ABOUT MILES FOR SMILES VIRTUAL WELLNESS CHALLENGE CAMPAIGN
Presenting Sponsor
Ryan’s Case for Smiles Board of Directors
Ryan's Case for Smiles invites you to join our First Annual Miles for Smiles Virtual Wellness Challenge. At a time when so many are isolated and adapting to the challenges of COVID-19, we want to share our mission of building resiliency and hope as we strengthen community, forge new connections, and most importantly, bring SMILES to the thousands of children and families we serve who inspire us with their courage in the face of cancer and other life-changing illnesses.
While so many of us are separated from the ones we love most, our Wellness Challenge is the perfect opportunity to connect with friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors in a fun and easy challenge to practice self-care and promote your personal wellness.
Whether you are a runner, walker, biker, rower, yogi, amateur chef, or master sewer, all are encouraged to join in the fun. The only "rule" is to select activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Continue reading below for more details about how you can participate!
Registration options: $30 Individual Entry (adults 18 and over) $20 Youth Entry (AGES 13-17)* $70 Wellness Champion Fee ALSO Includes:
• Name Listed as Wellness Champion
• $40 Additional Donation to Case for Smiles
Proceeds from registration go to Ryan’s Case for Smiles
*Unique email address is required in order to track miles individually. If your child is younger than 13 or does not have an email address, please track their activity along with parent/caregiver.
Your entry fee includes:
• Ability to create a team with family, friends, or to honor someone who inspires you
• Digital tracking of your miles through Charity Footprints account (can be synced to your Fitbit or Apple Watch or added directly into app or website)
• A social media platform to share your milestones and photos
• Coping strategies to build resilience
• Fun competition and opportunity to win prizes
How do I participate in the Miles for Smiles Virtual Wellness Challenge?
Participation is easy and fun! Whether you find wellness through physical activities like running, walking, biking, or yoga, or through other hobbies and household activities, you have a place in our wellness challenge! Set your own mileage and fundraising goals through your individual account and then get started tracking your miles. Our goal is to collectively run/walk/dance/sew, etc. 20,000 miles and to raise $20,000 to support Case for Smiles. The easy-to-use app will enable you to join teams, update your miles and upload photos to be entered into drawings for prizes.
STEP 1: Register to participate! Your fee goes directly to Ryan’s Case for Smiles to help us fulfill our mission. Thank you for joining us and supporting our cause!
STEP 2: Spread the word to help build awareness! Invite your friends and family to participate or donate to show support. They can also join an existing team or form their own team and recruit donors.
STEP 3: Track your wellness activity of choice anywhere you are - download the Charity Footprints App (also syncs your Fitbit and Apple Watch!) or enter on your website account.
• If you are doing an activity that is easily tracked in miles – for example, walking, running, biking, elliptical machine, etc., simply enter the miles completed in the app or website, or sync with your personal fitness device.
• For other wellness activities that cannot be measured in miles, please refer to the mileage conversion chart below. Don’t see your favorite activity? Simply use the activities listed as a guide (we trust you to use your discretion!)
• Please have fun and get creative! And don’t forget to post your different activities on the Charity Footprints scrapbook and on social media, Instagram: @caseforsmiles, Twitter: @CaseForSmiles, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaseforSmiles/
How do the different registration levels work?
Each participant who would like to set up an account in Charity Footprints to track their miles will need to register for the event. We have three set registration levels, detailed below. Registration fees go directly to Ryan’s Case for Smiles and support our mission of helping families build resilience and cope with the challenges of life-changing illnesses.
Once you have signed up at any level, you can also make additional donations directly or by fundraising for your challenge.
$30 Individual Registration: This is for adults 18 and over and allows you to set up your individual account for tracking your miles. You will be able to create and name a team upon registration and can add additional family members or friends by registering them as additional individual registrants.
$20 Youth Registration: This is suggested for children 13 to 17 years old who would like to set up an individual account to track their miles. Please note a unique email address is required to set up an account with Charity Footprints. If your child who is 13-17 does not have an email account (or you are unable to cover the cost of a youth registration), simply track their miles along with your own. Children under 13 can participate for free - please include their miles in with a parent/caregiver.
$70 Wellness Champion Registration: This includes a regular adult registration ($30 value) along with a $40 additional contribution to Ryan’s Case for Smiles. All Wellness Champions will be recognized on our website (please contact us if you do not wish to be recognized).
How do I sign up for a team?
Sign up for a team - it’s easy! Anyone can add a team name. Or you can join other teams around the community (team names are added to a pull-down menu as they are formed). When registering, you can also easily invite friends and family to join - and become part of a team.
In the spirit of our wellness challenge, we encourage participants to form teams in honor of someone whose resilience has inspired them. A few things to keep in mind:
• Each person can only join 1 team
• Your ability to track miles individually will not be impacted by joining a team
• For volunteers from our Case for Smiles chapters, we encourage you to join your chapter team. We have already populated each chapter name in the team pull-down menu
Can I register my whole family at the same time?
