Meg   I dont know how these things develop, but I am sure that a lot of them
start with somebody like you.    What are the lessons you learned at local
level which can be successsfully applied at national level?

Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Meg Duggan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 2:04 PM
Subject: Superwalks


> Hello Everyone,
> Perhaps I should give you a little background on me.  I am Meg Duggan, I
am
> the Executive Director of the Parkinson Association of Greater Kansas City
> which is one of the largest chapters of NPF - however, for about 10 years
we
> have had our own 501c3 and do all of our own programs, services, advocacy
and
> fundraising.  I am in the game because my sister, Cindy, was diagnosed in
her
> late 30's.  I am all about Parkinson's-just ask my husband...
>
> Though I love to do programmatic and advocacy stuff, my job has morphed
into
> lots of special event planning and fundraising, I guess because I am good
at
> it. I also firmly believe that we need money to do nearly every important
job
> ahead of us, and that raising money is an excellent way to raise our
overall
> profile.  I have been on board for 3 years and have quadrupled our
operating
> budget.  I oversee 5 major events per year, without a development office,
but
> with a decent budget and lots of fabulous volunteers. I have plenty of
time
> and energy to devote to another project.
>
> I know that NPF/TPF is interested in developing a signature, national
event.
> I also know that they have a lot on their plates, and that if we bring
them
> something already conceived and formed, we will have their attention.  I
> think it is important to have at least one of the nationals at our backs
so
> we can seek national sponsorships and media coverage.
>
> What I envision is a walk that is national in scope and local in process.
> Perhaps all these walks take place on the day of the Unity Walk - perhaps
we
> call it the National Unity Walk.  Maybe then everyone could get involved;
> APDA, NPF, Parkinson Alliance etc.
>
> I think we need to send out, to every support group and every chapter, a
> basic template for holding a walk/run.  The national entities/sponsors
could
> use their considerable  power to design locally imprintable entry forms,
race
> numbers and T-shirts.  We all decide on a a single name and date
(difficult
> due to varying weather conditions, but really a must).  Each local group
> finds their own sponsors for water, food, race timing, T-shirts - most of
the
> associated hard goods, etc., with the help of our template.  The template
> also covers things like insurance binders, an event timeline, number and
use
> of volunteers, stuff like that. Working in concert with the national
group,
> we all harass our local media for coverage.
>
> If there are, and I think there are, currently 100 different groups each
> having a PD related walk/run, my suggestion is that we simply run under
the
> same name and with the same colors and logos.  I don't even care who gets
the
> proceeds, let APDA chapters support APDA, NPF NPF, locals keep the money
for
> programs and services. Maybe we all just say "Raising money for education,
> services and to find the cure for PD."   I just know that if we all band
> together we can make a MUCH bigger impact on a national scale.  God knows,
we
> need to make some noise!
>
> We have been planning to do this same thing, on a much different scale, in
> our own catchment area next spring.  We plan to supply our 36 support
groups
> with imprintable brochures, T's and a template and hold "our" 5K (Race to
> Planet Cure - don't ask) all across Kansas and Missouri. Our plan is to
let
> each support group keep their proceeds, we will do the sponsorship spade
work
> to ensure that their costs are borne, in the main, by us.  We are talking
> about maybe 500 people in Kansas City, 100 people in Manhattan Kansas, 30
> people in one place, 5 or 10 people in smaller, rural areas. Maybe the
whole
> thing raises $25,000 -- maybe twice that.  Who cares?  The point is to
> develop some cohesion, unity, strength in each other.  The longest
journey,
> you know.
>
> I see this an eminently doable...get a national on board, let them develop
> national sponsors (an airline, Walmart, etc.), get our "how to" template
> written and distributed, pick a date, name, logo..., get our national to
> design and make available and downloadable, printable brochure, race
forms, T
> shirt slicks. Get Hallmark to donate a couple thousand somethings for a
> certain level of pledges, get Walmart to donate a few thousand something
> elses for a different level.  Look at the Memory Walk, they have really
> marginal stuff and no one seems to mind!  I think we could hold our first
> event early in 2004 - and generate some press and excitement in 2003
during
> the planning stages.
>
> Anybody want to try this approach?  Feedback please!  Thanks, Meg
>
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