Team Captain guide

2014 TEAM CAPTAIN GUIDE
Forming a team and participating in the Enbridge
CN Tower Climb for United Way is a great way
to give back to your community. Whether you’re
leading a team of four or 40, you’ll take great pride
in knowing that you’ve made a lasting difference.
Being a Team Captain is simple, and this guide offers step-by-step instructions to ensure your success—from
registering to building your team to reaching your team fundraising goal. Start today!
Note: The deadline to register your team is Wednesday, October 8, 2014, at 5 p.m., or when the event sells
out. To avoid disappointment, register your team early.
Important: Teams must consist of four or more climbers.
Step 1: Organize
Task: Register online and begin building your team
To set up your team page, visit unitedwaytoronto.com/climbforunitedway and follow these
easy steps:
• Choose the event that applies to you (e.g., Corporate Challenge 1 on Thursday, October
16; Student Climb or Public Climb on Saturday, October 18; or Corporate Challenge 2 on
Sunday, October 19)
• Agree to the waiver
• Select the “I want to start a team” button
• Enter your team name, your recruiting goal (the desired number of team members) and your
team fundraising goal*
• Continue with the registration process
*Teams of four people, for example, typically raise anywhere from $750 to $1,250.
Step 2: Recruit
Task: Continue building your team
Spread the word about your participation in the Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way—
throughout your workplace and throughout your social network—by sharing the link to your
team page. Ask folks to join you by registering online. Here’s how:
• Go to “My HQ”
• Click “Email Friends”
• Choose the desired email template from the drop-down menu: “Get Sponsors,” “Join My
Team” or “Thank Your Sponsors.” (Emails can be customized.)
• Send emails to potential team members. These emails will contain a link to your team page,
where people can sign up and join your team.
• Promote event details (and your team-building and fundraising efforts) on Facebook and
Twitter to entice others to join and/or donate.
Tip: Join us on Facebook (facebook.com/unitedwaytoronto) and Twitter (twitter.com/
unitedwayto) for up-to-date event details and exciting giveaways.
Step 3: Fundraise
Task: Encourage team members to fundraise
We ask that you (as Team Captain) encourage all team members to fundraise. Get everybody to
call on their family, friends, neighbours and co-workers.
• Go to “My HQ”
• Click “Email Friends”
• Choose the desired email template from the drop-down menu: “Get Sponsors,” “Join My
Team” or “Thank Your Sponsors.” (Emails can be customized.)
• Send emails to potential sponsors. These emails will contain a link to your team page, where
people can easily make a pledge.
• Promote your participation in the event on Facebook and Twitter to gather donations. Be sure to share your team goal and fundraising ideas, and keep everyone aware of your
team’s progress.
Minimum fundraising requirements must be submitted by Wednesday, October 8 at 5 p.m. They are per person, as follows:
• Corporate Challenge 1 (Thursday, October 16): $100
• Public Climb (Saturday, October 18): $75
• Student Climb (Saturday, October 18): $35 for primary/secondary school participants; $50 for
post-secondary school participants
• Corporate Challenge 2 (Sunday, October 19): $75
Tip: Encourage all team members to jumpstart fundraising efforts by making a personal
contribution, which will show up on their personal fundraising pages. From here, team
members can ask others to match their donation (try targeting 10 friends each!) and take
advantage of our online fundraising tools.
Step 4: Participate
Task: Do the climb and continue to fundraise
• Team Captains can pick up their team kit on the day of the climb, at registration. (Please
check the arrival time specific to your climb.) Kits will not be sent ahead of the event.
• Hand in any offline pledges (i.e., cash and cheques), if applicable, and a completed pledge
form, when you pick up your team kit.
Step 5: Continue to fundraise
Task: Continue to fundraise
• Encourage team members to continue fundraising. The fundraising deadline (and everyone’s
chance for great prizes!) is Friday, November 14 at 5 p.m.
Tip: Ensure that team members have asked all of their potential sponsors (including family,
friends, neighbours, co-workers, company vendors, etc.) for a donation. Send a final reminder
to those who have been contacted, but who have not yet donated. Don’t forget, it generally
takes three emails to get someone to act!
Win great prizes
The following prizes are available to all participants of the Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way:
• The top fundraiser will be awarded a weekend getaway, courtesy of Via Rail and Fairmont
Hotels and Resorts.
• Gift cards can be earned by reaching milestone fundraising levels (starting at $250).
• All participants who raise $2,500 (or more) will be entered into a draw to win a Toronto
“Staycation” featuring dinner for two at 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower and a deluxe
one night stay at the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel.
For complete prizing details, visit unitedwaytoronto.com/climbforunitedway.
Event day
Here are a few guidelines for making your climb as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Please share this information with your team members!
Note: The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is also scheduled for Sunday, October 19,
2014. Many roads in the downtown core will be closed. For road-closure info, visit
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/faq/faqclosures.htm#when.
• Arrive early to Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, Hall C, 255 Front Street
West. Please confirm your date as well as all key times.
• Team Captains pick up all electronic timing chips, hand in any pledges and waivers* (if applicable). Team members leave coats and other personal items with the provided coat check.
• The climb takes about 30 minutes, once your team leaves Hall C.
• There may be unforeseen delays in waiting to climb the CN Tower. These delays are to
ensure your safety, and we appreciate your patience.
• Keep to the right, to allow faster climbers to pass.
• Pick up a bottle of water on the glass-floor level at the top of the CN Tower.
• The top of the CN Tower can get very busy and warm during the climb. In the interest
of public safety, please make your way back to ground level (via the elevators) as soon as possible.
• Return to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, Hall C, 255 Front Street
West, to receive your official 2014 Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way T-shirt, and to
enjoy our onsite activities.
• Only climbers who have submitted the minimum required fundraising amount will be
elegible to climb.
*Climbers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult (21 or older). Waivers must be
signed by a legal guardian prior to the event, and by the climber and adult (21 or older) at the
event. Waivers signed by legal guardians must be presented at the climb. Download a waiver
here: unitedwaytoronto.com/climbforunitedway.
Step wisely
Please keep these pointers in mind for the event:
• It’s a hands-free climb. THIS POLICY IS STRICTLY ENFORCED. Climbers are NOT permitted
to carry anything up the stairwell, including the following: water bottles or camel packs;
backpacks; infants/children and strollers; cell phones, cameras or any electronic devices, such
as portable music players. Volunteers, event staff, security and CN Tower staff cannot hold
personal items for climbers.
Fanny packs are permitted for the purposes of carrying identification and keys only. For your
comfort, hydrating stations will be provided before your climb (in Hall C) and after your climb (at the top of the CN Tower).
• You’ll need the right gear. For your safety, proper athletic footwear must be worn. Sandals
and costumes are NOT permitted in the stairwell.
More information
If you have any questions, please email us at unitedwayevents@uwgt.org. In the meantime, happy recruiting and happy fundraising. See you at the top!