Weight Loss For Charity is an idea I came up with to give myself some extra incentive to lose weight. I have to do it anyway so why not do something good for someone else at that same time? To that end I've set the goal of raising $10,000 or more for The Bartlett House homeless shelter in Morgantown, WV
How does it work?
To raise $10,000 for the Bartlett House, I've set the following goals:
- Lose 40 pounds myself between February 5th, 2011 and June 4th, 2011
- Donate $1.00 to the Bartlett House for every pound I lose
- Between February 5th, 2011 and June 4th, 2011, get at least 500 individuals and/or corporations to pledge to donate at least $.25 per pound I lose
- Invite anyone else who wants to join me to do so and pledge to donate at least $.25 per pound they lose, and invite them, if they want to, to get others to pledge a minimum of $.25 per pound they lose.
By accomplishing those goals, I (or should I say we) can accomplish the goal of raising at least $10,000 if not more.
Who can join the cause?
Individuals
Individuals can join the cause in several ways:
- If you need to lose weight and need some incentive, join me in donating $.25 - $1.00 for every pound you lose during the timeframe described above.
- If you join me you can also get sponsors of your own to match your donation.
- If you don't need to or don't want to lose weight but would like to donate to a great cause, pledge to me, or any other weight loser, a minimum donation of $.25 per pound lost.
Individuals who join me as participants in losing weight will have their initials placed on the losing pounds page. No names will be used.
For Individuals who pledge, their initials will be placed on the individual pledges page with the initials of those to whom they are pledging and the amount pledged. No names will be used.
Corporations
Corporations can join by pledging a minimum of $2.00 per pound lost by the individual who signs them up. If they want to do more that would be great too. Corporate Logos and amount pledged will be added to the Corporate Sponsors page along with a link to their websites. This will in turn benefit the Corporate Sponsors as it will be a means of free advertising.
How to join the cause
If you are interested in either joining me in losing weight or just pledging, please contact me at wl4charity@gmail.com or 304-919-0910 and I will add your name and contact information to a spreadsheet.
Official Weigh-ins
For those who join me as participants in losing weight, there will be two official weigh-ins—one on February 5, 2010 and one on June 4, 2010. That does not preclude individuals from joining later. Those are just the official weigh in dates. People can join me in losing weight up until April 30th. People who just want to pledge can do so up until June 4, 2010.
Weigh-ins will start at 10:00 am.
All participants will need to go to an official weigh-in location to be weighed on February 5th and June 4th. They will fill in a chart with their name, date, and weight. They will initial the chart and the weigh-in official will sign the chart. The participant will then need to email me their official starting weight for tracking purposes. They will need to do the same for the final weigh-in. For the months in between, participants will need to send me an email with an unofficial weight loss amount.
There will be three official weigh-in sites—one at the YMCA at 119 Tolley Drive in Bridgeport, one at the Nautilus Connection at 1900 Locust Ave. in Fairmont, and Fit For Her at Ste C10, 5000 Green Bag Road in Morgantown.
How will the Fundraiser be advertised?
The Fundraiser will be advertised in several ways:
- The Bartlett House has a Facebook page and a monthly newsletter that reaches 2400 subscribers. A section will be added about the Fundraiser and sent out each month.
- I’ve created the blog http://wl4charity.blogspot.com.
- A Facebook and a Twitter Page will be created.
- Local Newspapers, Radio, and Television stations will be contacted.
How will people track what is going on with the fundraiser?
All information related to the fundraiser will be tracked at http://wl4charity.blogspot.com.
How will pledges be collected?
All pledge money will be collected between June 6, 2011 and June 24, 2010. All pledges will be sent directly to The Bartlett House either via PayPal or by check via regular mail. (Finalized information forthcoming).
When will the final amount raised be announced?
Announcement of the final amount raised will be made at a celebration on June 25, 2011 in downtown Morgantown.
