What is Spring For A Cure?
Spring For A Cure started out as two separate ideas. Lots of talking, and what seemed like an eternity later, Spring For A Cure was born. The hopes for the first year (2008) weren't very high. $5,000 seemed like a lofty goal! Instead, almost three times that much was raised and sent off to Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The response to the second year (2009) was even greater and we were able to raise over $20,000!
There are many things that Spring For A Cure is not . . . the most noticeable of which is that Spring For A Cure is not a charity in and of itself. Spring For A Cure is the vehicle by which donations are made to two very worthy and noble organizations. What does this mean for you? Well, your donations are still tax deductible; however you won't receive a receipt from either Komen or LLS unless you make your check out directly to either one of the organizations. If this is a problem because you, like most people, have made your check out to SFAC, we can look into requesting receipts -- on your behalf -- for the amount of your donation from either or both of our benefitting organizations.
How much do you spend on the event?
We also try to do absolutely everything -- and we do mean EVERYTHING -- on a donation basis. We see no reason to pay lots of money for something if we can get it donated. Doing so only takes away from the final totals that we can give to Komen and LLS. Some people wonder if that's really how things should be done and the answer to that question is simple...at least to us it's simple. We feel strongly that the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" We're not here to make money, we're here to raise it and give it away! We don't keep a penny beyond what is left in the SFAC bank account to keep it active in between each event. We also don't pay anyone to work for us. Anyone who goes out to get donations on behalf of SFAC is a volunteer. This is how we want it. Sure, we've thought about becoming a "real" charity, but we know it would take away from our ultimate goal. And that goal is to put funds in the hands of people who will do the research and find the cure!
How can I be a part of Spring For A Cure?
We're always looking for others to help us in our efforts and there are several ways you can help. We're always in need of sponsors -- major monetary donors as well as event day sponsors. We also need donors for our Chinese & Silent Auctions. Of course, there's also always the need for people to sell tickets and people to work at the event. If you'd like to volunteer in any way please Contact Us.
As a sponsor, what kind of benefits will I receive?
We are extremely grateful to all of our sponsors, therefore we try to put their names out in front of all of our guests as much as possible. All Sponsorship levels include a link here on our web site as well as wall signage (unless otherwise noted) at the event. In addition to these benefits, our sponsors also receive:
Platinum Sponsor: receives 8 tickets & two pages in event booklet
Gold Sponsor: receives 6 tickets & one page in event booklet
Silver Sponsor: receives 4 tickets & 3/4 page in event booklet
Bronze Sponsor: receives 2 tickets & 1/2 page in event booklet
Table Sponsor: receives 2 tickets & signage on one table*
(* Please note that the table signage does not reserve a table for you, it mearly
advertises your donation to others at the event and to those who are seated at that
table.)
Can I reserve a table at the event?
We have tried doing this in the past and run into problems. Whether it was someone who felt they deserved a closer table, someone who felt their view would have been better at a different table or a table sponsor who felt they deserved to sit at the table with their signage on it, many issues made us come to the conclusion that reserving tables just isn't a good idea. The only tables that we do reserve are generally for volunteers or our families (who we know won't complain). We're sorry if this frustrates some people but we strive to make sure that every seat is a great seat!
