We held one second week of school. Printing for the donation pledge sheet and then for the reminder schedule sheet were the only costs. The pledge sheet was stapled to a large envelope that was used for collection, Instructions, donation grid: donor name, phone, amount per lap or fixed amount, date of event, due date of money, spot to write in student name and room number. We used large reused envelopes from the school. Advertised event on front reader board, at open house, asked the kids to solicit gparents, neighbors, parent employers, held event during class PE time, used recycled paper for score cards (from the back side of recylced school/office papers, cut in quarters, had kids draw full big tick-tack-tow grid and write their name on it, collected by score cards by class. Each lap got an X in the grid, goal of 1 X each box (9 laps, or 2 x each box could get 18 laps!) kids carried their card as they ran, adult marked it as they came past, family cheering sections were encouraged to come for the 45 mins of PE time.) A 1/2 page flier went home as reminder for date of event, bring water bottle with name on it, wear sneaks & bring sweat shirt, request for volunteers and phone number, and scheduled for when each class would be running. ) Someone ended up bringing a few balloon to tie on to the 'finish line' (10$) and someone brought 400 popscicles (75$) and we had school large water coolers set out full of ice water to fill water bottles.
It was fun, easy to set up and manage, CHEAP to run! Class totals laps were celebrated, it was fun and light, and even teachers and staff participated IN event by walking laps also! (not visitors, not siblings, no pets---liability issues.) Anyhow, it was a quick, fun, easy, healthy, fundraiser that gave our school of 375 students 80%free/reduced lunch an income of about $4k. (Which is 3/4 our whole annual budget!) Success!
