When: 05/01/2021 – 05/31/2021
CHS provides hope for the nearly 1000 children in foster care waiting to be adopted. For over 120 years, Children’s Home Society has walked side by side with youth in their time of need.
Our “Go the Distance” Challenge in May allows you to choose the distance you’ll go or the challenge you’ll make—whether walking, biking, swimming, performing acts of kindness, etc.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW—OR TO DONATE
Did you know that CHS pioneered services and advocacy for youth age who age out of our foster care system in Virginia? Please join our Go the Distance challenge today, and help us continue to make Virginia a better place for foster youth and adoptive families.
“Go the Distance” Challenges are meant to be healthy and enthusiastic expressions of your devotion to Virginia’s children. But they are not limited to a goal of miles running, walking, biking or swimming. You can choose your own Challenge with a healthy goal. We have suggested reading a set number of books, cooking a number of meals, volunteer visits, chores, gaming levels…whatever gets you fired up!
Read on to learn more about signing up, engaging your friends and creating a team at your work, school or organization!
Ideas for Creating Your Own Challenge
Set a target number to any task you’d like to challenge yourself to complete during the month of May.
Some ideas include:
- Reading a number of books
- Performing a number of acts of kindness in your community
- Dancing for a cumulative number of hours
- Completing a number of community service hours
- Cooking a number of meals or performing a number of chores
We can’t wait to hear and share what you come up with!
“I want to become a “Go the Distance” Ambassador now!”
How to Register:
Visit the Go The Distance event website to sign up and accept the challenge. You’re a “Go the Distance” Ambassador now and your challenge begins May 1st!
When you sign up you will choose your challenge— and have an opportunity to join or create a fundraising team.
Hear more from Nadine, Adoptive Mother and President & CEO of CHS
“I’m registered… What now?”
Sharing your Pride:
Participants will receive notifications and emails throughout April and May containing easy tips and ideas of how to draw attention to your fundraiser through email, social media, and word of mouth.
We suggest starting by letting others know that
1) you signed up for the “Go The Distance Challenge” supporting Children, Families, and Youth
2) the challenge goals you committed to, and
3) why you have chosen to support Children’s Home Society of Virginia.
For example, “I just signed up for the “Go The Distance Challenge” supporting Children, Families, and Youth. I’ve committed to logging 50 miles during the month of May (National Foster Care Month) to raise awareness and financial support for Children’s Home Society of Virginia. I hope you’ll consider joining me by accepting a challenge of your own or by donating to my fundraising goal!”
Fundraising is the Focus:
A fundraising page will be created for you while you register for a challenge with a default fundraising goal of $250. After registration—and as your challenge approaches and is underway—you can personalize your fundraising page with your story, photos, and videos and adjust your fundraising goal.
Start by linking your fundraiser to your Facebook or Instagram for added visibility!
Your Fundraising Page: a control panel for achievement:
- After signing up, visit GiveSignUp.org
- Access your profile by clicking the circle in the top right corner of the page and selecting “profile”
- Scroll down to the “Fundraising” section. Here you can find the direct link to your fundraising page, view information about donations to your fundraiser, email friends asking them to contribute, join or create a fundraising team, or edit your fundraising page.
Once you have assembled supported or teammates, you are ready to tackle your challenge during the month of May! BTW May is National Adoption Month
BTW May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize that we can each play a part in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care.
The intent of foster care is to provide a safe environment for children and youth who temporarily cannot live with their families while caregivers like CHS seek permanent homes, kinship care or reunion.
“How am I supposed to get others to join or sign up? What do I tell them?”
The best way to get your friends to participate with you or to donate to your fundraiser is to tell them why you support CHS. It is best if it includes something personal, but some suggestions are:
“I support CHS because of the great work they do supporting foster youth in Virginia”
“I support CHS because they helped me create my family”
“I support CHS because they supported me when I adopted”
“I support CHS because of the great work they do with youth who have aged out of foster care.”
“These kids really need our help right now, and this is our chance to do just that!”
“Will you give these kids $1/$5/$10 for every…mile I run…book I read…meal I bake…time I volunteer?”
GTD Ambassadors get a shirt to show everyone that you—and our GTD sponsors—are “going the distance!
Register by April 8th to ensure you receive your challenge t-shirt before May. Your colorful shirt will be delivered in early to mid-April (unless you let us know you would like to pick it up at our office.)
A great way to drive participation/donations is to take a picture or video of yourself in your t-shirt and post to social media or include as a part of your e-mail to your friends.
SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE!! The first 50 participants to raise $250 will receive a stylish CHS/Go the Distance Gaiter to help demonstrate their support for CHS.
Join The Matthews Family Team!
One of our exceptional families, the Matthews, who three years ago embarked on a lifetime journey of adoption, has stepped up again to take on the “Go the Distance” challenge. Join their team now!
“CHS has meant the world to us in our adoption journey. Their training and support has allowed us to develop the critical attachment with our son Alston that has truly changed his life and ours. Please join us in going the distance by supporting our team in the “Go the Distance” Challenge.”
By Going the Distance for CHS and encouraging your friends to do the same, you can make a huge difference in the paths of Virginia’s foster youth. Your commitment will support our commitment to getting children of Virginia’s foster care system adopted. You are stepping up for families who have adopted from the foster care system. And for youth who have aged out of foster care by providing them with the housing and services that will help them march toward their path to independence.
Please Participate in our “Go the Distance” challenge. Because we can’t have our usual annual in-person fundraising event, your participation on this event—either by taking on a challenge or supporting someone who has—is critical to our meeting our goals.
Thank you for participating in our “Go the Distance” Challenge…your timing is crucial! With your help, we can make Virginia a better place for foster youth and adoptive families. We can Go the Distance, but only with your support and peer-to-peer outreach!