Books for Bikes
| First Name | Robin |
| Last Name | Ellis |
| robin.bree@yahoo.com | |
| Club Name | Kinette Club of Saskatoon and District |
| District # | 3 |
| Number of Members | 41-60 |
| Community Size | Large community or metropolis (100,000+) |
| Community Type | Urban |
| Project Name | Books for Bikes |
| Type of Project (check all that apply) | Ticketed event (Gala, Princess Ball, Comedy Fest, Lip Sync Battle, Trivia Night etc.) |
| If other, please describe | We partner with two community schools to give out backpacks, school supplies, and bikes with helmets and locks. |
| Was this project a fundraiser? | No |
| Description of project | Each year, our club will put on a Ladies Night Out with a different theme, for example, Denim and Diamonds or Casino night. A portion of these proceeds will go to our Books for Bikes project. The purpose of this project is to supply students at two inner-city schools with prizes, as a reward for improving their reading levels. There are a total of 8 recipients per school; 4 students (2 boys and 2 girls) from grades 1-4, and 4 students from grades 5-8. A boy and a girl from the younger grades will win a bike, helmet and bike lock, and a boy and a girl will win a backpack filled with school supplies. The same applies to the older grades. From January until June, we distribute posters for the school classrooms, encouraging the students to increase their reading in order to achieve higher reading levels, and in order to be entered into a draw to win. In turn, we are helping to improve their literacy skills and providing 8 students per school with a prize. We are hoping to expand to more schools in the upcoming years. Time spent on this project requires planning for the Ladies Night Out (a sub-committee is made), as well as contacting the school, dropping off posters, doing the draw at the school for the winners, and co-ordinating where and when to meet the students to pick out their bikes. |
| Service Hours | 21-50 |
| Did you leverage this project as a way to recruit new members? | No |
| If you answered yes to the question above, please explain: | |
| How was this project promoted in your community? | Facebook, our club's website, posters within the school. We are hoping to get some media coverage for this coming year to get the word out more. It was also promoted through picatik, where we sold our Ladies Night Out tickets. In addition, we reached out the the other clubs in our area for donations of school supplies and were graciously offered some money to help purchase the items. |
| What were some challenges you faced with this project, and how could your project be improved? | We will require more money in our club account in order to be able to expand this project to more schools, as we rely on the proceeds from our Ladies Night Out for the majority of the cost. We could improve this by doing more advertising and asking for donations. We are also trying to pair up with one business and getting some sort of agreement to partner with them for a minimum of 5 years, to prevent having to contact them each year and ask about discounts/donations. |
| What was the approximate budget for this project? | Less than $1,000 |
| If the project was a fundraiser, what were the sources of revenue for this project? | Ladies Night Out Donations from other clubs and community members |
| If this was a fundraiser, how much money was raised (minus expenses)? | Not Applicable |
| What were the expenses for this project? | Purchasing bicycles, locks, helmets, backpacks, and school supplies. |
| Is there anything else you would like to share that would assist another club in duplicating this project in their community? |