Do-It-Yourself Fundraiser Of The Month

Plane Pull: A plane pull can generate plenty of good publicity and raise lots of money for your organization or a worthy cause. Pulls are done by teams that can compete in several categories. The Variety Children's Charities in Memphis sponsors an annual pull with teams consisting of 20 members who pull a 155,000 pound Boeing 727 jet airplane a distance of 12 feet! Their categories include: the fastest pull; team with lightest combined body weight; top women's team; team with the best costume, theme, or creative idea; best improved time from their last competition; and challenge trophies between business competitors. If a 727 is a little more ambitious than you are ready to undertake, consider something a little smaller like a bus, fire truck, tractor trailer, ambulance, hearse, etc. - something that would attract interest and attention. Use your imagination!

   Angel Flight America is a not-for-profit organization of  more than 5,000 volunteer private pilots who provide free transportation for patients and their families in private planes, to hospitals for medical treatment. Angel Flight handles more than 20,000 mission requests annually. Nearly 40% of its missions are for children and 60% are for adults with hundreds of different illnesses and needs. Volunteer pilots "provide" the transportation by donating their time, talent, airplane, fuel and operating expenses. Each dollar donated generates at least four dollars worth of contributed services by Angel Flight volunteers.

 Featured Fundraising Ideas

Creative Plush: Tired of the same old promotional and fundraiser items? Have we got a great idea for you! Create a custom embroidered bear or plush character for your school, university, sports team, dance squad, cheer squad or other non-profit organization. These fun, personalized plush characters are a great way to raise funds and can be the start of a yearly collectable tradition. Bears comes with matching ribbon, over 40 fabric colors and thousands of embroider colors to choose from. Go ahead! Get creative with a custom embroidered bear from Creative Plastics!  

Current Fundraiser: We understand how busy life can be, so we've put together an amazingly easy way to raise funds with our gift wrap, greeting cards, magazines, candy, & gifts. You'll earn 50% profit for your group! With 54 years of expertise, online ordering, exclusive products, & presorted orders, we've done all the work for you. It's so easy, so fun, and so profitable. So why not order your Participant Kits now! A click or a call gets you started. Got questions? Just call our Fundraiser Assistance Center toll free at 1-877-665-4481.

Fundraiser News Briefs 

Danville, CA: Drill team organizes Prom Boutique to help pay for new uniforms; Hurricane Valley, UT: Auto dealer donates car for high school fundraiser; La Crosse, WI: Alzheimer's Association holds pig-kissing event; Medfield, MA: Church sponsors "Sock-it-to-me fundraiser for the homeless; Downingtown, PA: Students support super bowl teams and raise funds for tsunami relief; Pocatello, ID: College group holds ski-a-thon to benefit skiers with disabilities; Napa, CA: School kids collect coins to aid in tsunami relief; Rehoboth Beach, DE: Polar Bear Plunge raises funds for Special Olympics; Murrieta, CA: Booster club collects discarded cell phones for basketball teams; Davenport, IA: Lions Club holds Red Cross Hero event; Bellevue, IL: Attendees to sample military MRE's to benefit Marines; Hagerstown, MD: Annual Potter's Bowl supports free clinic; Athens, AL: Boys & Girls Club sponsors "Behind Bars Bed & Breakfast" at detention facility; Marshall County, SD: Yearbook staff holds Valentine's Day fundraiser; Alexandria, VA: Grammar school kids participate in "Hop on the Dot" to help eradicate measles in Africa; Highland, NY: Scouts collect bottles, cans and money to aid tsunami victims; Hickory Hills, IL: School raises funds with Super Bowl Sunday event; Houston, TX: Parents Against Cancer hosts 5k run and walk to benefit pediatric cancer research. 

Interesting or Fun Facts

Hugh Moore was an inventor who owned a  paper cup factory, located next door to the Dixie Doll Company. The word Dixie was printed on the doll company's front door. Moore saw the word everyday, which reminded him of "dixies," the ten dollar bank notes from a New Orleans' bank that had the French word "dix' printed on the face of the bill. The bank had a great reputation in the early 1800s. Moore decided that "dixies" was a great name. After getting permission from his neighbor to use the name, he renamed his paper cups "Dixie Cups". Moore's paper cups were first invented in 1908 and were originally called health cups and replaced the single repeat-use metal cup that had been used with water fountains. [Source: Phil Ament, The Great Idea Finder]

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