|
|
|
Dear Team Captain,
Thank you for committing your time and energy to being a Team Captain for NAMIWalks Chicago 2008! We are looking forward to walking with you and your Team.
Your tasks as Team Captain are to: · Read this letter carefully. The letter outlines all that you need to know about being a Team Captain, as well as what is contained in other documents. We offer a variety of materials that will make completing your tasks faster and simpler.
· Spread the word about the Walk and our cause. Share information with others about the Walk and, to whatever extent you feel comfortable, why you are walking in NAMIWalks Chicago. Help spread awareness about serious and persistent mental illness and the need to support those affected by it. This site contains materials and fact sheets you can use to spread awareness.
· Recruit walkers for your Team. Ask anyone you’d like to join your Team. Remind your walkers that there is no fee to become a walker, but that they are encouraged to collect donations from family members, friends, co-workers, and business associates in support of their participation in the Walk.
· Ensure that all walkers on your Team (yourself included) are registered and have signed and returned the Chicago Park District waiver PRIOR to the Walk. For registration, waiver, and day-of check-in information, as well as the waiver that needs to be signed, please see the other documents listed on the site, including the Registration, Waiver, & Check-in Information sheets.
· Build Team spirit. This can be done by coming up with a clever Team name, making Team t-shirts, holding Team bbq’s, etc. For more information on how to build your team, please see the Team Building for Family Teams and Team Building for Business Teams pages on the site.
· Act as a liason to NAMI of Greater Chicago on behalf of your Team. Make sure to carefully look over all materials sent from NAMI-GC through the mail and email. If you have any questions, contact the Walk Manager, Isabelle Burtan, promptly at (312) 563-0445 or namiwalkschicago@gmail.com.
While the responsibilities of a Team Captain are great, the rewards are immeasurable. Know that the work you do in creating a Team joins with the efforts of hundreds of others and makes the Walk a great statement about the need for hope and support for all those affected by serious mental illness. We wish you all the best in all of your tasks, and remember—the Walk Manager is here to help you! Give her a call or send her an email if you have any questions.
What else is available through the NAMI-GC site?
1) Information Sheet. A quick run-down of the walk details, ready to copy and pass out to your walkers.
2) Walker Sponsorship Form. Ready to copy and pass out to your walkers.
3) Team Roster. Ready to post at work, on your fridge at home—wherever you would like to show how many people are getting on board your Team.
4) Team Poster. Ready to copy and post at work, at your local community center, gym, school—wherever you’d like to spread awareness about the Walk and its cause.
5) Statistics sheets. Useful for spreading awareness about how much serious mental illness affects the lives of all. Note the bold, 4-fact sheet, which emphasizes some facts that may surprise many.
6) NAMI of Greater Chicago’s 2007 Highlights. For more information on the organization holding the Walk, and to better explain what funds raised help NAMI of Greater Chicago do.
Additional Materials: 1) “Yes, I am interested in NAMIWalks Chicago 2008…” Form. Give copies of this form to anyone you feel would also make a great Team Captain, or to anyone interested in becoming more involved in the Walk Planning and Day-Of Festivities.
2) Sample Letter to Sponsors and Sponsor Information. Please use these as a resource for soliciting anyone you feel may benefit from the exposure and partnership a Walk sponsorship offers—e.g. your local dentist, your next-door neighbor’s law firm, your independent insurance agent. Remember, the goal of the walk is to raise awareness—asking someone to help with our cause monetarily ensures that NAMI of Greater Chicago can continue to run and expand its programs, but more importantly, it lets people know about what we’re doing and that our cause is vital and worth supporting.
3) Team Building for Family Teams and 4) Team Building for Business Teams packets. Skim through these packets for valuable timelines, help with building a team, a guide to making Team t-shirts, and more.
5) Registration, Waiver, & Check-in Information. Explains how registration works prior to the walk, and check-in works the day of. Please note that all walkers (yourself included) must sign a waiver for the Chicago Park District—this waiver can be signed prior to the Walk! Please read the instructions on this sheet as soon as possible!
Make sure to:
ü Check your email from the Walk Manager, namiwalkschicago@gmail.com for important updates.
ü Email the namiwalks-chicago-team-captains-2008@googlegroups.com list to exchange ideas, share your reasons for walking, and ask other Team Captains questions, etc. If you use gmail, you can visit the list’s website for online archives of all emails sent to this list at: http://groups.google.com/group/namiwalks-chicago-team-captains-2008.
ü Contact the Walk Manager, Isabelle Burtan, if you have any questions or concerns—(312) 563-0445, or namiwalkschicago@gmail.com.
Thanks again for joining NAMIWalks Chicago 2008! Good luck building your Team!
|