Buchanan Middle School and Wray Recreation Department in Wray,Colorado hosted a dodgeball tournament in December for anyone above the age of 12. The entry fee for each seven-player team was $70 per team, which also included lunch to all of the participants. The goal for their fundraiser was to raise enough funds to pay for new outdoor fitness equipment for the Buchanan Middle School.
The event started at 10 a.m. and there was a great turnout. Players and spectators from the Wray School District chipped in to make the event a huge success. It really brought the whole community together for a great cause.
Thanks to the collective work of this fundraiser and others, Buchanan Middle School exceeded their goal. The finished playground includes three fitness stations and a climbing rock. A walking track will be completed soon. A rubberized surface was installed under each of the exercise and fitness areas, and the Buchanan Middle School children are having a ball getting acquainted with their new playground. From all early indications, the exercise and fitness area has been deemed to be cool and play is once again in vogue.
Why choose a sports themed fundraiser?
To give the fundraiser a boost it’s a good idea to organize an event that you can invite all your family and friends to, and get in lots of sponsorship money at the same time! A Sport fundraiser equals all of the above and any organization involved with youths, like churches, elementary or middle schools can do them.
Sports are an entertaining event that appeals to the athletes, parents and to the community. A youth dodgeball game just screams Come out and have a great time! At these events, parents can not only sit back and watch their children but they can also talk to fellow parents or teachers.
Tips for getting the word out:
Starting in your own community is a great idea. You will be amazed at the amount of support and encouragements you receive when friends, family and colleagues hear about the amazing challenge you are setting for yourself to help their children.
Help get the word out by involving the kids. They are not only who the fundraiser is for but they will be your best asset for getting the news out. Have flyers printed up about the fundraiser so they can take them home or pass them out to their friends, post signs and posters on school bulleting boards or around the community.
Even some high traffic shops like Starbucks, will allow you to post your fundraiser information on their bulletin boards. So just ask around. The more publicity you can get for your event, the more teams you will have signing up and the more volunteers you will attract. Dividing up the work helps things go smoothly and is less stressful.
Location, location we need a location!
Finding a location to have your sports tournament is the first step towards success. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a large facility at your disposal, like a recreation center, you will need a place for all the people you sign up to play. A great resource can be your local parks and recreation department. Often times, there will be a person at the agency responsible for organizing youth sports and they will be an immense resource for you.
You also need to decide on which facility would be best suited to host your event.
Indoor facilities are great for many reasons: no cancellations due to rain, no debris like rocks or thorns to get hurt on and they provide better facilities for parents.
Outdoor facilities are better for large events for the mere fact that more courts can be set up and more people can play at once outdoors. But remember, more courts means more officials (you might have to hire), more balls and equipment to purchase, more marking of the fields and more work overall for you!
Keep it simple and fun!
To add to the fun, include some incentives for the kids and parents involved. Talk with local sports stores to see if they will donate 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies to your tournament. Consider offering other prizes for all participants (whether they win or not).
To help keep it simple for you take care of the costs at registration. Teams can pay an entry fee and then won’t have to worry about any other costs. This will also help with any upfront cost for you; if you need a security deposit for the recreation center, for uniforms, etc. Entry fees can also cover lunch for all participants so it can be a whole day event filled with fun!
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