Girls Club adapts to virtual setting with “Race For Scholarships”
Club hosts first ever virtual fun run, raising over $3,000
Senior Liv Nickel running the #Raceforscholarships fun run on Nov. 14. To keep it safe, participants ran by themselves throughout the day
Senior Liv Nickel knew that she and her team of Girls Club officers needed something to replace the usual income they would receive from school events for their fundraisers.
Nickel was looking for a safe way to fundraise during the pandemic. As president of the club, she decided to use the idea of a virtual fun run from another event she took part in earlier this year.
“I actually ran a fun run for Black Lives Matter in the summer that was virtual, and so I kind of got inspiration from that,” said Nickel.
While restrictions in extracurricular activities due to COVID continue, the creativity and execution to raise money for relevant causes goes on. With safety in mind, Girls Club organized their first ever virtual fun run on Nov. 14. They raised over $3,000.
I really am just most proud of how the girls as a unit of officers really took charge in being creative and in really not giving up that kind of vision of raising the most amount of money possible
— Melissa Gonzales
Before COVID, Girls Club relied on running concessions and stands at school events to fundraise for their causes; the sudden shutdown of all school activities meant that they could no longer raise money through the means of goods and services.
Even though COVID forced the hand of Girls Club to improvise their fundraising mediums, Nickel had plans pre-COVID to do something new instead of working concessions at sports games and other school events.
“When I ran for president last February, I had said some things in my speech that I wanted to change up our fundraisers this year because we always do the same things and I think there’s a lot more potential for us to fundraise more and do more than we have done in the past years,” said Nickel.
The creative aspects that came with the organization of the fun run were vital to ensure that the fundraiser was original and relevant to the cause. Instead of making posters and art to advertise, organizers made online posts on social media as well as interactive elements to display information about the fundraiser.
“I came up with the ideas to have a fundraising thermometer and I also like have been guiding the other girls in the club on how to fundraise and how to go about that so we can have the most success,” said Nickel. “But I definitely couldn’t have done it without my other officers.”
The change of fundraising mediums as well as the creative components that were vital to promoting the fundraiser didn’t haul down the fundraising goals, either. Even with COVID and restrictions, the Girls Club decided on a goal of $5,000.
“I really am just most proud of how the girls as a unit of officers really took charge in being creative and in really not giving up that kind of vision of raising the most amount of money possible,” said sponsor of Girls Club Melissa Gonzales.
The challenges that came with organizing a fundraiser during COVID was plenty for Girls Club, yet they managed to overcome each one.
One challenge that came with organizing a fun run was selling the idea to runners that safety was considered; the normal format of fun runs is that they are run in large groups. Girls Club then made sure to properly advertise how the fun run should be run.
“So we had to call it a socially distance virtual 5K run and our flyers we’ve posted on social media, we had to explain you run it individually or with family, and you run it whenever you want,” said Nickel.
Another challenge arose with communication and collaboration. Because the teams work remotely, as new members funnel in, sharing ideas can be hindered as members take longer to get to know one another, an issue prominent with remote collaboration.
“The main thing would be kind of connection with other club members, especially sophomores who are new to Girls Club and haven’t gotten to get to know everyone beforehand, so I’ve been trying to foster that community within Girls Club. The more you know each other and get along, the more productive you’ll be in fundraising,” said Nickel.
Even with these troubles, Girls Club managed to use these limitations to their advantage and stayed optimistic. Being online meant that the cause was much more accessible to people who weren’t just students and staff.
“Last night I sent out an email to all my family and friends and people that I know and extended family about this and they can participate from anywhere so in a way, being virtual does help us and does expand our realm of possibility,” said Nickel.
Another advantage that Girls Club used for this fun run was the mood that was lingering during COVID. People were more mindful and willing to participate and donate to the cause.
“I think that during COVID people have been very receptive to this event and are more willing to give and get involved in this,” said Nickel.
While the Girls Club 5K Fun Run was a more temporary solution to the COVID pandemic, Nickel still wants to continue to branch out fundraising mediums and come up with new events.
“In the future, I would love to see the Race For Scholarships become an integral part of Girls Club tradition and be an annual event. I believe any leader should always be looking for opportunities for growth, so I think Girls Club is capable of doing even more,” said Nickel.
Being one of the first successful virtual fun runs at New Trier, Girls Club are certainly a precedent for other clubs and organizations planning on raising money this year.
“It’s where you got the challenge of being creative, but being creative enough where we’re still able to keep the community connected to do it,” said Gonzales.
