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| Path: Main Street > Resources/Library > Research Articles > Feature Article |
Cross-Canada bike ride sets pace for Easter SealsAugust 22, 1994; Canadian FundRaiser
Royal Bank Rides for Easter Seals demonstrates why partnerships are perhaps charities' best hope for raising money in a time of government restraint. The event was organized to celebrate the bank's 125th anniversary and, when it began on May 7 in St. John's, Newfoundland, organizers were hoping to raise $1.25 Million. Now, nearing the second-to-last weekend on the road, and heading for Vancouver, BC, $2 Million seems to be in sight.
"The era of checkbook philanthropy is gone," says Henry Botchford, executive director of the Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled (CRCD). "The success of fundraising today lies in linkages and partnerships, in the ability of charities to offer corporate donors a major marketing opportunity."
"The Royal Bank donates about $14 Million to charitable causes, and we saw the bike ride as an opportunity to make a significant financial contribution, to celebrate our 125th anniversary, and to associate the bank and our staff with a good, national cause," says David Moorcroft, The bank's vice-president of public affairs. "This was a major undertaking, and we wanted to be sure that Easter Seals could manage it well, without having to disrupt their other fundraising activities. We felt very comfortable that they could do that. They dedicated a full-time coordinator to the project, Helen Kontoulakos, and she did a superb job. Henry (Botchford) was very open and cooperative, and the whole organization had the horsepower and the willingness to give us field support right across Canada."
The Ride's centrepiece is a 34-seat, 34-foot-long bicycle designed by Harry Moll, who coordinated the Canada 125 Ride in 1992. When it arrives in Vancouver, the 1,000 kilogram bike will have travelled through more than 80 communities across Canada. In each of the communities, each of the riders was responsible for raising at least $125 from individual and corporate donors. In many communities, the ride became a media event, and the bank increased its visibility by running two-page newspaper ads thanking the community for its support.
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