Wheels of Love is about the amazing children of ALYN and the fabulous cyclists from around the world who bike together in beautiful Israel for 5 days.
It is about introducing ALYN and the children to as many people as possible and raising as much money as we can for these extraordinary kids.
Your Target: The purpose of this Ride, over and above having the time of your life and overcoming all kinds of challenges you never thought you could handle, is to raise money for the children of ALYN. Although the conditions for registration state that each rider must raise a MINIMUM of $2,000 and each volunteer $500, the average amount raised by all participants is consistently around $5,000, year after year, with some participants bringing in over $20,000! We expect you to really hit your Blackberry (or favorite electronic gadget), Outlook contact list, or - gasp - paper daily planner and ask people you know, are related to, do business with, or think might like to help you in your incredible venture in support of this cause we all believe in so deeply. Don't be bashful. Ask your contacts what you think they can afford to give.
How do you begin? Learn as much as you can about ALYN and the different children's lives that are improved and changed by the incredible staff. Then think of all the people from all the circles in your life that you want to tell about ALYN and your upcoming biking experience. You will be amazed at the list you can compile if you think about your friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, as well as acquaintances from schools, universities, synagogues, health clubs, bike clubs, professional associations and anyone related to your business.
Don't forget about businesses and corporations that may have funds earmarked for charity and/or public and community relations. Wheels of Love offers wonderful public relations opportunities in exchange for Corporate Sponsorships (Anyone with a lead for corporate sponsorship contact Erez).
Why should people give? People give to people. It really is that simple. The main reason that people will give is because you have asked them to and how you have asked. Don't let the thought of asking frighten you; just invite everyone you know to share the experience with you. The children of ALYN are irresistible and so is the personal commitment that you have made to training and cycling in Israel. The more you get to know about ALYN the easier it will be - read all our materials, visit the ALYN Hospital website (www.alyn.org) and take a tour of ALYN by contacting Marcia at marcia@alyn.org to arrange a visit and see the inspiring in patient Active Rehabilitation Wing - incorporating the intensive care Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit - and the "Shachar" Rehabilitation Educational Medical Day Care Center all of which your sponsorships support. Remember, donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the extent allowed by the laws governing the countries in which donations are made.
WOL has been very successful over the years in running an efficient operation that maximizes the sponsorship funds that reach the Hospital. We are proud to report that we have never sent less then around 70% of the money raised directly to help the children of ALYN Hospital.
Writing letters: The WOL website has several Sample letters for you to review and download, so that you can personalize them. The first paragraph of any letter is always what grabs the reader so tell your friends immediately that you are doing this ride because you want to help physically challenged children.
Enclosures: We have illustrated flyers and pamphlets - in English and Hebrew - which tell about ALYN and the Ride - which are perfect to include with your snail mail letters. N. Americans should contact: WOL-NA@alynus.org everyone else should contact: wol@alyn.org.
Timing: We suggest that you contact people no later than a month before Rosh Hashana.
Thank you's: Everyone of your sponsors will receive an official thank you and receipt. This is why it is so important to provide us with correct and legible names and addresses when you send your sponsorships in with the tally sheets. We prefer that you fill in the tally sheets with Excel (refer to the Forms link of Printed Material on the Rider Information menu option), and submit them printed out and signed. This makes it easier for us to read them and is less prone to mistakes in trying to decipher a rider's handwriting. It is highly recommended to also send your own personal thank you.
Suggested size of donation: Amounts of sponsorships vary widely. You have to decide if you want to ask for specific amounts or leave it to the donor's discretion. Past riders have asked for gifts ranging from $100 to $1,500. Knowing what the donations are used for may help you decide what to ask for. All WOL sponsored donations help cover the shortfall in the costs of the medical and rehabilitation treatment of babies, toddlers, adolescents and young adults who are either hospitalized or who receive day care treatment through ALYN Hospital’s Rehabilitation Programs. They suffer from motor, cognitive, communicative and behavioral problems and included in this category are those in need of intensive rehabilitation therapy to maximize their recovery from head trauma, surgery, cancer treatment, burns and injuries sustained in terrorist attacks and road accidents, as well as children with congenital disabilities.
Write those LETTERS
Make those PHONE CALLS
Keep up your TRAINING
Make a DIFFERENCE!
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