Girls on the Run welcomes registrants for SoleMale competitive fundraising event

Our GOTR guys have cheered us on for 5 years, so we thought we’d give you one chance to participate . . . but just one chance through an online fundraiser.

NEW for 2015:

The opportunity to be the SuperGirl and SoleMale will be available through an online fundraiser!

How it works:

• Each potential SoleMale will sign up for an online fundraising account online beginning February 1, 2015 and March 15, 2015. (There is a $10 set-up fee for all fundraisers.)
• Choose your SuperGirl(s)--if you do not have a GOTR participant this year, you may select a team as your SuperGirl squad. (Contact Charity Stewart for details.)
• Once registration is complete, you will receive access to a customizable webpage. Update this page with your plea to be the next SoleMale and send the link out to friends and family.
• At 5:00 pm on April 5, 2015, the SoleMale fundraiser will close and the SuperGirl and her SoleMale will be announced.

What you’ll receive:

• Personal and customizable online fundraising webpage
• Fundraising tips and ideas
• SoleMale Thank You cards
• Fun Incentives
  

Rules:

• Any male interested in becoming the SoleMale can sign up as a fundraiser. The highest fundraiser on April 5, 2015 will be the next SoleMale.
• The SoleMale does not have to run the 5k. Walking, skipping, prancing, and strolling are all welcome and encouraged.
• All online donations are charged immediately and go directly to Girls on the Run of Stark County.
• All donations are nonrefundable.
• All donations raised go to Girls on the Run of Stark County, regardless of whether the potential SoleMale wins.
• The SoleMale must be able to pass a background check. If the winning SoleMale does not meet this requirement, he will not be permitted to participate and the second highest fundraiser will be selected.
• Girls on the Run of Stark County reserves the right to refuse participation in the 5k for any reason.
• Any offline donations received must be delivered to GOTR Stark within 1 week. Proper donation receipts and records of all offline donations must be kept by all participants and should be made available to GOTR Stark upon request or the close of the fundraiser.

Sign up as a SoleMale fundraiser online here through March 15th.

2014 Recap

Bidding started at $25 when the auction opened on March 29, and reached $300 the day before the auction closed.

The GOTR 5-Year Celebration kicked off at 10:00 am, and by 11:30am bidding had reached $600. During the event, Dr. John Sutton, the GOTR Stark Board Chair, issued a challenge: if anyone passed his planned maximum bid of $1,000--resulting from funds doanted by friends, family, and coworkers, as well as his own money--the full amount would be donated to Girls on the Run.

Bidding took off shortly after this announcement—passing $1,000 within just a few minutes as several of the SoleMale bidders were present. In the last 10 minutes of the online auction, the dining area was filled with chatter as participants checked their phones and shared the highest bid.

Bidding closed at noon with the highest bid of $1,800, placed by Steve Marrero of Massillon. His daughter is a first-year GOTR participant.

As part of their community service project, the SuperGirl chose to allow her team to select the SoleMale’s outfit through fundraising for several local nonprofits. The girls selected 4 nonprofits and assigned costumes to each. They then collected donations for each nonprofit. The highest amount raised determined Mr. Marrero’s costume. The results were amazing:

American Cancer Society - $554

Akron Children’s Hospital - $389

Susan Komen - $365

Humane Society - $267

Mr. Marrero’s costume included cancer ribbons and a colorful tutu to represent all types of cancer.