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WELCOME TO THE BFK VIRTUAL 5K WALK/RUN!

  • WHEN

    We're encouraging participants to complete their 5K any time from November 6th to November 8th.

  • WHERE

    Wherever you are! A virtual 5K means you can participate in any location: on your street, in your local park, or even on your treadmill! Join in wherever you feel safe and have room to move.

  • WHO

    Anyone! You can participate regardless of age, gender, or ability. Just like in the library, all are welcome.

  • WHY

    Your support makes it possible for us to be there for our young readers every step of the way this school year. Literacy is a right and a necessity. Together we can set kids up for a lifetime of success.

 Ready to get involved? 

Want to have your photos featured on our website and Instagram? Send photos of you training for and/or participating in the virtual 5K to info@booksfokids.org

Frequently Asked Questions for Participants

What is a "virtual" 5K walk/run?

This is the 3rd annual BFK 5K walk/run, but our very first "virtual" 5K. The 5K has been an incredibly successful fundraiser for Books for Kids, and participants over the last two years have found it both deeply fullfilling and fun! Rather than cancel due to COVID, we decided to do what we do best: adapt! How we fundraise may be changing, but the need is not. In fact, the need is only growing. A virtual 5K means you can participate from anywhere you feel safe to do so, be it your street, your local park, or even your treadmill! A 5K is equivalent to about 3.2 miles. All ages, genders, and abilities are able to participate, and you can also participate on your own time any day between November 6th and November 8th. Whether you walk your course alone, run socially-distanced, or amble with your COVID "pod," we wanted to make it as easy as possible to get involved this year. We also hope to create a similar feeling of community by using our Instagram (@booksforkidsorg) to share photos, stories, and victories from those who join in and those who show their support. So keep your eye out for updates!



How do I start my own team or fundraiser?

Thank you for participating! We're so glad to have you join us. To create a team page or individual fundraiser, head to https://booksforkids.kindful.com/virtual5k2020 and follow these steps:
1. Click the "create a team" button at the top of the cause page.

2. Sign in or register for a new account.

3. From here, you can customize your fundraising goal, your team name, page quote, and "about" language. This can all be changed at any time. NOTE: For those who want to fundraise as individuals: you do not have to fundraise as part of a team and you are welcome to simply put your name in the "team name" box.
NOTE: For those who want to create a team: The page you are creating now will be the team home page and you will be the Team Leader. You will also have a PERSONAL fundraising page as a team member.

4. Next, you can choose your team's theme colors, profile picture, and header image/video. This can all be changed at any time.

5. From the next page, you can choose to spread the word via Twitter and Facebook, view your new page, or invite people to join your team if you intend to make this a team effort. If you invite people from this page, you can customize your email language and choose which email addresses you would like to send to.

6. When you view your page, you will first see the "editor" version of your Team Page where you can make changes and adjust settings. If you would like to view the public version of your Team Page, click the "Public Team Page" button. Here are some settings you may wish to adjust from the editor page: - Team Name - Team Quote - Team About - Profile Photo - Profile Header Image/Video
7. Under "Edit Team Info" you can adjust: - Your goal - Whether you would like to have the ability to invite others to join your team or fundraise as an individual - Your theme colors
NOTE: If you are fundraising as part of a team, team goals are divided equally among all team members. They cannot create their own individual goals.
8. If your intent is to create a team and you are a Team Leader, you should also customize your Personal Page. Your team members will be able to customize their Personal Pages but will not be able to edit the team page.



How do I invite others to join my team?

You can invite others during or after the creation of your team page. If you invite others after you create your page, your will see the option "Invite Team Member" on the upper right hand side of your fundraising page's editor screen. You can only invite members from this screen one at a time.



Is this 5K competitive?

Overall, this year's 5K does not have a competition element. That said, for those who are motivated by a little competition, participants are encouraged to send us their completion times for their 5K. We will share and shout the 5 participants with the fastest race time and the 5 top fundraisers on our Instagram.



Do I have to pay to participate or reach a minimum fundraising amount?

No! It is free to participate in this year's 5K walk/run. When you sign up as a participant or fundraiser, the default fundraising goal is set to $500. You can change this at anytime through your page settings, and raising is always encouraged!



How do people donate to my fundraiser?

You are encouraged to share the direct link to your Personal Fundraising Page or Team Page with potential donors. You can find this link in the url box at the top of your browser when you are on your public fundraising page. It will look like this: https://www.booksforkids.kindful.com/virtual5k2020/your-team-name. When people give directly through your fundraising page, we can be sure you get all the credit you're due and that it counts toward your fundraising goal.

NOTE: When you have more than one team member, donors can pick which team member to credit their gift to. If you are fundraising as an individual or do not yet have more than yourself on your team, this option will not be present and the credit will automatically go to you.

NOTE: Please do not share the "general donation" link on the general cause page (https://booksforkids.kindful.com/virtual5k2020) as it will not credit your team or personal fundraiser!



How will the money I raise be used?

Your gift will go so incredibly far toward helping us support our youngest readers as we help them develop their emergent literacy skills. Books for Kids promotes literacy among preschool-aged children in under-resourced communities. We create libraries and implement literacy programs in order to help children develop the critical early literacy and social-emotional skills they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.

