Global Running Day: The Importance of Incorporating Activity in School Fundraising

Global Running Day is all about celebrating the joy of—you guessed it—running! Whether you are young or old, a marathon runner or a casual jogger, if you enjoy lacing up your sneakers and moving your feet, this day is for you! For elementary schools, Global Running Day also provides the perfect opportunity to host a fitness fundraiser. Not only will you be encouraging healthy habits and movement, but your school can also raise crucial funds while you’re at it. Wondering how to get started? We’ve got you covered! Read on to learn more about the different types of fitness fundraisers you can host and how your school can organize one that will be a huge success!

In this blog you will learn:

• What a fitness fundraiser is and they different types you can host.
• The benefits of choosing to organize a fitness fundraiser for your school.
• Tips to get started!

What is a Fitness Fundraiser

A school fitness fundraiser involves students participating in physical activities, such as running or exercise challenges, to raise funds for school-related initiatives. Students and families spend the week(s) leading up to the big day collecting pledges from friends, family and community members—pledges can be flat donations or per lap, mile, minutes, etc.—and then throw a fun and exciting event day for students to complete their physical challenge.

Popular Fitness Fundraisers:

• Fun Run: Students run laps around a designated area. Many schools pump up the music and encourage teachers, staff, and families to attend and cheer them on.
• Color Run: Similar to a fun run, but with the addition of checkpoints that disperse bursts of color powder as students run through them.
• Glow Run: This fitness fundraiser option moves a fun run indoors to a school’s gym or other large room that can fit a race course area. Schools use glow in the dark decorations and light features to illuminate the space when the lights are off to create a fun and exciting experience.
• Dance-a-thon: Also an indoor option, students dance along to popular music, tracking how many minutes they’ve been moving and grooving for to earn funds. Oftentimes, schools will use choreographed dances that students can follow along to, encouraging participation. Booster takes a dance-a-thon up another level with its DanceFit program which is powered by the popular video game Just Dance!  

5 Benefits of Hosting a Fitness Fundraiser

Why choose a fitness fundraiser to celebrate Global Running Day? There are so many benefits! Here are our top five reasons this type of fundraising event can be beneficial for your school.  

Students learn valuable life lessons.

With a fitness fundraiser students are all working together towards a common goal, teaching teamwork and the importance of collaboration.

Pro Tip: Fun group challenges such as “the classroom that raises the most in one week wins a pizza party” or “the grade that collects the most pledges in a particular day wins an extra recess” will further encourage students to work together!

Fitness fundraisers encourage exercise and healthy habits.

These fundraisers are all about getting your students active and building healthy habits that will carry on after your fundraiser ends—making host one the perfect way to celebrate Global Running Day!

Pro Tip: Use your fitness fundraiser as an opportunity to teach your students and families about “why” running and other exercise is good for your body. This includes sharing that physical activity has a direct positive impact on academic performance—something families will love hearing about!

These fundraisers foster a strong sense of community.

Teachers, staff, students, and families all play a role in this type of fundraiser, bringing your school community together.

Pro Tip: Make it a school-wide event so all grades can participate and invite everyone to your event day to cheer students on and celebrate everyone’s efforts.

Schools tend to see large profits with fitness fundraisers.

When done right, fitness fundraisers can help your school raise huge profits to go towards improvements and resources  you need.

Pro Tip: Use an online fundraising platform to make it simple and easy for your students and families to share and collect donations. This will also allow your school to keep participants motivated by providing updates on your progress. If you choose MyBooster, you can also streamline the reward process with its built-in prize management system.

They’re a BLAST!

Ask any student that has participated in a fitness fundraiser and they’ll tell you how much they loved it. It’s a fun and exciting day for students that they will not soon forget.    

Pro Tip: There are tons of ways to make your big day extra fun. Blast some music, offer snacks and treats, or make event day shirts so your students can match!  

Tips to Get Started Organizing Your Next Fitness Fundraiser

• Pick the right date. A fitness fundraiser is a great option on Global Running Day or any other time of year! However, you should always consult your school and community calendars to identify any conflicts before locking in your date.
• Choose your fitness fundraiser. Consider the time of year and your local weather when deciding on the type of fundraiser your school will host. For example, if your fundraiser is during a rainy or cold season, opt for an indoor glow run so weather won’t be an issue.  Alternatively, if getting students outdoors on a beautiful day is your goal, a fun run or color run is the perfect fit!
• Organize volunteers and resources. Once you have decided what type of fitness fundraiser you will be hosting, you can start to make a list of how many volunteers you will need as well as what resources are necessary to be successful. For some schools, bringing in an outside fundraising company to handle some—or all—of the logistics can be a huge benefit. Booster offers custom service levels, so your school can get the exact amount of additional support you need.
• Provide incentives to participate. Your fundraiser can only be a success if your school community participates! Offer rewards for students that sign up and hit different set goals. These can be physical prizes or group experiences such as an ice cream treat or pajama day.

Fitness fundraisers offer many benefits that go well beyond the profits your school will also raise! Whether you choose to host a fitness fundraiser on Global Running Day or any other time of the year, you’re not only encouraging healthy habits and movement among your students but also paving the way for a stronger, more connected school community. Ready to learn more about the different ways Booster can help your school organize a successful fitness fundraiser? Reach out today!