Walk Stars! The Ritan Park Walk-a-Thon Helps Kids
Want to be a "walk star"!? Then go the extra mile for a good cause and join the Ritan 50 Walk-a-Thon on Saturday, Nov 26 and raise money for Maovember (www.maovember.com), the annual Beijing-born event that donates 100 percent of its fundraising total to local charities.
The idea is simple. Participants will gather at Ritan Park and walk five laps, ten laps, 20 laps or — the ultimate — 50 laps. You can go solo or enter as a relay team, with each participant shouldering part of the load.
Each 1.5 km lap raises money for Maovember’s 2022 designated charity, The Library Project (www.library-project.org), which funds books, chairs, tables and more for rural schools.
Here’s how you can take part:
Q
What time does it start?
A
Any time you’d like! For an average brisk walker, each 1.5km lap will take around 15-20 minutes to complete. That means ten laps (15 km) will take anywhere from two and a half to five hours. If you start at 9am, you will finish at lunch time. If you start at 2pm, you will finish late afternoon.
Those doing more laps can pick the time that best suits them. Some planning to go for 50 laps (75 km) will put their shoes on the ground when Ritan Park opens at 6am.
Start in the pre-dawn hours if you wish ... park opens at 6am!
Q
How are the laps counted?
A
Every time you complete a lap, you’ll take a selfie with your lap number. There will also be a rest station stocked with water, snacks, a place to store your bag … and of course plenty of encouragement. Jia you!
Q
How do I raise money?
A
Each "Walk Star" asks friends, co-workers and acquaintances to be their sponsors. For example, if a friend sponsors you ten kuai per lap, and you walk ten laps, you raise 100 kuai. We suggest a minimum pledge of RMB 1000 per walker – make that your target! You will collect the money from your sponsors yourself. More sponsors equals more money, and more money equals more books for The Library Project.
Q
How do I donate the money?
A
Once you gather your sponsor money, you will send your total directly to The Library Project using our special QR code. After the money is transferred, you will see your name and donation listed. You will also receive a certificate showing your donation total and how many years of reading it will fund.
Q
What else is in it for me?
A
Aside from the warm fuzzy feeling you’ll get from contributing to charity and getting a good workout, there will also be medals for everyone at the end, free foot massage vouchers for the first 30 people who raise over RMB 1000, and an afterparty where the first beer is on us.
Q
I’m in! How do I participate?
A
Join our Ritan Mao-a-thon WeChat Group here:
Easy as pie, you can ask all your other questions there.
Q
Damn, I’m out of town / busy that day but I sure would like to help the Library Project.
A
No problem, feel free to donate – you can always get the link to do so (as well as a list of other Maovember events) at maovember.com
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