We imagine a nation where every child from birth to Kindergarten is surrounded by books, has an adult who reads with them every day, and has access to high-quality early education that provides a foundation for a lifelong love of reading and learning. Your support helps bring this vision closer to reality. Especially during this difficult school year when our students and their families must face both new and exacerbated challenges due to COVID, your support helps us keep our virtual programming up and running so that we reach as many of our students as possible. Your gift also helps us be ready to pivot back to in-person learning wherever and whenever it is safe to do so. All donations to the Books for Kids Virtual 5K Walk/Run are 100% tax deductible.



How do I spread the word about my fundraiser?

On each team page there are social share buttons you can use to spread the word on Twitter and Facebook. It populates a prewritten post that you can customize. It's always effective for your loved ones, friends, and colleagues to hear from you directly about your participation and why you support this cause. As much as they care about supporting emergent literacy among all children, they care about YOU. So reach out from the heart, whether in a phone call, email, social post, or (safely) in person, and let them know why reaching your goal is so important to you. Check back on this page soon, as we'll have a social media kit with photos for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to help out!



I've been invited to join a team! What do I do?

We're so excited to have you with us!

Follow the prompts to sign in or sign up for a new account. You'll then be brought to your team's page. On the upper right hand side you will see a link for "Personal Page" which is where you can customize the following: - Your name - Your profile photo - Your about and quote areas To spread the word and ask for donations, share the link to either your personal Public Page or your Public Team Page! If you share the team page and someone clicks "donate now," they will have the option to choose which team member to credit with their gift. If you share your personal Public Page, credit will automatically go to you. NOTE: You cannot customize your own fundraising goal. The team's goal is split between all members.

NOTE: Please do not share the "general donation" link on the general cause page ( https://booksforkids.kindful.com/virtual5k2020) as it will not credit your team or personal fundraiser!



 

Frequently Asked Questions for Donors

How do I support my loved one/friend/colleague who is participating?

You are encouraged to make your gift directly on the personal fundraising page of the person you wish to support. You may have received a link from the participant (It will look like: https://www.booksforkids.kindful.com/virtual5k2020/their-team-name), or you may find their fundraising page on the cause homepage directory (which you'll find at https://www.booksforkids.kindful.com/virtual5k2020). When you give directly through their fundraising page, we can be sure they get all the credit they're due and that it counts toward their fundraising goal.

Please only give through the "general donation" button at the top of the cause page if you don't have a specific team you are supporting and wish to support the Books for Kids Virtual 5K in general.



How is my donation used and is it tax deductible?

All donations to the Books for Kids Virtual 5K Walk/Run are 100% tax deductible. Your gift will go so incredibly far toward helping us support our youngest readers as we help them develop their emergent literacy skills. Books for Kids promotes literacy among preschool-aged children in under-resourced communities. We create libraries and implement literacy programs in order to help children develop the critical early literacy and social-emotional skills they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.

We imagine a nation where every child from birth to Kindergarten is surrounded by books, has an adult who reads with them every day, and has access to high-quality early education that provides a foundation for a lifelong love of reading and learning. Your support helps bring this vision closer to reality. Especially during this difficult school year when our students and their families must face both new and exacerbated challenges due to COVID, your support helps us keep our virtual programming up and running so that we reach as many of our students as possible. Your gift also helps us be ready to pivot back to in-person learning wherever and whenever it is safe to do so.



How can I share my support or spread the word?

On each team page there are social share buttons you can use to spread the word on Twitter and Facebook. It populates a prewritten post that you can customize. It's always effective for your loved ones, friends, and colleagues to hear from you directly about why you support this cause. As much as they care about supporting emergent literacy among all children, they care about YOU. So reach out from the heart, whether in a phone call, email, social post, or (safely) in person, and let them know why this fundraiser was important enough for you to donate, and why you hope they will follow your lead. Check back on this page soon, as we'll have a social media kit with photos for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to help out!



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Bookworms, you made our virtual 5K walk/run for literacy an enormous success. Because of your generosity and your willingness to spread the word far and wide, we far exceeded our original goal and raised nearly $96,000!

⠀

These gifts will support our work this school year to make sure:

  • children have books at home

  • students are supported in their school curriculum with high-interest and relevant books

  • teachers are supported in their remote classrooms

  • young students currently living in family homeless shelters have access to books and activities that will help support their emergent literacy

  • older students currently living in family homeless shelters have access to a diverse collection of high-interest books to support a love of reading and learning

  • Story Time magic can continue, even when our libraries are closed

  • Students can continue to grow their skills and find JOY in reading and learning, despite the enormous challenges of this year

⠀

Carrying out effective remote and blended learning in NYC and beyond has been nothing short of a momentous effort and collaboration between teachers, families, and educational allies like Books for Kids. We’re here to support our schools and families every step of the way, and we couldn’t do that without every person who makes a gift or spreads the word, standing up for the right to literacy for all.

⠀

Thank you all for being part of this effort and for being part of this work to make sure our youngest learners are supported this year. This year has brought a lot of heartbreak, change, and difficulty for our students and we’re sure for many reading this message. We are grateful and humbled by this outpouring of generosity that will allow us to continue our work and adapt as we must to best serve our nation’s students. Together, we can create a culture of reading and a more just educational system that rather than privileging a few, lifts up all our children.