Fundraising Tip # 12 – Fundraise at work!

Bring your fundraising to the workplace. Contact your Human Resources department to see if your company has a matching program to supplement your pledges. You can also encourage team members and other donors to ask their companies as well, because many will not be aware of this option and it can easily double your fundraising total! Besides, even if a company doesn’t have a gift matching program, they may still be willing to support your cause.

Here are some other great ways to fundraise at work:

·         Keep a spare change jar on your desk and encourage your fellow employees to donate. Any little bit helps! And remember to clearly mark that all proceeds will be going towards your participation in an upcoming MS Bike event.

·         Ask your HR department if they would be willing to allow a dress down day for employees who make a donation in the amount of your choice towards your fundraising efforts.  

Have another great tip to share? Leave us a wall post on our Facebook page or a tweet on Twitter! You never know, your tip might even be included in our next blog post!

MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London a great success!

This past weekend cyclists participated in Ontario’s largest Tour, MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London, and raised an amazing $1.237 million in support of those living with MS! At 1,883 participants, the Tour has surpassed the MS Bike Tour - Leduc to Camrose to take the top spot as Canada's largest MS Bike Tour! Cyclists arrived early on Saturday in great spirits and excited to get on the road for this two-day event! We would like to thank all the dedicated participants, enthusiastic supporters, and hard-working volunteers, whom we couldn’t have done it without!

Keep your eyes on gearingup.ca for info about the upcoming MS Bike Tour –Acton to Waterloo on August 18 and 19.

Day 2 of the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London!

TODAY, we are gearing up for day two of the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London. Good luck to all our riders, we can’t wait to see you at the finish line for a BBQ celebration! Thank you to all our participants for your support in the movement to end MS!

Good luck to all our MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London participants today!

TODAY, we are gearing up for the first day of the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London. Thank you to everyone participating!  Please post on our Facebook wall or send us a Tweet @MSBikeTour. We’d love to hear from you today!

Event Day Countdown – only 1 more day left until the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London!

The 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London will be taking place this Saturday, July 28 to Sunday, July 29! We can’t wait to get out there and enjoy Ontario’s largest Tour with all the cyclists and volunteers involved! We would like to wish all our cyclists participating this weekend a safe and fun ride!

Thank you to our participants, supporters and volunteers for your help in creating a future free of MS!

MS Bike Tour Event Day Countdown - 3 more days!

We hope you are getting as excited as we are for the 2012 MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London! If you haven’t already, please check out our 2012 Cyclist Handbook for all the information you need to get ready as well as important event day information.

Thanks for gearing up to end MS!

Event Day Countdown - 4 more days until the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London!

That means only 4 days to gather pledges to hand in on event day. Don’t forget a $250 fundraising minimum is required to ride.

P.S. You can also continue to raise pledges even after the MS Bike Tour is over.

Event Day Countdown - Only 5 more days until Ontario’s largest MS Bike Tour!

This Saturday, July 28 to Sunday, July 29 cyclists will ride a two-day, 150 km route from Grand Bend to London and back in support of MS research as well as services and programs for those living with the disease. If you haven’t already signed up, it’s never too late… REGISTER today! 

Please join us in welcoming team ‘Cycling to end MS’ to Toronto!

Christopher Schrader, Adrian Cortes and Zachary Nevin are currently cycling across Canada to raise funds for the MS Society.  They have come all the way from Vancouver, BC, and will end their route in Dalhousie, NS, for a total of over 6,000km. The team is cycling in honour of Zachary’s uncle, Peter, who has lived with MS for over 15 years. Read more about Cycling to end MS.

The team has a fundraising goal of $100,000. As of now, they’ve raised over $26,000. The cyclists are part of the Youth Endurance Network, an international organization that promotes philanthropy through sport. Here is a link to their route. They are also filming a documentary of their trip.

Thank you to team Cycling to end MS for the incredible journey they have undertaken for the MS Society and for people living with MS.

What’s new and exciting for the 2012 MS Bike Tour - Grand Bend to London?

Are you getting as excited as we are for Ontario’s largest Tour? Here are some exciting things you can expect to see at this year’s MS Bike Tour - Grand Bend to London:

·         This year the residences are: London, Essex, Perth, Medway & Elgin Halls!

·          A reserved start for our 100 Club & Top Fundraising team Butt Ugly!

