Thank you and your team members for participating in Dog-A-Thon. Here you’ll find some helpful hints on making this event a success for your team.

With your team’s participation we hope to have an even more successful year. Fun, exercise, and pet bonding are all great reasons to consider forming a Dog-A-Thon team with your co-workers. Each team will be recognized from the stage as they begin their walk, and of course you are welcome to carry signs or banners. This will be a valuable way to promote your business and help homeless animals at the same time!

What is a team?

A team is any group of two or more participants raising at least $500 dollars per team. Each team member receives an official Dog-A-Thon T-Shirt as well as earned individual prizes.

Why form a team?

• Forming a team is a great way to get some exercise and have fun while helping homeless animals.
• Teams will be recognized the day of the Dog-A-Thon, so it’s a great way to receive acknowledgement for your company, organization, club, neighborhood, family or other group.

What are steps to forming a team?

• Gather friends, associates, and coworkers together. Select a team captain for your group and begin creating an original name. Next, request a Dog-A-Thon pledge form by calling (253) 284-5811 or making a visit to the William Gazecki Animal Shelter at 2608 Center St. in Tacoma.
• Receive periodic updates by visiting this site for any updated information. In addition, the team committee chairperson will contact your team and offer support and encouragement.
• Raise pledges and earn prizes! Each individual member of the team is eligible for prizes, depending on his/her amount raised in pledges. In addition, there will be a special prize for the top fundraising team.
• Turn in all pledges before the event. The team captain must turn in all pledges and pledge forms received to The Humane Society business office. After a copy of the pledge forms are made, they will be returned to the captain so team members can continue to raise pledges. T-Shirts for all the team members may be picked up at that time. Pre-registration is a requirement. Please help us make this important event run smoothly by pre-registering your team.
• When you arrive at the Dog-A-Thon, the team captain will turn in all remaining pledges at that time for a grand team total. Your team will be recognized by the Master of Ceremonies as you begin your walk!

Team Captains

Now that you’re a Team Captain, get the approval and support of your company’s senior management and ask them to encourage employee participation through memos, e-mails, company newsletters etc. Get their commitment to attend the internal Dog-A-Thon kick-off, day-of event, and post walk recognitions ceremonies.

Form an internal Dog-A-Thon steering committee. It should meet monthly to plan:

• Goal setting, to determine how much money you want to raise and the number of walkers that you need to recruit to reach that goal.
• Recruitment of walkers and distribution of sponsor forms.
• Fund raising including incentives and challenges to stimulate fund-raising efforts.
• Communication to educate walkers about the Dog-A-Thon and The Humane Society.
• Publicity that keeps company employees up-to-date on Dog-A-Thon activities and why it’s important to support the fight to save the lives of homeless pets.
   
• Use our printable pledge form (pdf).  If donors requests a receipt, you can use
  these printable receipts:  Receipts DAT 2008

You can boost your Dog-A-Thon pledges in a variety of ways. Think creatively; try some of the following:

• Provide team members with sample solicitation letters they can send friends, relatives, their doctor, hairdresser, etc., to raise funds for their walk. Letter-writing campaigns are easy and effective ways to get sponsors and recruit guest walkers.
• Hold an internal kick-off event, hosted by senior management, and announce your team’s Dog-A-Thon goal, and introduce your team ambassador.
• Initiate a payroll deduction plan for employees, contributions forwarded to the Dog-A-Thon.
• Using person-to-person contact, secure sponsorships for the Dog-A-Thon, cash donations, or in-kind donations for your team shirts, food for kick-off event or food/drinks for the day of the event, etc. Sponsors can include the company’s cleaning service, caterer, accounting firm, insurance company, etc.
• Ask your company to sponsor you and make a matching gift equal to what you raise for the Dog-A-Thon.
• Contact The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County for more information.

Team Outline

1. Get Senior-Level Management Support:
• Sign up president/CEO and have them support your walk by sending a letter or memo to employees encouraging them to participate on the Dog-A-Thon team.
• Get commitment from president/CEO to attend the Dog-A-Thon.
• Ask the president/CEO to sponsor an ad in your local newspaper, to show the company’s commitment to saving animals in our community.
2. Organize Internal Walk Committee: 
• Set up a schedule of monthly meetings.
• Create goals for number of walkers to be recruited and dollars raised.
• Establish kick-off date.
• Announce fund-raising incentives and distribution dates.
• Implement internal communications plan, including newsletters, e-mail, sign up posters, etc.
• Establish date for post-walk awards ceremony.
3. During Dog-A-Thon Week: Confirm president/CEO’s attendance at the Dog-a-Thon, and pre-register your team. 
4. Post-Walk recognition: Honoring Your Heroes.

• Have president/CEO send out letter of thanks to all employees.
• Have walk committee also send out recognition letters to team members, expressing gratitude for their participation.
• Hold an awards ceremony with plaques and certificates of appreciation given to walkers by president/CEO.
• Announce your team’s total.
• Ask employees to participate in next year’s Dog-A-Thon.