How to set up a Sporting event

General preparations 

Plan the date and location. Pick a day and time, when people won’t be busy or away. You may also schedule your sport event by another event such as a school/church function or town celebrations, so the potential of participants and their cheering supporters can grow significantly. Let us in Kids Action for Kids know by email mail@kidsactionforkids.org about your event.
 
Engage others. Organizing a sport event may require a whole group of volunteers, so ask your friends to join early when planning has only started. They can contribute in many ways like promoting the event, taking registrations, supplying refreshments, coordinating, setting up stations and being present at each venue, documenting and taking photos, timing and so on. Ask your local businesses if they would like to donate or lend some equipment or match or double your earnings for your good cause.
 

Advertise. Make posters and flyers, promote your event any way you can by utilizing email, Facebook, Twitter, chat groups, your local newspapers and even radio and tv. We encourage you to use Kids Action for Kids materials to help you advertise in advance, decorate your event and get your core message through about the event being for charity purposes, how the proceeds will be used.
 

  • Download Kids Action for Kids logos and pictures from Press kit here
  • Add links to Kids Action for Kids TV and video material here
  • Print posters, brochures, bookmarks and name cards in Printable materials here

Hang up posters in your neighbourhood and drop off flyers to tournaments, cafes, library, shops and where people meet.

 

Sporting event preparations 

Plan the scale. Assess what kind of a sporting event you are going to have, what is your expertise, what are your group’s special skills. How big an event can you handle, ensuring all safety measures are met. Setting up a team, club or school event requires a little less volunteers and equipment than a community event. Taking pre-registrations up to a certain number helps you estimate the participation in advance. You can also make your sporting event an active happening with selling refreshments and snacks,  facilitating games and lotteries, playing music and so on.  

Assess your own capacity, time and resources. If you are more people contributing, then it is easier to go bigger. You can also try to engage local businesses and ask if they would like to join forces with donating, or lending some equipment and supplies to your sporting event.

Plan your program. It helps a lot and is almost unavoidable.  Make a detailed schedule, which activities are going to take place, where and when, who is supervising and what kind of equipment is needed. Organize an event you would enjoy participating, bring some fun elements into it! The boys from ISB for example started their triathlons with involving running in skirts and tutus. The event does not have to be complicated either, it can be around one sport only. The swimming and diving teams in The Colgate University organized a swimathlon – they did swim through 24 hours, though!

Book your venue. Sporting events often occupy special venues that are busy with other bookings. Make sure you reserve and have your relevant venue, when you wish. Inform all required parties, if you are for example using roads or other public areas.

Reserve and order the things you need. Make sure you have the relevant equipment you need to the sporting event. In case you like to give medals, certificates or print posters, reserve enough time to have them ready well in advance.   

Decide your fundraising method. Sometimes the simplest way to raise funds is to collect registration fees. However, you may like to add some fun factors to it – either for each individual or a team! For example one Triathlon collected sponsors like this: Each team walked around with big empty water jugs to collect money for their team. The team who raised the most money would have a 20-second-advantage over the next placed team, the team that raised second most money would again have a a 20-second-advantage over the next placed team, and so on.  

 

On-the-day preparations  

Set up venue. Make sure your registration table and stations are organized and manned as planned, the required registration, possible insurance, and other documents also being in place. Hang up Kids Action for Kids posters and place brochures, book marks and business cards next to KAFK donation jar. If you have medals, goodies, posters etc. make sure they are displayed nicely and precisely. People also like to be able to identify the people in charge, in case they need help.  Make sure all people know when and where they should be, including participants and any volunteers/vendors, if you are serving snacks, refreshments or other services. Hang up some signs that help visitors find to you, the event venue (and restrooms!) with ease. 

Start your sporting event. Get some whistles or laud speakers for maximum attention and amusement to signal the event opened. Do the same when finished, and never ever forget to thank your amazing supporters for making all happen.

 

After your event 
 
Give a tap on your shoulder for a meaningful job well done! Then count the money raised and let us know by email

  • your reference code/message for your event i.e. “Basketball challenge in Oslo dd.mm.yyyy” and
  • if you like to appear on our Thanks page. We are always delighted receive personal stories and photos at mail@kidsactionforkids.org or kidsactionforkids@gmail.com

Place your donation to Kids Action for Kids account either here  or via your own bank. For bank transfer details see Contact us.