Fundraising Tips for Power Walkers!

The Dress for Success 2013 Power Walk is only a month away! We know you are all getting excited for the walk and we wanted to share a few tips on how to maximize your fundraising.

• Start now if you haven’t already! It’s best to let everyone know why you have committed to Dress for Success and the impact that the organization has on our community. You can let people know that Dress for Success Vancouver successfully helped over 2100 women in 2012!

• Set an individual or team fundraising goal and write it down. By writing your target on paper, you’ll hold yourself accountable to raising your set amount. You can then make a timeline on how much you would like to raise by what dates so that reaching your goal is attainable.

• Use internet marketing and social media to recruit teammates and raise funds. Sending out a group email can be an effective way to reach out to your network and encourage people to donate. Utilizing social media channels like Facebook and Twitter can also be a great way to raise money. You can use our Facebook cover photo to help create awareness for the Power Walk, which can be found on our Dress for Success Vancouver Facebook page. It’s also very important to tweet and update your Facebook status letting people know that you are fundraising for a great cause!

• Get people from work involved! Starting a team at work can help you and other employees meet corporate responsibility goals for an incredible local cause. You can then create a work display or plan a lunch event to spread the word within the workplace and raise money to reach your fundraising goals.

We know that each one of you can meet and even exceed your personal and team fundraising goals! Through all of your efforts, we can help Dress for Success empower women in Vancouver and make a positive impact in their lives!

We can’t wait to see you all at Oakridge on May 11^th for the 2013 Power Walk!

Meet our Power Walk 2013 Ambassador - Elisabeth Walker-Young

We are so thrilled to have Elisabeth Walker-Young back as one of our ambassador’s for the Dress for Success Vancouver Power Walk 2013! As an active contributor to the community, Elisabeth Walker-Young is an inspiration to us all.

Elisabeth has made a huge impact in the Paralympic community and radiates commitment and determination. Recently, Elisabeth played a crucial role in the London 2012 Paralympic Games as Canada’s Assistant Chef de Mission. Bringing an athlete-centred perspective to this core leadership role, Elisabeth contributed to the planning and delivery of operations in London, proudly supporting all members of Team Canada both on and off the field of play.

Elisabeth has been monumental to the contribution of promoting the Paralympic Movement. In London, Walker-Young served as CTV’s English language commentator for the broadcasts of both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. This was a perfect platform for her to share her passion and expertise for parasport with Canadian audiences. In addition, Elisabeth acted as a liaison with the Canadian Paralympic Committee's (CPC) corporate and government partners during the Games. Elisabeth’s active social media presence allowed her to contribute to the influence and connection with Canadians and the sport community.

As a result of her role in the London Paralympic Games, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS) named Elisabeth one of the Most Influential Women of 2012. Additionally, she was a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, recognized as an athlete and builder.

Elisabeth was a 13-year member of the Canadian Paralympic Swim Team, having represented Canada at 4 Summer Paralympic Games from Barcelona 1992 through to Athens 2004. Throughout her swimming career, she broke numerous Canadian and World records, bringing home 6 Paralympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze) while having the opportunity to use her leadership skills as team captain for more than half of her career.

Following her athletics career, Elisabeth took everything she learned as a professional athlete and focused on a career path in sport management. From the development, management, and evaluation of program and events, Elisabeth continually challenges herself and others in raising the bar.

Elisabeth is an advocate for healthy living and enjoys teaching spin classes which allows her to share her love and knowledge of an active, healthy lifestyle with her class participants. A resident of Deep Cove, Elisabeth loves hiking, walking, running and snowshoeing in the trails with her husband, Ian and her dog, Joey.

We are so excited to partner with such an amazing and inspirational woman.  Join Elisabeth and Dress for Success Vancouver for The Power Walk 2013!