Where does the money go?
All the money raised in this event goes entirely to support the ministry of Paratrekker Project of Ambassadors For Christ in Canada.
Ambassadors For Christ in Canada (AFC) is a government-registered non-profit charity organization. Our vision is that generations of Chinese students in Canada will become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Through innovative programs and personal mentoring, AFC helps students understand the Gospel and integrate the Christian faith with their everyday life.
Paratrekker Project is a new service offer by AFC, which provides advocacy for students who are in need. Our service includes counseling referral, providing financial support, and other on-going support.
Who can join the AFC Hikathon?
EVERYONE is encourage to join! whether you are an energetic student, a mundane cubical officer, a mom, or a totally-lack-of-exercise couch potato, even if you are a stay-in-the-house-n-sit-in-front-of-computer-all-day guy (宅男),
you are encourage to join.
Why should I join as a group?
You can only participate this event as a team of 6 or more. But having said that, the mini-challenges are design so that the more people you have in a team, the easier it’ll be to win, more the merrier. So, it’s not just a matter of joining as a team, but to gather all your friends and try to form the biggest team.
Do I need to go if I’m not the runner of my team?
Yes! While the runner is racing, your team is already enrolled in a set of mini-challenges that does not require as high a level of physical strength and endurance. Moreover, the event scoring method is designed so that all three aspects of the event: the fund raising, the hike, and the mini-challenges, all contribute to the team score and with that determine the top 3 winning teams. Hence, your participation that day is just as crucial.
Where do I get sponsors?
Anyone and everyone can be a sponsor - parents, siblings, relatives, neighbors, church aunties and uncles, work colleagues, school classmates, friends... Identify all possible and the best means to reach them, either call directly, through email, MSN, Facebook, or approach them directly in person. When they are hesitant at first or ask for additional time before making a contribution, do not be discourage. Just remember to kindly follow-up with them at a later convenient time. Remember, the more people you approach, the greater the chances of contributing to the team’s target goal.
How can I get started?
Organize a team of 6 or more people, meet and strategically set a target goal. Make a strategic plan on how the team can achieve the target donation goal. Then assign each member specific donors to approach to avoid having multiple team members approaching the same person for donation.
To start, we suggest estimating each team member to be able to gather $200 donation per person - of course you can adjust this estimate according to the size of your network, and your friendliness and aggressiveness in approaching people. Previous years, some people has raised as much as over $1000, while some only $50. Do not compare and be discourage by the amount you can collect, as that is not the only priority you should put into this event.
Do you accept donations online?
We understand that many people prefer to make contributions online at their own convenience. However, we currently are unable to accept online donations due to technical issues. We are working on it and hope to provide this service in the near future.
Is the donation tax deductible?
Yes, all donations above $20 will receive a tax receipt in the mail by early next year. Hence, make sure the donor’s address on the form is legible to have the mail correctly mailed.
Can I join without raising money?
Sure, but why? You are engaging in something meaningful and can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives, and it is worth every effort to share this with the people around you.
When and where can I get more details about this event?
Once you have submitted your application form, you will receive a confirmation email ensuring you will receive all future updates through email. If you still have not receive any confirmation email after 3 working days of submitting your form, please contact hikathon2010@afccanada.org. You can also get latest updates on website: www.afcvancouver.org/hikathon.