Retrak - Brussels 20K Run '08

Brussels 20K Run '08

bruss20k

Brussels 20km May 25th 2008

There are now 54 runners in the RETRAK Team!

Thanks for being part of RETRAK. All the pain and sweat will be easier to bare when you know that you'll be making a huge difference to the lives of street children.

We are delighted that AMCOR staff have joined the RETRAK Team.

Unfortunately registration for the Brussels 20K is closed. All 25,000 places were filled within three days! However if you have registered to run the race independantly but would like to join the RETRAK Team and raise funds for a really good cause, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it and we will send you all the information you need.

Why not become a friend of 'RETRAK Brussels' on 'facebook' and communicate with other runners in the team, to do so click here .

We are planning a pre- race launch party on Sat 24th May in Tervuren and will send you details nearer the date.

We hope your training is going well!

Below are some tips to make fundraising easier.

See you on May 25th!!

To sponsor the following runners through justgiving please click the links below.

chrisleadbetterbrussels

paulandpernilleturner

petegledhill

richardbrussels20km

stephenclarkfoulquier

wolfhardaring

Tips for fundraising.

Don’t be afraid to ask! You’ll be amazed at how generous people are. I’ve never been bitten by someone I’ve approached! Doing it on the web using www.justgiving.com makes physical abuse even less likely!!!

1.    Make a list of family, friends and colleagues who you could ask.
2.    Always keep a sponsor form with you to whip out at every opportunity!
3.    Be enthusiastic in your approach, both face-to-face and in writing.
4.    Never miss an opportunity to ask - business meetings, sports club, pub, church etc. etc.
5.    Don’t be apologetic. You don’t need to apologise that you’re asking them to help you make a difference to some of the most needy children on the planet!!
6.    Try getting an article and photo in your local newspaper, company newsletter, church notice sheet, sports club magazine etc.
7.    Include a response mechanism in every bit of publicity - this is where having a www.justgiving.com page is great, you simply quote your own Justgiving address!
8.    If you’re on Face Book or other social networking sites use them to ask for sponsorship. You can import a Justgiving application to your Face Book, Myspace or Moo page.
9.    Set up your own Youtube page and make a video blog of your training using your camera phone and email the URL to your friends. Have your www.justgiving.com link on there too.

Why set up a www.justgiving.com page?

www.justgiving.com is a facility that charities can use to help their supporters to raise funds for them more easily. RETRAK is one of the registered users
Basically, you set up your own personalised page on Justgiving; email the URL to all your friends, family etc., who can then visit your page and give online. Justgiving pass the funds on to RETRAK. If your supporters are UK tax payers Justgiving will collect the Gift Aid on their donation on behalf of RETRAK and forward that to us too.
The advantages of using Justgiving are that it’s easy for you and supporters; it allows you to approach friends on the other side of the world who might sponsor you.

How to do it

Go to http://www.justgiving.com/charity/more_events.asp?FundraiserId=115262
Click on ‘RETRAK Brussels 20k’
Register using your email and a password
Chose your page name (eg. www.justgivng.com/JohnBrussels20k)
Personalise your page with a photo and words
Email all your contacts (Justgiving will lead you through this)
Write a thank you message that’s automatically sent to people who donate (Justgiving will lead you through this)
Sit back and wait for the dosh to roll in!! (Not really. Get training!!!)

Suggested words for your personal Justgiving page

Hi Folks
On May 25th 2008 I’ll be running the Brussels streets to raise money for street kids!
I’ll be running the Brussels 20km in support of RETRAK’s fantastic work with street children in Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Most of the thousands of children on the streets in these countries have run away from abuse and neglect at home, only to find that they are even more vulnerable to abuse on the streets. They are treated as worthless and despised by society.
RETRAK aims to help street children to get back on track; to find new lives in family and community where they can be given the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
RETRAK uses sport, feeding programmes, medical outreach to make contact with street children and to build trusting relationships. Once a relationship is built each child is helped to think through what they would like to see change and then helped to reach their goals. Some are reunited with family. Others are placed with foster families. Many are supported as they return to school or enter vocational training. Older children may even start their own businesses or attend college or university.

It costs very little to make a huge change to a child’s life.

For example,

£10 (Euro13) will feed 20 children for a day in Uganda
£20 (Euro26) will prove a school uniform for a child in Ethiopia
£50 (Euro65) will fund an away match our street boys football team against another club
£75 (Euro98) will provide business training for a young person in Uganda

Yohannas is 16 but has lived on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for 8 year after running away from a very abusive father. When he first joined the RETRAK project he was a violent, disruptive, angry boy. But after being shown acceptance and concern by RETRAK staff he began to calm down and expressed a real interest in vocational training but has never done any formal education. He was helped to learn his numbers and letters and in October 2007 he started an apprenticeship at a local metal work workshop where he’s doing well. RETRAK rents a room for him nearby. This is his first proper home for 8 years!
It’s kids like Yohannas you’ll be helping when you sponsor me.
So, please be generous and help me to raise a significant amount for this fantastic organisation.
You can learn more about RETRAK at www.retrak.org
Many thanks

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