Colours of Hope

by: Erin Power



I heard about volunteering for Colours of Hope, a five-kilometer run that raises money for the Canadian Cancer Society, through the public relations program. It was one of the first volunteer opportunities e-mailed to the class in September and a group of us decided to volunteer.

The event took place on October 6th at Christie Lake in Dundas. During the month leading up to the event I gained the most awareness through social media. There is a Colour of Hope Facebook page. I noticed that a lot of people were sharing the link and discussing how they sighed up for the run.

Learning about fundraising events in the first month of the public relations program I was able to see how the event applied to what we learned. Marz Homes, the Running Room and 95.3 Fresh FM sponsored the event. A 95.3 Fresh FM station was set up with music playing and radio host Kelly Cutrara was there. There were two local food trucks and a local bakery stand set up to provide food for the people at the event. There was a large group of volunteers and the event coordinators were really nice to us. They thanked us for our help and offered us free pizza and drinks at the end of the race. After the race they had complimentary drinks and snacks for the runners. Kelly Cutrara made a speech about the Canadian Cancer Society and the individual who raised the most money received a gift certificate for the Running Room. There was also a contest to see who was the most colourful.

Overall, the event made me realize how much time and planning goes into a fundraising event. It made me realize that you need a large group of happy volunteers to make it successful, and that it is extremely important show your appreciation for those who raised money so that they will want to in the future. 




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