use your creative talents to fundraise for MS Walk.

•    Auction off your artwork to friends and family members. Display you work at a social gathering and offer each work to the person who “bids” the highest donation.

•    Write a short story or poetry collection. Are you secretly an aspiring novelist? Flex your literary muscles by writing a short story or collection of poems and offering it in exchange for donations. You can print your work and give them a copy, or save it as a PDF and email it to donors as an eBook.

•    Have a craft sale. Craft sales are fundraising classics for a reason! Spend an afternoon making crafts with your friends and then sell them at work or at school.

•    Hold a gallery show for your child’s class. This one is great for parents with young children. Talk to your child’s art teacher and arrange a night to display student’s art in the school. Parents are invited to come, peruse the class’s work and “purchase” their child’s art with a small donation.

How have you used art as a part of your fundraising efforts? Share your tips and ideas on our Facebook and twitter accounts!

Footnotes is now online!

Learn everything you need to know about the 2013 MS Walk in Footnotes. Find out about fundraising rewards; read a profile of top fundraiser Sandra Corbett, Team Captain for The Merry Striders; see who took the top fundraising spots in 2012; and more. Read the newsletter.

Pledge Sheets are now available on your Participant Centre

Pledge sheets are now available online! Login to your Participant Centre and click on the “download your pledge sheet” button on the main page. Use your sheet to record all your in-person cash donations. Print out more pledge sheets as you need them. Best of luck with your fundraising!

Join us at the 2013 Newmarket MS Walk Kick-Off!

Before you lace up for someone you love at the MS Walk this spring, lace up your skates at the Newmarket MS Walk kick-off event! Join us for free skating, food, refreshments and kids’ activities! Find out everything you need to know about the 2013 MS Walk and meet others in your community committed to ending MS!

When: Monday, February 18 from 4-5pm

Where: Magna Centre – Bobbie Forhan Ice Rink

Everyone is welcome! Please share this invitation with your friends, family, co-workers and team members. We hope to see you there!

Visit mswalks.ca or contact MS Walk Coordinator Scott McMillan at scott.mcmillan@mssociety.ca or 416-922-6600 ext.3228 for more information

Simple and easy fundraising ideas

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best! Here are some quick and easy ways you can raise money for your MS Walk fundraising.

•    How many candies in the jar? Set up a jar full of candy at your school or workplace. For a small donation, people can make a guess at how many candies are in the jar. The closest guess wins the jar!

•    Set up a Loonie Bin. Set up a bin with a sign requesting loonies as a donation to MS Walk. Place the bin in a high traffic area in your school, workplace or place of worship.

•    Start a countdown on Facebook or Twitter. Start counting down to MS Walk by letting people know how much you’ve raised, what your goals are and what their donation would mean to you!

•    Collect bottles or cans. Collect empties from your family, friends and coworkers and return them where accepted. You’d be surprised how much you can raise this way!

•    Write a handwritten letter to potential donors. Write a letter explaining what MS Walk is and why it’s important to you. End the letter with a request for donations. Mail the letter or deliver it by hand. Putting things in writing demonstrates your commitment and gives your request a personal touch.

There you go! Simple ideas to give your MS Walk fundraising a boost. If you have a simple fundraising idea or tip you’d like to share, head to our Facebook or Twitter pages!

Share the love for a chance to win!

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and there’s no better time to share your love for your MS Walk Team Captain! Write a story telling us why you think your Team Captain is the best. The most love-filled story will win an Edible Arrangement, to be sent to your Team Captain on Valentine’s Day!

Submit your story in 200 words or less by February 11 to Sarah Mann at sarah.mann@mssociety.ca for your chance to win.

NOTE: Team Captain must be registered for the 2013 MS Walk in order to be eligible to receive the prize.

Fundraising Tips for the Workplace

Have you already asked your friends and family for donations and aren’t sure who to ask next? With permission from your company, work can be a great place to fundraise for MS Walk. There are a lot of great activities you can use to raise awareness about your fundraising and get your coworkers enthusiastic about donating!

•    Collaborate on a bake sale. Ask your coworkers to bring in baked goods on a prearranged day and then sell them during your lunch break.

•    Have a movie week. Rent five short films and show them in a meeting room during lunch. Serve popcorn and snacks. Your coworkers can attend in exchange for a donation.

•    Declare a packed lunch day. Everyone brings a lunch from home and donates what they would have spent on a store-bought lunch.

•    Hold a contest. There are a lot of options for office contests: a bad hairdo contest, a talent contest, a trivia or guessing game. Ask local businesses if they’ll provide a prize for the winner and charge a fee to enter.

Don’t be afraid to come up with your own ideas for fundraising events you think your coworkers would enjoy. A little bit of creativity can go a long way to increase your pledges! Remember to share your ideas with your fellow fundraisers on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Valentine’s Day Fundraising Tips

 

Valentine’s Day is only a couple weeks away! The most romantic day of the year is a great time to raise money for MS Walk, so here are some fundraising ideas to help you as you lace up for someone you love!

•    In exchange for pledges, host a Valentine’s Day dinner for the couples you know. Light candles, serve red wine and select a soundtrack of romantic music. Offer chocolates for dessert. Since most couples will have Valentine’s Day plans, consider holding your dinner a few nights before the 14th.

•    Sell homemade Valentine’s. If you enjoy crafts, get together with some friends and put together some Valentine’s cards to sell at school or work. Offer to add a personalized message for buyers. Consider adding a note on the back informing the recipient that this Valentine was paid for with a donation to MS Walk.

•    Run a Valentine’s Day messaging service at your school or workplace. Buy some small valentines cards at a local store. In exchange for a donation, people receive a Valentine that you’ll deliver to whoever they wish.

•    Hold a Valentine’s Day bake sale. A Valentine’s twist on a fundraising classic! Make heart-shaped cookies and cupcakes with pink and white icing. Customers who buy more than one item get a free chocolate!

If you’ve got Valentine’s fundraising ideas of your own, share them with your fellow walkers on Facebook and twitter! Then go out there and win some hearts for MS Walk!