*Hello Gators,* Gatorthon is our one annual club fundraiser, raising funds for the YMCA's Annual Campaign, and the club has provided outstanding support that has resulted in raising $1,000+ in 2015 as part of the original Gatorthon and $1,500+ last year as part of Gatorthon II. This year we'd like to see if we can continue that positive trend. We already have a record 29 runners committed to performing in the team treadmill marathon relays and it's very possible that we might break last year's record of 9 completed marathons (we're still accepting entries if you'd like to join in). Let's see if we can set a donation record as well! Gatorthon III will take place on Sunday, February 26. Between now and then, there are several ways that you and your friends, family, and coworkers can donate. Before we cover the ways to donate, you might ask... What is the "Annual Campaign"? And how are the funds raised used? The Annual Campaign is the YMCA's largest annual fundraising event and the purpose is to raise funds that are fed directly back to the local community to help fund participation in the YMCA's programs and activities; significant emphasis is placed on engaging children from low income families. Some examples of activities funded include... - Youth swim lessons - Youth sport league participation - Annual YMCA memberships - Youth special needs program assistance - Summer Day Camp funding - After school programming and child care Go to this link for more information about the Annual Campaign: https://philaymca.org/locations/spring-valley/annual-campaign/ *If you are in a position to do so, please consider supporting the Annual Campaign with a donation to Gatorthon.* There are several ways that you can donate including... - For single amount donations... - The easiest approach... Go to the following link: Gatorthon Donations <https://operations.daxko.com/Features/OnlineGiving/DonationDetails.aspx?cid=3109&campaign=15286&campaigner=10425837>. All donations to this link will automatically be tracked as contributions to Gatorthon. - The old school approach... Complete a pledge card at the YMCA. They are located in the Wellness Center. Please note on the card that your donation is for "Gatorthon". - The slightly more complicated approach... Type in the link on the attached flyer and follow the instructions to ensure the donation is counted towards the Gatorthon total (a couple of additional steps are required versus the link above). - For "per mile" donations, please send an email to gatorstri@gmail.com with the amount per mile along with the name of the person that the donation is going towards... For these donations, we'll catch up with the donors following the event. Donations can be for 26.2 miles or towards a specific individual and the mileage they run in the event. Also, please consider forwarding either this entire email or the flyer and/or the link above to your family, friends, and co-workers to give us an even greater chance of topping last year's total. There is also a new link on our YMCA Gators website that you can use if you'd like to promote the club along with Gatorthon... https://philaymca.org/locations/spring-valley/healthwellness/spring-valley-multisport-gators/ . *And if you work for a company that provides matching donations, *those are gladly welcomed as well! Simply have your company use the donation button and note that it is a match for your donation. You can also include any additional paperwork that your company requires. Please be sure to check with your employer to see if this is an option as it's a great way to significantly increase our total. Please reply to this email with any questions. Thanks for your support! We're looking forward to a fantastic Gatorthon event!!! *Spring Valley YMCA Multisport Gators Leadership Team*