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Smooth03
01-26-2005, 12:02
Greetings all! I will be backpacking the Colorado Trail this summer and in doing so I am hoping to raise funds for a local environmental center. As of now I am considering doing at as a "walk-a-thon" where for every mile I walk people can donate a certain amount of money.

Any other suggestions? Anything thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks All!
Smooth
SOBO 2003

Footslogger
01-26-2005, 12:05
Ya need to talk to some hikers who did the whole fundraiser thing.

I suggest a web search on a hiker named "Find Me". She hiked in 2003 and collected funds for a medical cause.

'Slogger
AT 2003

TankHiker
01-26-2005, 12:29
Hey Smooth-

I must have passed you somewhere along the way in '03.

I am in the final stages of doing the same thing (although for a bike trip). An easy way to track your money (and find a good charity to give it to) would be through Networkforgood.org. Through their website, you can collect money for charity in your name. However, they take 3% of all donations for their own operating costs.

A more involved way would be to contact your charity directly. They can probably work with you directly to set up some sort of fund.

Feel free to email me directly if you want to talk more about it (or about Colorado): [email protected]. Good luck with your hike.

-TANK

Smooth03
01-26-2005, 16:19
Thanks Tank. I'm sure we did pass each other at some point although I can't honestly say I remember you. It seemed like there were about 5,000 NOBOs out there. Ha!
I was probably one of the first 15 or so you would have passed if that helps you remember.

Nice website you have there. I dream of crossing the country by bike at some stage. Maybe save up a little bit of money first. The charity is one that I used to work for and was on the board. After preliminary talks they seem interested but I'm interested to hear ways people attracted donors. One SOBO, Little Moose, wrote postcards to those who donated over a certain level.

Did Pocketbook donate to you use of their email-gadget?
Good luck going cross country. I'll try to follow online!

TankHiker
01-26-2005, 17:41
It's funny, I only remember the name of one SOBO I met, and that's Little Moose. He was with a group of about 4 SOBOs when I met him in Kent. So if you hiked with him, that would answer where we crossed paths.

You might want to talk to Moo & 42 (NOBO '03). They did a similar "per mile" hike, and raised quite a bit of money. It seemed like a lot of work, as they had to get pledges before they hiked, then follow up with them after their hike. But they made a lot of money. You can probably get their contact info from trailjournals. I'm sure they'd be happy to give you some advice.

And yes, Pocketmail gave me a nice sponsorship. I already had their device from my thru-hike, but they donated a year's worth of service, plus a water-proof carrying case. Pretty sweet.

Take care, and good luck on your CO trail hike. I've done a few small sections, and it is beautiful.

-TANK

Freighttrain
01-26-2005, 18:16
in 2000 and 2001 I raised money for the (ADA)American Diabetes Assoc in my wife's memory.... i didnt sollicit donations....i did meet a few grand people that made a donation during my hike, anyway, most money was raised by my folks selling cool custom made "Freighttrain for Diabetes" pins while I hiked. the pin had a steam engine with my name written in the smoke comming out the stack.

"wingie" would not allow the journal to be about raising money for anything that didnt go into his pocket, so I pretty much had to be quiet about it in my journal on his site.....

i didnt know this at the time but if ya do something to raise money, you can get a grant to pay for most of your expenses like lodging, food , travel expences, fuel, gear, etc. make sure you keep all reciepts. I would not recommend ,say, turning in 5 grand in bills and only raising a 100 bucks.
-i think ya turn in a statement after trip and ya get reimbursed, tho im not sure.

all in all we raised something like 2500.00 fAR LESS than I invisioned

FreightTrain

Smooth03
01-26-2005, 22:35
Is wingie wingfoot?

Where did you turn in all your receipts? I'm sure if nothing else it could be a tax right off.

I like the Pin idea. I had thought about doing a t-shirt of sorts but a pin might work as well or in tandem.

"It's funny, I only remember the name of one SOBO I met, and that's Little Moose. He was with a group of about 4 SOBOs when I met him in Kent. So if you hiked with him, that would answer where we crossed paths." At that point I was about 2 days in front of him. I didn't see him after that because he took 10 days off to be with his fiancee, but we still keep in touch a little bit. SOBO community is much smaller of course.

Thanks for all the input!

Tha Wookie
01-27-2005, 00:09
I've been doing a fundraiser for a family in Atlanta with 15 adopted special needs children for my last three big hikes. I will warm you ahead of time that raising funds is a lot of work. If it's not you doing it, then other people (like family) will have to do it for you. So make sure if anyone who is going to help is REALLY into it.

I was lucky to have some good help, but with me hiking every year now it's become a bit much to ask. Like Freighttrain said, the end result is often not what you might dream of originally. Over the past three years we've raised $20,000 but it's been a ton a lot of effort.

My point is to recognize that like a long hike, you need to be sure that you can commit to doing a fundraiser. Part of that, I believe, is consistently not soliciting people on the trail or in towns. That part should be done at home or with media and a good website or other creative ideas. Of course, if someone brings it up on the trail, then by all means be honest.

