Green Hands USA: America Volunteers

Nothing makes people feel better than completing a strenuous physical challenge - unless that challenge also has a worthy cause attached. By planning a walk, hike, race or bike ride to benefit an environmental cause, you can improve your own health and the health of our planet.

Here are the simple steps you'll need to take to organize this community event. Green Hands USA can help you build community in your neighborhood or town, meet new people who share a passion for being green, and help the planet by raising money for eco-friendly causes.

Step 1. Pick a Cause and a Group

Pick a cause you feel passionate about. Are you concerned about emissions standards for automobiles? Offsetting global warming? Are you invested in protecting natural habitats for wildlife? To find which green organizations are devoted to those causes, check the Environment Directory or the Charity Navigator.

Step 2: Set a reasonable fee for entry

The way fundraiser walks/hikes/races/and bike rides work is that each person who competes is responsible for raising a certain amount of money to "sponsor" their participation. Talk with the organization you've selected and decide on an amount that's reasonable and realistic. If it's the first race you've organized, you might want to set the entry cost at a relatively low number to encourage higher turnout.

Step 3. Get Permission and Plan the Route

Since your event is going to take place in a public place, you're going to need permission from local officials first. Here's a website to find local officials in your area: http://www.statelocalgov.net/) Or call your local police station.

Talk to these local officials about the best place to hold your event. If you're looking to have a hike or foot race, a park or walking trail is probably your best bet. If you're planning a bike ride, you'll need to talk about what routes would be the safest/least congested with automobile and pedestrian traffic. You may also need to discuss road closings and security with your town or local government.

If it's a challenging course, you may want to speak with your local officials to arrange for a paramedic and/or ambulance to be on hand, just in case. You can't be too careful.

Step 4. Set the Date

Saturdays and Sundays are your best bet, as you'll be able to maximize the number of people who can participate. Again, you'll want to work with local officials to make sure your event doesn't interfere with any other community events that may be happening in your area. Pick a date when your walk/hike/race/bike ride will be the biggest thing going on-it'll encourage more people to attend!

Step 5. Recruit Volunteers and Participants

In addition to participants you're going to need to find some volunteers who can assist in the planning and execution, during the weeks leading up to and on the day of your event. Good volunteers are the key to your event's success. Green Hands USA can help!

• Go to the submit an event form and fill in the details about your Community Event.

• Your event will be featured on the Green Hands USA web site for all to see - and sign up for!

• And Green Hands USA will also email all volunteers in your area who have signed up on the site to let them know about your event - then they can lend their hands to make your project a success.

Step 6. Get Publicity to Recruit Even more Volunteers

You want to get as much publicity for your event as possible-both to spread the word about your worthy environmental cause, and to get a lot of people to show up! Send out press releases and fliers.

Here, too, Green Hands USA will help you. In addition to publicizing the event on the web site, we'll give you additional tools.

• PRESS RELEASE: Just customize the Press Release template and send it to local newspapers, magazines, radio stations, web sites.

• FLIERS: Customize the template flier and post them all over your neighborhood: in local supermarkets and delis as well as on the bulletin boards of schools, parks, religious institutions and groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, the YMCA, etc.

• Pay special attention to any locations that athletics-oriented -- like your local gym and park. Make sure to put on the flier that kids under 18 must either be accompanied by an adult or have a signed permission slip from a parent.

Step 7. Supplies You'll Need

Either work with volunteers to purchase supplies or get volunteers to ask local businesses, hardware and grocery stores in the community to donate the supplies.

• sign-up sheets and clipboards-helpful in case of emergency.

• first aid kits should be available at various points throughout the race.

• water and sports drinks

• snacks, such as fresh apples, bananas, oranges and trail mix or non-perishable sandwiches for participants - and guests -- afterwards

• recyclable garbage bags.

Where to Get Supplies

Ask local supermarkets, delis and restaurants to set up tables and give away food and drinks to participants and their supporters. They are often happy to do so - if allowed to post their signage at the table or for sponsorship credit on the flier -- because of all the good will it generates.

Here are some useful website resources for recyclable garbage bags:

• www.drugstore.com/BioBag,

• www.amazon.com

• www.ecoproducts.com.

• http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Recycled-Garbage-Bags

Step 8. Checklist To Do on the Day of the Event

Here's a checklist to make sure you've covered all your bases.

• Make sure the route is clearly marked with signs, tape, chalk. Post volunteers at points along the way to make sure the path is clear.

• Set up water tables all along the route - with volunteers keeping cups full.

• If the day is really hot, you may want volunteers to be posted along the route with lawn sprinklers or hoses to cool off participants - if it's safe.

• Put up waste receptacles (with recycled garbage bags!) throughout the route-you want to avoid litter at all costs!

• Have volunteers knowledgeable about CPR and first aid available at all stages of your hike/race/bike ride. You may also want to arrange for a paramedic and/or ambulance on hand, just in case. (See Step 2 above.)

Step 9. After the Event - Celebrate!

At the end of the race, have snacks and refreshments available for everyone who took part in the event. This can be a great opportunity to build community, meet new people, and just kick back and have a good time.

If your event had a competitive slant to it - who raised the most money as well as who finished with the best time - this might be a good time to recognize the winners. You can also use this opportunity to hand out some of information on the organization you're supporting, or even have a representative from the group set up a booth or information stand.

Finally, have a souvenir with the name of the event for proud participants to take away - wearable items are best. They'll be spreading the word about your event every time they wear it. That way, the next time around, your event will be an even bigger success!