Yes. If you would like to create a family “Team” you will register yourself and create the team. You can then add on each family member as an additional adult or youth registration. You can also have family members sign themselves up and join your team when they register. If you do not wish to create a team, you can simply register each member of your family as individuals. Again, please note the following regarding youth sign-ups:
• All registrants who wish to track their miles individually will need a unique email address for setting up their account.
• For youth 13 and older who do not have a separate email address, we recommend simply adding their miles into a parent or caregiver account. If you do not create a separate registration and wish to cover the $20 registration cost, you may do so through an additional donation.
• There is no registration fee for youth under 13, but we again encourage you have the whole family participate by tracking their miles in with a parent or caregiver.
I want to be a sponsor. How can I sign up?
We welcome sponsorships from individuals, families, and corporate partners, and can also establish a sponsorship in honor of someone whose resilience inspires you. We know this is a challenging time so have created affordable options at: $100 (Community Sponsor includes 1 registration), $250 (Hope Sponsor includes 2 registrations), and $500 (Resiliency Sponsor includes 4 registrations). Sponsorships include the following benefits:
• Recognition on event website, on our organization’s website and via social media posts
• Opportunity to sponsor one of our weekly “coping strategy” messages
We are also happy to discuss a more customized option. Please contact Cindy Berlacher at cberlacher@caseforsmiles.org for more information or to sign on as a sponsor today.
How do I share my excitement about Miles for Smiles Virtual Wellness Challenge?
Sharing photos on social media - #TBD - and submitting photos to our campaign scrapbook page in Charity Footprints will make this tons of fun for everyone and help you recruit friends and family to participate! Those who post images to the scrapbook will be entered into drawings for prizes.
What kind of awards will there be for Miles for Smiles Virtual Wellness Challenge?
We have developed some fun award categories. Awards will be based on either miles accumulated OR the photos/hashtags you submit to our campaign scrapbook page.
Track workouts anywhere & anytime and complete goal.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
RYAN'S CASE FOR SMILES
Ryan's Case For Smiles (CFS) enables children with cancer and other life-changing illnesses, as well as their families, to cope with their illness today, while building resilience to thrive in the future. In short, to feel better to heal better.
Sadly the stream of sick children never ends, while the costs of fabric and materials have tripled over the past few years. Like so many across the country, volunteers have struggled with job losses and economic hardship as a result of COVID-19, making it more difficult for them to continue to donate pillowcases. The average cost of a pillowcase is $11.00. Individual donations and grants from organizations have helped defray some of the costs but we have found we cannot continue to meet the needs of the children without additional funding. The money raised from this virtual wellness challenge will go towards every aspect of the magic of Ryan's Case for Smiles, contributing to our initiatives with CopingSpace, as well as fabric for our pillowcases. If you would like to make a contribution, please help us out by participating, or donating on behalf of a registrant you know!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Charity Footprints?
Charity Footprints is a social enterprise that connects fitness and charitable giving. We empower people just like you, to get fit & give back.
Our Virtual Races allow non-profits to challenge their patrons to run, walk or ride and raise funds just as they would in a fundraising walkathon. The best part - charities save over 45% in event and logistical costs. So, the dollars that you pay to register or fundraise, go farther.
What is the campaign registration fee?
Campaign registration fee is the amount that you'll need to pay to enroll in this virtual race. This fee (less transaction charges) will go to the non-profit running this campaign as a donation.
The registration fee along with the funds raised through your individual fundraising page will enable the non-profit to fund various programs and pursue their organization's mission.
How can I create my fundraising page?
Well, you wouldn't have to create a separate fundraising page. Once you register for this campaign, we'll give you the link to your fundraising page.
If you workout indoors (treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike etc.), you can upload your workouts here.
How do I join a team on this campaign?
While registering for the campaign, select the team you'd like to join or create a new team and invite others to #GetFitGiveBack with you. If you want to join a team (or create your team) after registration, login to the campaign site and you would find a link to edit "My Team" in the menu under your profile in the header.
I am an international donor (non-US), what are my donation charges and tax-deductibility?
All donations are made in US dollars, so the donations may be levied an exchange rate fee via your bank. Donors will want to connect with their bank to determine exactly what that fee may be. Additionally, international donors will need to reach out to a tax professional to discuss if and how tax deductibility will apply to their donation.
Who can sponsor my fundraising efforts?
The short answer is - everyone. The fundraising research shows that the number one reason for people not donating is that they weren't asked to.
That said, there are things you can do to attract people to sponsor you. Adding a picture to your fundraising page, telling potential donors why this cause is so personal to you, sharing your fundraising page on social media, email, and chat groups.
Last, if your employer has a gift matching program, check with the human resources department to support your favorite cause as well.
Who can I contact if I need help?
You can contact us any time if you need help. We love hearing from our users so please don't hesitate to write to us about issues, suggestions, or to just say hi. You can also contact the non-profit administrator directly if you would like.
How do I change or switch my team?
If you want to join a team (or create your team) after registration, login to the campaign site and you would find a link to edit "My Team" in the menu under your profile in the header.
CAMPAIGN CHAT
Please register for the campaign to see the chat activity. If you're already registered, login here.