But I figure why not help somebody out. Even if a single dollar is raised it's one more than yesterday. Best of luck to you!

Mountain Dew
01-27-2005, 00:30
GOOD GRIEF !!!

I took 7 months to thru-hike in 2003 and am still hearing new names of people that thru'd that year. Craziness. Smooth03 ? :-? Are you female and possible wore a round hat ? Tankhiker ? :-? Possible at a hostel somewhere, but not sure.

My favorite SoBo was Blue Grasshopper. I think he was a NOBO at heart though.

Wookie, The family you help with your donated money has 15 adopted special needs children ?

Tha Wookie
01-27-2005, 00:51
GOOD GRIEF !!!

I took 7 months to thru-hike in 2003 and am still hearing new names of people that thru'd that year. Craziness. Smooth03 ? :-? Are you female and possible wore a round hat ? Tankhiker ? :-? Possible at a hostel somewhere, but not sure.

My favorite SoBo was Blue Grasshopper. I think he was a NOBO at heart though.

Wookie, The family you help with your donated money has 15 adopted special needs children ?
Yeah. Some of them are fostered and guardianshiped. They've put over 50 kids through their house.

You can see some pictures of them on my website linked below.

Good kids, very loving parents. They are an official non-profit, and we're still taking donations.

By the way, I wanted to add to the original poster that you should make sure you never touch the money, jusr channel it straight to the orginazation. The tricky part is having someone to track your progress. Good luck!

Mountain Dew
01-27-2005, 01:10
Wookie, I'm about to do some things to my website and will have to add your link no doubt. I have FEW links b/c tons of links waters down a links page, but your cause is a great one. Yes, i have looked at your site several times before.

Smooth03
01-27-2005, 10:41
[QUOTE=Mountain Dew]GOOD GRIEF !!!

I took 7 months to thru-hike in 2003 and am still hearing new names of people that thru'd that year. Craziness. Smooth03 ? :-? Are you female and possible wore a round hat ? Tankhiker ? :-? Possible at a hostel somewhere, but not sure.

My favorite SoBo was Blue Grasshopper. I think he was a NOBO at heart though.

QUOTE]
Oh dear lord not a SOBO vs NOBO argument. Ha!

But seriously, no I was(am?) a 23 year old tall skinny man. Perhaps I had a bright orange "don't shoot me" hat on if you were south of Pawling, NY after August 7th. I hiked with Waldo for a while as well but mainly south of PA and at that point we had passed all the NOBOs.

Thanks for the input Wookie. I hadn't planned on seeking out donations while on the trail short of people inquiring. It is a local nature center in Indiana and people in Colorado have their own environmental needs.

My thoughts were to attempt to have a portable email device donated(or borrow it) and create a website where I could put daily updates up. The "technology" would perhaps take away from the experience but last time I checked Native Americans didn't wear Gore-Tex or carry Denatured Alchohol. Ha!

TankHiker
01-27-2005, 11:32
Yeah, Mountain Dew. I recognize your name. I know we met somewhere, but I can't place it either (probably a hostel somewhere).

It is amazing how many people I don't know who thru hiked the same year as me.

-TANK

Tha Wookie
01-27-2005, 11:40
Wookie, I'm about to do some things to my website and will have to add your link no doubt. I have FEW links b/c tons of links waters down a links page, but your cause is a great one. Yes, i have looked at your site several times before.
Thanks, Dewd

Smooth03
01-27-2005, 11:51
Yeah, Mountain Dew. I recognize your name. I know we met somewhere, but I can't place it either (probably a hostel somewhere).

It is amazing how many people I don't know who thru hiked the same year as me.

-TANK

As a SOBO I feel I was really able to understand the breadth and size of the NOBO class. I started May 30th and passed my first NOBO around the 10th of June but the first 2-3 were real Type A 35 mile a day type that were hiking much faster than 99% of Thru-hikers. But by Gorham, NH I was passing 4 and 5 "normal" paced NOBOs a day. This went on until I reached Palmerton, PA. Which of course is a lot. So it doesn't really surprise me that you don't really know everyone.

I myself only know about 10 of the 50 SOBOs from 2003 and only met two south of DWG, PA.

Mountain Dew
01-27-2005, 17:16
At some point between now and april I plan on getting as many 2003 hiker trail names and contact info as possible. Kharma has already started a frequent mass email to the Hikers from the 2003 class. aka Thru-swimmers because of the rain.

Smooth03
01-28-2005, 11:14
For the record I appreciated all that rain you poor NOBOs got in the spring because by the time I got down south in late summer early fall all of the springs were overflowing with cool crisp clean water. Hate to rub that in.

TankHiker
01-28-2005, 11:57
Well, I'm glad someone appreciated it. :D

-TANK

Mountain Dew
01-28-2005, 17:20
I almost changed my trail name to mildew after I found it growing on my pack for lack of sun the first month. Silly sobo's... :cool: