MS Bike Team Captain Profile – Ron Hay

MS Bike – Grand Bend to London holds a special place in Ron’s heart. “My best friend’s wife has MS and I spent summers growing up in Grand Bend,” says Ron, who also participates in the Niagara tour. “I ride not only for her, but for others who live with MS.”

Ron’s team, Steve’s Cycle Paths, started out with a group of co-workers.  The team participates in many charitable rides and first joined the MS Bike in 2011.  Since then, the team has grown to include close to thirty members made up of friends and family; raising over $15,000 to-date for people living with MS. 

For Ron, raising funds for the MS Bike is important in improving the quality of life for people with the disease. “I’ve watched my friend go from being a very physically active person, to someone who suffers daily with pain and mobility. I want her to be able to move again.” says Ron. “I want to end MS.” 

As Team Captain, Ron helps his team prepare for the MS Bike by holding weekly team rides. “After a long winter, no one has really been on their bike, so we have our team rides on Friday afternoons,” he says.  In the weeks leading up to the MS Bike, the team holds barbecues and other get-togethers as they gear up to end MS. “The MS Bike is something that we all look forward to as a team. It’s really a lot of fun.”

With MS Bike fast approaching, Ron hopes to increase his team’s fundraising. “The MS Bike not only raises money for people living with the disease, but it’s also a way for us to raise awareness. It’s an opportunity for us to do something for those who are close to us.”

Fundraising Tip – Motivating your team

Working with a team is a great way to get the most of your MS Bike experience. Here are some tips on keeping your team motivated and enthusiastic about fundraising.

•    Keep your team informed. Use newsletters and/or emails to keep team members motivated and inspire them to keep fundraising.

•    Communicate openly with your team. Meet with your team, in person or by phone, periodically to discuss your team’s fundraising progress and plans for the future.

•    Create team business cards. Include each member’s name, the team name, the event, contact information and your mission. These cards are great tools for fundraising and recruitment.

•    Get creative with your team outfits. Plan to wear matching costumes, hats or colours while biking and during fundraising events to stand out from the crowd.

•    Organize friendly contests between your team members.  Compete to see who can raise the most in set amount of time or at a specific event.

How is your team’s fundraising going? Do you have any tips? Let us know on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Fundraising Tip – Recruiting a team

Forming your own MS Bike team is a great way to increase your fundraising and have a lot of fun! The first step to forming a team is finding some recruits. Here are some tips to help you get the word out and grow your team!

•    Ask anyone and everyone. Ask your friends, family, neighbours and co-workers to join the team. Even if they say no, odds are they’ll support your team with a donation.

•    Ask each person who joins your team to recruit 4 additional members. If you start with only 4 team members, and they each recruit 4 more team members, and those people each recruit 4 new team members— you’ll have 64 team members!

•    Identify a co-captain who can assist you with recruitment efforts. As your team grows larger, consider appointing a committee in charge of recruitment.

•    Advertise you team on social media. It’s a fast way to spread the word and let people know you’re looking for members.

•    Create a recruitment pitch. Be ready to tell people why ending MS is important to you and how their help will raise even more money to help Canadians living with MS.

Now you know how to recruit team members, head over to msbike.ca to register your team! If you’ve already registered for the MS Bike and would like to join or create a team, please login to the Participant Centre and select the black "Join or create a team button" to complete a request form.
Let us know about your team on our Facebook and twitter pages and let us know what recruitment methods you’ve used!

Fundraising Tip - Start Your Own Team

If you’re a seasoned MS Bike participant, or even a new one, why not try starting your own team? It’s easy to get started. Just gather four or more friends, family members or co-workers and start fundraising. Working with a team means you’ll have more support and encouragement. Click here to register your team today!

Here are a few tips for a creating a successful team:

• Build a network. Ask your friends, family, neighbours and co-workers to join the team
• Come up with a team name. Wear team hats or shirts with the team name on them for your fundraising events.
• Keep your team informed. Pass on newsletters and emails to keep your members motivated and inspire them to recruit others.
• Create a fun atmosphere for your team before and after the event! Encourage everyone to come up with fundraising ideas and work together to make them a reality.
• Hold fundraisers as a team. It’s a lot easier to organize a fundraising event or activity when you have help! Cooperate with your fellow team members to think up fundraisers you can all contribute to.

Not yet registered? Click here to register for your local MS Bike.

Let us know on the MS Bike Facebook page or the MS Bike twitter page if you try this tip!