·         The 100 Club BBQ is back, in addition to the BBQ for all at our Sunday finish line

·         A bigger motorcycle support team on route to support YOU!

·         We will be composting again at our checkpoints. Please do your part and dispose of your waste accordingly!

·         Designated cheering sections along the route!

Don’t forget to check out our pre-event NEWSLETTER for the all the event day information you need.

A volunteer's perspective: Meeting old friends and new ones at the MS Bike Tour

Bill Carr first joined the MS Bike Tour in 2003 as a volunteer at the Niagara Tour. He has since become an integral part of the event, helping out at an incredible 34 MS Bike Tours (and nine MS Walks) in the past decade.

Bill, who lives in London, usually works as part of the logistics team, dropping off and picking up mountains of food, drinks and supplies at the start/finish lines and at each checkpoint. The team arrives long before the first cyclist and doesn’t finish until after the last rider has completed the route.

Although the role demands long and physically intense days, Bill says they are gratifying ones. “I get more out of volunteering than I put in,” he says. “It’s especially rewarding to see the participants have a great time and feel that I’ve played a part in making that happen.”

In addition to volunteering for the MS Bike Tour, Bill is part of the organizing committee that helps plan the events. He also raises pledges and, although he only occasionally has the chance to ride in the Tour, acts as team captain for two participant teams. His enthusiasm for the event is such that eight members of his family have also been inspired to volunteer for the Tour.

For Bill, the social aspect of the Tour is a key part of the volunteer experience. “I look forward to seeing all the volunteers, participants and staff members year after year,” he says. “It’s really special to reunite with old friends and meet new ones.”

To join the MS Bike Tour as a volunteer, please contact Nicole Dube at 1-800-268-7582 ext. 3111 or volunteer@mssociety.ca.

Fundraising Tip #11 – Organize a local carwash!

Summer is the perfect time of year for hosting an outdoor fundraising event. So what better way to take advantage of the sunshine while raising funds in support of your participation in MS Bike than to host a local carwash! Here are some tips to get you started:

·         Contact your local carwash and ask if they will sponsor you or ask a nearby shopping plaza if you can make use of their parking lot space for a day.

 

·         Decide on a price. You can charge anywhere from $5 to $10 per car…it’s up to you, any amount helps!

 

·         Recruit your car washers! Ask your family, friends or your teammates to help out. It’s a great way to get together and spend time outdoors with your team before event day.

 

·         Gather your supplies. You will need the basics like soap, buckets, sponges and towels. Ask your local hardware store if they would be willing to donate some supplies to support your cause or even ask your family, friends or neighbours!

 

·         Spread the word! Post signs around your neighbourhood, create flyers or even create a Facebook event. Tell everyone you know to come on out for a carwash and be sure to mention that all proceeds will be going towards your participation in MS Bike. Also be sure to give a shout out to any sponsors (ie. your local carwash if they are sponsoring you or your local shopping plaza if they allow you to use their parking lot space.)
 

·         Most importantly, remember to put the “fun” in fundraising!

Have another great tip to share? Leave us a wall post on Facebook page or a tweet on Twitter! You never know, your tip might even be included in our next blog post!

Last chance to WIN a trip to NYC or Chicago when you raise $500 online!

If you are participating in the upcoming MS Bike Tour – Acton to Waterloo or MS Bike Tour –Niagara than today is your last chance to qualify to win a trip to NYC or Chicago when you raise $500 or more online.* There is still time to raise funds so don’t miss out on this amazing chance and if you haven’t done so already register now to start your fundraising!

*Fundraise $500 online, between July 9 and 16, 2012, over and above any previously raised funds in order to be eligible for this incentive. This incentive applies to participants of the MS Bike Tour – Acton to Waterloo and MS Bike Tour – Niagara only. Each trip includes round-trip air fare for two and two night’s accommodation. Flights are for direct, non-stop flights wherever possible. Hotel nights are for Friday and Saturday, but there may be flexibility within 1-2 days on either side upon request. Average value per trip equals $1400. Trip supplied by Custom Travel Solutions. Draw will take place on August 20.

Fundraising Tip #10 – Exercise Challenge: Get in shape while earning pledges!

