Biggest Loser Fundraiser
Every year, my friend Tina signs up for multiple Team in Training charity athletic events, to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I just went to her latest fundraiser, which she is calling “The Biggest Loser” fundraiser, based on the popularity of the TV show with the same name.
First Official Weigh-in
We all met at a local restaurant, where we had drinks and dinner, kind of like the last super, before the first official weigh in. The scale was off to the side, so you could weigh yourself and record your weight on a chart, without the rest of the attendees seeing your weight. Everyone that is participating in the fundraiser filled out a sheet with their name, email address and phone number. There is a blank table on each persons page so Tina can record your weekly weigh in. Participants paid $20 each, with $10 going to Tina’s fundraising efforts, and the other $10 going to the final winner of “The Biggest Loser” fundraiser.
Rocks in Your Pocket
My husband is the biggest kid I know. He loaded up his pockets with plastic bags full of coins before being weighed. But there was a rumor on Facebook that morning that he was going to load his pockets with rocks, so he didn’t get away with his plan. He just did it to be funny. HA-HA! He was talking trash to all the contestants at the restaurant, saying how he’s going to win the contest. He was the biggest guy there, but the contest is based on percentage of weight lost, not total pounds lost.
RULES: You must weigh in by the end of the day on the following dates and email your weight to Tina.
- August 1 – First weigh in at Chili’s restaurant – 4 PM
- August 15
- August 29
- September 12
- September 26
- October 10
- October 24
- November 7 – last weigh in, can’t be emailed. The last weigh in will be at a local restaurant, similar to the first weigh in.
Lots of Prizes
Every weigh in date, the percentage of weight lost will be calculated for those two weeks. The individual that has the best weight loss percentage for those two weeks, will win the prize for that weigh in. There are seven prizes total; six weekly prizes which will be a gift certificate to a local business, with the final prize being 50% of the money collected from all the participants at the first weigh in. The final weigh in will be the total percentage lost calculated from the first weigh in through the last weigh in. The individual with the highest percentage weight loss will be crowned “The Biggest Loser”.
I’m competing in my very first half ironman duathlon on November 8. I’ll be going down the night before for packet pick-up, race clinic, bike drop off and body markings, so I won’t be able to make the final weigh in. But Tina says she will work with anyone that can’t make the official last weigh in. I might be able to meet her at her house the night before.
If I win the competition, I will probably donate most of the money back to Tina for her Team in Training fundraising campaign. Sounds like an interesting idea for a fundraiser, and a great way to loose a few pounds.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
This sounds like a really fun and challenging event. I especially like the percentage method versus an absolute number!
It sounds as though she’s one month in. I’d love to hear how it’s going.