Blog #2 - The Walk to End HIV

Volunteering at The Walk to End HIV

I volunteered for United Way National Capital Area’s Motivation Station at The Walk to End HIV on October 24,2015. This fundraising walk and 5K timed run benefits and is organized by Whitman-Walker Health and took place at Freedom Plaza.

Some of the signs we used at our motivation station.

When I arrived that morning there was a miscommunication between the organization I volunteered with and the event organizer about whether we would have a tent at our station as we had received in previous years. As it turned out we would not receive a tent this year because the city permits for tables at our location were denied. However, we were still able to motivate the walkers and runners as they approached the finish line. 

We found a solution so we could still be an involved sponsoring group. Instead of having tables under the tent for the music, candy, donuts and water bottles some volunteers were assigned to hold signs and others were designated to hold the snacks and offer them to walkers or runners as they passed by. No matter what our jobs were we all cheered loudly for the walkers and runners that passed by. 

Heroes running towards the finish line!

Something that caught my attention was the race’s marketing tagline. It read “Super Heroes Don’t Fly They Walk To End HIV”. They did a good job of incorporating it into the race and it’s date, since it was so close to halloween. Race organizers asked race participants to wear hero costumes  to take part of this event. Most participants did which resulted in a fun, high energy race and walk for a great cause. I believe the theme of the run did a great job of incorporating the spirit of the upcoming holiday and the cause of the event. 

  

Overall, it was great to see how to support a fundraising event from the sponsor perspective! 

The organizers did a great job of incorporating the upcoming Halloween spirit!