Here is a link to Parkinson Society Canada which has a Superwalk each year. http://www.parkinson.ca/home.html Date sent: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 08:31:30 -0500 From: Joan Snyder <[log in to unmask]> Subject: re; organizing a walk To: [log in to unmask] Send reply to: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network <[log in to unmask]> > dear carol: while this is an admirable endeavor, please know what > you're getting into. over the past six or seven years, i have had an > art show, a pd day in the park, a golf outing and family fun day, and > 3 walks along w/ a number of other fund raisers and awareness raisers. > i would say that the first thing you should do is to form your > committee because even the toughest parkie cannot do it all alone. the > first order of business for your committee is to decide who gets the > money you raise. there are plenty of worthy foundations and > organizations out there: PDF (parkinsons disease foundation), NPF > (national parkinsons foundation). Parkinson Alliance, APDA (American > pd association)-and these are just a few. then you must decide if you > want one of these organizations to sponsor your efforts because to > collect monies from people, you need to either BE a tax-exempt entity > or WORK UNDER the umbrella of one. this will allow you to collect > money, offer donors tax exemption for contributing to your event and > to either get insurance as a tax exempt group or use your sponsors > insurance. this is a vital point-insurance in case someone is hurt > (devastating but not unheard of) during or because of your event. The > next thing that you must do is decide on a date for your event. you > don't want it to interfere with any local and/or national [d > event-this is because as the pd community becomes more and more > connected, you can usually expect several or in my case, up to 50 or > more pwp participants. when you have come to a decision about the > date, then it is time to check with local government. you need to find > out who you can apply to get a license for your event and then clear > it maybe with the park board, the police department, and any other > entity that you feel might have an interest in your event. I CANNOT > STRESS ENOUGH-get the right permits and always err on the side of > caution. if you are serving food or booze during your event, find out > about the laws governing that activity. if you are providing outdoor > music, understand what is involved with that. if you are hosting an > auction or a raffle in co-ordination with your event, find out what > needs to be done. next map out the route your walk will take-this is > where the police are especially helpful. ask for their help and > guidance as to hours when traffic is light and days w/o much > pedestrian traffic. as to the details and the event particulars-you're > bound only by your imagination. i have earned as much as $35,000 at > one event-so it can be a profitable experience. just watch out because > once you get the bug, it becomes addicting. best of luck in your > endeavors and let me know, please, how it turns out. i hope that these > basic thoughts will help you, i'm sure that you will run into plenty > of things that i forgot in this brief narrative but remember-HAVE FUN! > that's what it's all about. best, joan > > Joan Blessington Snyder 54/14 > [log in to unmask] > http://www.pwnkle.com/jes/jes_web/index.htm > “Hang tough……..no way through it but to do it.” > Chris in the Morning Northern Exposure > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: > signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn