As the Team Captain, you are the leader, motivator and educator for your team. Your enthusiasm will encourage your team members to raise more funds and come back year after year. Educate your team about multiple sclerosis. It is important to have a basic understanding of this disease, plus it's easier to raise money when you can explain our mission.
- Tell your story. Why have you decided to lead a team? Do you have a personal connection to MS?
- Be a motivator! Promote your team goals and work to reach them.
- Discuss training and fundraising ideas with team members.
- Encourage team members to register, turn in donations and stay enthusiastic about the event.
- Recognize individual and collective accomplishments. You can send out group emails, hold team meetings or host a team kick off or post event celebration.
- Show up at the event with a smile!
- Thank all participants and sponsors for their support and let them know that you'll need their help again next year.
Recruiting a non-corporate team:
- Schedule a Team Kickoff or gathering. Invite current and prospective team members. We would love to come celebrate your team's involvement and talk about our mission. Let us know when the party will be!
- Set a team goal for recruitment.
- Send out an email to everyone in your address book.
- Have a representative of the National MS Society, Mid-Atlantic Chapter meet with your group and give a presentation to potential team members
- Make an announcement at your next PTA meeting, Girl/Boy Scout group, book club meeting, workout class at the gym or any other group that you or anyone in your family belong to.
- Send out a letter to potential participants from a person who has MS, explaining how important this event is to the National MS society and to them.
- Remind all participants that their family and friends also can participate on your team or volunteer.
- Have a "new team member" registration meeting to encourage each participant to recruit one more personal friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker.
Recruiting a corporate team:
- Bring brochures and posters to work: display in high traffic areas, place one in everyone’s mailbox or on their desk; place some in the lobby of your building.
- Ask the highest ranked person in your department, company, organization or group to send out an endorsement memo announcing that he/she is riding; ask everyone to sign up.
- Place an article in your company newsletter about Bike MS. State your involvement in the event and your goals.
- Ask the Mid-Atlantic Chapter to come to your office for a “Lunch n’ Learn” to provide more information about Bike MS.
- Publicly display a sign-up list in the community kitchen, front desk or conference room.
- Get employees fired up by sparking a friendly competition between managers and departments, as they each try to out-perform the other.
Taking the first step to register as a Bike MS team captain moves us all closer to a cure for multiple sclerosis. Being a team captain is an opportunity to share a great experience with friends and family members or co-workers — a community coming together for a common goal and the accomplishment of a unique personal challenge! As a leader, it’s up to you to remind your teammates why they registered. Bike MS can be more than a fundraising event — it can be a joyous celebration of how far we’ve come together!