1. FRIENDS AND FAMILY
CHILDHOOD STROKE AND HEMIPLEGIA AWARENESS WALK-A-THON
HELFPUL HANDOUTS AND FORMS
• FirstGiving - set up your online awareness and fundraising page
https://www.firstgiving.com/default.asp?did=3214
• Walk Registration Form - online form
http://www.chasa.org/walkathon/2009/2009_walk_form.htm
• Release Forms - everyone who walks must sign one
http://www.chasa.org/walkathon/2009/walk_release_2009.pdf
• Sponsor Form - print out and fill in
http://www.chasa.org/walkathon/2009/sponsor_form.pdf
• Receipts - print out and give to sponsors - email aware2009@chasa.org for receipt sheet
BASIC FRIENDS AND FAMILY WALK-A-THON
1. Register at the Firstgiving website and set up your child’s awareness page. Your friends and family can
make donations here. https://www.firstgiving.com/default.asp?did=3214.
2. Plan to walk with your immediate family.
3. Select a date for your walk
4. Select a location and route for your walk and keep safety in mind. Suggestions: local park, school track,
mall, or your neighborhood. Choose to walk on sidewalks and please don’t include crossing streets.
Contact the park, school, or mall to ask permission to walk and if insurance is required.
5. Once you have your date and location, fill out the online Registration Form. Someone from CHASA
will contact you to confirm your walk.
6. Print Sponsor sheets. List sponsors and method of payment.
7. Begin to ask people to sponsor your walk. An easy way to reach sponsors: Email your child’s
Firstgiving website page to everyone in your address book. Ask them to forward your email on to others
in their address book. This will create a great deal of awareness about childhood stroke, as well as
increasing donations.
8. Have everyone who is walking check with their doctor to make sure that they are physically able to
participate. Have everyone involved sign Release Form.
9. On the day of the walk, wear comfortable clothing and take water and snacks. Pay attention to your
surroundings to avoid accidents.
10. Have fun!!! Take lots of pictures.
11. Convert any cash donations to a money order or cashier’s check made out to CHASA. Mail checks and
sponsor sheets to the CHASA address on the Sponsor Sheet. Please insure envelope for the total amount
of the checks.
12. Print out Receipts and give to sponsors when they give a donation.
13. Thank everyone involved. Thank you notes to key sponsors are thoughtful if you have time.
Questions? Visit the CHASA Walk-a-thon forum http://www.chasa.org/chasa_datab839/
Email aware2009@chasa.org or the Hemi-Kids list at HEMI-KIDS@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG Call Nancy at
817-492-4325.

2. OPTIONAL IDEAS for your WALK-A-THON
Some families like to do a little more than the basic walk-a-thon. Listed below are optional activities and ideas
that you can add to your walk.
DECORATIONS AND MORE FUN
1. Sometimes the kids enjoy making awareness signs to carry or hang on strollers.
2. If you want to make the walk more festive, you might order balloons and streamers which can be tied to
strollers.
3. Decide if you want to have a small picnic or party before or after your walk. Ask friends to bring
potluck dishes and drinks to share.
SHIRTS
1. Awareness shirts and items can be ordered from our store at Café Press or you may decide to make
shirts on your own.
2. If you need a special design for your walk, let us know at least 8 weeks in advance and we can design
something for you (example: “Perkins Family Walk for Pediatric Stroke Awareness” or “Atlanta
Supports Childhood Stroke Awareness”, etc.). Email aware2009@chasa.org and put WAT Shirts in the
Subject line.
INCREASE AWARENESS AND DONATIONS
1. Invite family and friends to set up a Firstgiving page of their own in honor of you or your child. They
can send their FG page address to people their email address book. Or, if they would rather not set up
their own page, ask them to email your FG page address to people in their address book. This will
significantly increase awareness and funds that you raise.
2. If permitted, post your child’s photo, story, and Firstgiving website at work, at your place of worship,
and at other places in the community.
MEDIA (See MEDIA handout)
1. Contact local newspaper, television, and radio stations to tell them about your story and ask if they
would like to cover the walkathon and take photos. Tell them that you’re open to talking with them
about your child’s journey with hemiplegia and/or stroke.
ADD MORE PARTICIPANTS
1. Instead of just walking with your immediate family, invite extended family, friends, colleagues,
employers, your house of worship, businesses, girl scouts, boy scouts, Lion’s club, Women’s club, etc.
to walk with you. Remember that everyone who walks must fill out a Release Form.
2. Form Teams and set fundraising goals. You can set up teams at the Firstgiving website. It’s fun for
teams to compete and you’ll bring in more funds to help our little hemiplegia and stroke survivors.
This document is located online at: http://www.chasa.org/walkathon/2009/friends_family_walk.pdf