Preparing for MS Bike is the perfect opportunity to promote the health and well-being of you and your entire team. You can even have your efforts pay off in the form of pledges to reach your fundraising goal! Ask potential donors to pledge a certain amount of money for every kilometre (or other increment of your choice) that you cycle in preparation for the Tour. This can be a terrific team-building initiative by creating some healthy competition. All team members can pledge a small amount for each kilometre that the team totals together. Not only will you be adding to your fundraising, you will all gain a great sense of camaraderie by staying fit and pedaling towards your fundraising goal together.  

Does this challenge sound too easy for you? Why not take this a step further by raising funds for kicking bad eating habits as well. Every team member can decide on a guilty pleasure food item that they are willing to give up from now until event day. If anyone gets the craving for his/her food item, he/she can pay a set amount (that can be decided ahead of time) in order to indulge with the chosen treat.

MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County a great success!

This past weekend over 200 participants cycled through picturesque Picton for the inaugural MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County, and raised an amazing $135,000 in support of those living with MS! Cyclists arrived early on Sunday in great spirits and excited to get on the road, and they couldn’t have asked for better weather!  We would like to thank all the dedicated participants, enthusiastic supporters, and hard-working volunteers, whom we couldn’t have done it without!

Keep your eyes on www.gearingup.ca for info about the upcoming MS Bike Tour - Grand Bend to London on July 28 and 29.

Good luck to all our MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County participants today!

TODAY, we are gearing up at the inaugural 2012 MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County. Thank you to everyone participating!  Please post on our Facebook wall or send us a Tweet @MSBikeTours. We’d love to hear from you today!

MS Bike Tour Event Day Countdown - Only 2 more days until the inaugural MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County!

The 2012 MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County will be taking place this Sunday, July 8!  We can’t wait to get out there and enjoy this great event with all the cyclists and volunteers involved! We would like to wish all our cyclists participating this weekend a safe and fun ride!

Thank you to our participants, supporters and volunteers for your help in creating a future free of MS!

MS Bike Tour Event Day Countdown - 3 more days!

We hope you are getting as excited as we are for the 2012 MS Bike Tour - Prince Edward County. If you haven’t already, please check out our 2012 Cyclist Handbook for all the information you need to get ready as well as important event day information.

Thanks for gearing up to end MS!

A&W Cruisin’ for a Cause Day is fast approaching!

On Thursday, August 23, for every Teen Burger sold at any A&W restaurant in Canada, $1 will go to support the mission of the MS Society of Canada. A&W will also generously donate 50 cents for each RSVP received on the Cruisin’ for a Cause Facebook Event (up to $20,000). Be sure to RSVP and come out on August 23!

Visit http://on.fb.me/KYbGOj to RSVP!

MS Bike Tour Event Day Countdown - 4 more days until the MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County!

That means only 4 days to gather pledges to hand in on event Day. Don’t forget a $250 fundraising minimum is required to ride.

P.S. You can also continue to raise pledges even after the MS Bike Tour is over.

Support the MS Bike Tour and become a volunteer today!

Do you know someone who wants to support the MS Society, but cannot ride in the MS Bike Tour? Do you have family or friends who support you when you ride? Do you know someone who needs volunteer hours, but doesn’t quite know how to go about getting them? Do you know someone who wants to make a difference?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you know someone who would make a great volunteer for the MS Society. We are always looking for interested individuals to join our growing volunteer network.

There are so many ways to volunteer, and all are flexible based on your schedule, interests and abilities. Do you like being a first point of contact? Help out with our registration to get cyclists signed in and ready to ride! Do you like being in charge? Assist with parking and logistics, telling everyone where to go, and what to do next. Are you a supporter and encourager? Volunteer at a checkpoint, or at the finish line to congratulate everyone who rides through.

The MS Bike Tour could not operate without the help of volunteers. If you’d like to join this team of dedicated individuals, please contact us for more information or to sign up today.

Thank you for supporting the MS Bike Tour!

Nicole Dube                                                                                      
Coordinator, Volunteer Resources                                          
Acton to Waterloo, Niagara and Toronto                              
1-800-268-7582 ext. 3111                                                             
volunteer@mssociety.ca                                             

MS Bike Tour Event Day Countdown - Only 5 more days until the inaugural MS Bike Tour – Prince Edward County!

This Sunday, July 8 marks the first official MS Bike Tour in beautiful Prince Edward County! Cyclists will ride a 75 km route on this picturesque island in support of MS research as well as services and programs for those living with the disease. If you haven’t already signed up, it’s never too late… REGISTER today!