The Ultimate Thanks
Charity offers A Special Way To Thank Coaches & Volunteers
Every year, children and adults spend thousands of dollars on gifts to thank their coaches and volunteers for the hard work they put in during the season. The gifts are appreciated, of course, but consider the impact all the money spent on gifts could have if donated to a charity instead.
That’s the idea behind Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer, a nonprofit organization based in Atlanta. For a minimum donation, Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer will send a certificate and gift to the coach named with the donation. Proceeds from the donation will be put toward research in pediatric cancer treatment, so everyone can feel good about helping kids kick cancer while also giving recognition for hard work and dedication, said Founder Grainne Owen.
Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer began locally, but quickly expanded its reach. “We started with direct contact with leagues and coaches we knew in our area, and the word just spread,” she said. “It’s wonderful what you can do with the Internet; now we have pockets of support all over the country.”
Elizabeth Wilson, a “team mom” from Newton, Mass., has made donations to the foundation three times on behalf of her children’s coaches. Wilson estimated she has donated close to $250 on behalf of her two daughters’ soccer teams and her son’s Little League team. “Everyone thought it was a wonderful idea,” she said, “and everyone I’ve mentioned it to wants to do it for his or her child’s team.”
Coaches get a “huge kick” out of getting the foundation’s T-shirts and caps, said Frank Brennan, a coach and administrator for a 40-team church basketball league in Marietta, Ga. “And from an administrative standpoint, it couldn’t be easier for me to get out the information about this. I love the simplicity of it and the fact that the vast majority of the money (donated) goes directly to the cause that it supports."
| Choosing A CHARITY
Proceeds from sports events often benefit charitable organizations like Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer and other charities. Planning a sports event to benefit a charity isn’t much different from planning any other type of competition, but planners should keep in mind these considerations to help maximize the money raised for the charity and ensure the association is a success for both the event organizer and charity.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Jody Wetherill, area marketing director for Chick-fil-A in Richmond, Va., has planned the Chick-fil-A Charity Dodgeball Tournament since 2005. The tournament, which raised more than $80,000 in 2007, is one of the largest in the country, involving more than 200 teams from across the country and Canada. “The first year, we had no idea what we were doing, so we contacted the National Amateur Dodgeball Association (NADA). It was good promotion for NADA and for dodgeball in general, so it worked out well for everyone.”
• Consider partnering with an area attraction. The National Kidney Foundation of Florida has held its 5K Run/Walk for Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness at Disney World in Florida for five years. The major benefit is the exposure that such a pairing generates, said Bryan Williams, director of the foundation. “The benefits to the organization are the publicity and promotion we receive through the efforts of Disney marketing and having our organization linked with the Disney name,” he said.
• Keep lines of communications open. Planners, coaches, venue operators and volunteers all need to know the needs and objectives of the event. “Sit down with the organization and find out what their resources are and what you can provide to make sure it’s a first-class event for everyone,” said Jeff Sturgeon, manager of new events and special projects for Disney Sports.
• Don’t underestimate the work involved. “Planning any event like this is a lot of work,” said Michael Meyers, general manager of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, which hosts charitable games and other functions every year. “Plan early and never rush into producing an event.”
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Although the money is going to a good cause, it’s not fundraising, Brennan said. “At first, the parents thought it was just another request for a donation, but it’s not. It’s just taking money that would already be spent on a gift and redirecting it. It’s a very simple concept with a great impact.”
Brennan estimated that in the three years his league has been working with the foundation, it has contributed between $15,000 and $20,000. “As a parent, I think about all the little gifts my children bought for their teachers over the years. Imagine if this idea could spread across the country. What a wonderful thing that would be.”
Owen agreed. Most of the time, the coaches really don’t want or need another gift, she said, “but this is paying it forward. Most people have a family member or a friend who has been touched by cancer, so this becomes very meaningful for all involved.”
The Child Behind The Charity
Owen and her husband Clay started Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer in 2004 to honor their son, Killian, who died from leukemia in 2003 at the age of nine. Even throughout his years of treatment, Killian kept up with his love of sports and continued to swim and play basketball and baseball, Owen said. “Killian’s positive attitude inspired a local coach to donate his end-of-season gift to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in Killian’s honor, and the idea of Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer was born.”
Since its founding in 2004, the organization has donated more than half a million dollars to pediatric cancer research at several hospitals. “We donated to cutting-edge pediatric cancer treatment centers that will eventually mean more effective treatments with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy,” Owen said. The organization started with support for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where Killian was treated, and has expanded to several other hospitals, including Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia, S.C.; Levine’s Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.; and Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala.
Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer is just one of two programs under the Curing Kids’ Cancer organization; Owen started a similar program for teachers, called Teachers Curing Kids’ Cancer, after receiving several requests. Typically, for a minimum $10 donation, coaches or teachers will receive a certificate; for a $50 donation, they will receive up to five certificates and one gift (a T-shirt, cap, thermal mug or tote bag), but Owen said they are extremely flexible. “If a team donates as much as it can and that’s only $40, we’re not going to turn it away. Obviously, we try to raise as much money as we can, but when a coach or teacher wears our T-shirt or cap, that helps spread the word.” Owen said donations also can be made in memory or honor of someone.
Money raised by Curing Kids’ Cancer is directed at cutting-edge research because of the Owens’ personal experience. Their son was the first child in the world to take a new drug called BL22 that targets only the “bad” cells. “That treatment failed to cure Killian, but the doctors and researchers now look back at that process as a breakthrough. They had tried—and failed—to get the drug into a pediatric trial for more than three years, and Killian broke the logjam,” Owen said, adding that more than a dozen children have since used BL22, and the drug is showing potential.
“When we realized how close the doctors and researchers were to a breakthrough, we knew we could not turn our back on the cancer community,” Owen said. “And that’s why we formed Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer. We want to raise the money needed to fund these innovative, targeted therapies for cancer.”
For more information, visit www.curingkidscancer.org.