Candy bars, magazines, coupon books, gift wrap, discount cards, pizzas, cookie dough, fresh fruit, desserts, greeting cards and raffle tickets.
This may sound like a grocery list, but it’s actually a partial litany of items my two children have been asked to sell – all for good causes, mind you – over the past decade.
While the products and services my kids have pitched to support schools, music programs and youth sports leagues are diverse, they’ve all had one thing in common: They cost money.
By definition, fundraising involves raising funds.
Mark Gilbertson, owner of Gilbertson Financial, has a son, Hank, who will be a sophomore at Regis High School in the fall, so he knows the game well.
“Every single season, I don’t care if it’s fruit, calendars, candy bars or that gold card you forget you have in your wallet, there’s always something you’re pulling money out for,” Mark Gilbertson said.
That’s why he got excited a few months ago when John Nelson, a manager at Eau Claire Automotive Group, told him about a fundless fundraiser, one in which people were asked to donate five or 10 minutes instead of $5 or $10 – or more.
The unusual fundraiser, which came to fruition Friday in support of Regis-McDonell-Bloomer hockey, offered a painless twist on the sometimes-tiresome trend of youth organizations constantly asking kids to beg their friends, neighbors and family members for money.
The event, which ran for four hours, involved participants taking test drives around a few blocks in one of six new Dodge vehicles provided by Eau Claire Automotive.
Hundreds of people were encouraged to participate, but the money came from Dodge, which agreed to donate $20 to RMB hockey for each person – up to 250 – who took a test drive during the event. While drivers were asked to reach into their pockets, it was only to present a valid driver’s license.
The idea is that participants were happy not to be asked for money, and the folks at Dodge and Eau Claire Automotive were hoping one of the cars might catch somebody’s eye. Thankfully, no sales pitch was involved, and the only person riding along on the test drives was an appreciative parent of an RMB hockey player.
Bill Miller, a Wisconsin field representative for Dodge, said the company’s booster club fundraiser concept has proved extremely popular, in large part because it raises “some serious money” for youth athletics.
In the case of RMB hockey, the proceeds will be put to good use buying hockey equipment and a camera system to film games, said coach Guy Brown, who hadn’t heard of the test drive concept previously.
Recognizing it’s hard for today’s busy kids to find time to sell stuff but also that funding for school activities is getting tighter all the time, a grinning Brown concluded, “This is a great way to go.”
Osseo Ford has participated in four similar fundraisers in the past two years through Ford’s Drive One 4UR School program, and co-owner Spencer “Spec” Pederson said the events have been well received in the host communities – Osseo, Augusta and Whitehall.
“It doesn’t cost you anything. That’s the appeal,” Pederson said. “The money actually comes from outside the community and goes toward something in the community.
“The schools get a nice donation, we meet some new customers and Ford gets exposure. It works well for everybody. It’s a win-win-win.”
Gilbertson, director of operations for the nonprofit support group RMB Hockey, event coordinator Lynn Nelson and other volunteers at Friday’s event made what they dubbed the “friend-raiser” an even sweeter deal for participants by handing out free food, courtesy of several other local businesses. They also gave away 200 free T-shirts with the slogan “Put some hemi in your hockey” on the back.
Despite a steady rain Friday that put a damper on planned outdoor hockey skills games, the event still nearly maxed out, falling just $140 short of organizers’ $5,000 goal.
That’s a lot of bang for kids’ pucks – without costing participants even a buck.
Lindquist can be reached at 715-833-9209, 800-236-7077 or eric.lindquist@ecpc.com.
We all know how a bra worn underneath a shirt supports us. A pink bra worn on the outside of a shirt however not only supports us, but all of the women around us too. That is the idea behind The American Cancer Society’s new symbol for the fight against breast cancer; the wearing of a pink bra on the outside of a shirt. WEAR IT OUT . It is a statement of awareness and the devotion to the eradication of one of the worst diseases to plague our society. Together with designers Kevin Downes and Patsy Sciacca, Joanne Hampton, an active fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and breast cancer SURVIVOR, has created a t-shirt to express this new symbol. The t-shirt, depicting a life-like pink bra, is designed to raise funds for breast cancer research and provide an exciting new modern symbol for showing support. The more people we see Wearing It Out, the closer we will be to finding a cure.

When it comes to October, most of us are thinking ghouls, goblins, and the fun of Halloween. While there are non-Halloween holidays in October, they’re not exactly the best theme for fundraisers (Columbus Day just doesn’t quite work out when it comes to fun). However, October is also known for a critical health awareness issue, and it’s something that your organization can tap into while raising funds.
