A while ago, Kids Need to Read volunteer Kazia Hodges created an interesting fundraiser called Healthy Giving. You can read about it here on the Kids Need to Read website. The idea is that for every pound Kazia loses, supporters will donate a certain amount of money to Kids Need to Read. So far, Healthy Giving has been a smashing success. Kazia has lost fifteen pounds, and her website has raised over $500 for KNTR! Healthy Giving has been an inspiration for many of us here at Kids Need to Read; so much so, that several other volunteers have decided to get in on a similar project!
HIKRZ, or Hikers Inspiring Kids to Read Zealously, is a new fundraiser for Kids Need to Read that wants to encourage both a love of reading and love of the outdoors in young people.
Teams participating in this fundraiser promise to hike a certain number of miles between March 28 and June 30, 2009. Supporters pledge to make a donation to Kids Need to Read per mile hiked and have the option of capping their donations in case teams get a bit too enthusiastic and exceed their estimated miles.
While on their hikes, team members will carry a book from the Kids Need to Read reading list. When they reach their destination or turn-around point, teams will “plant” their book and take a picture of it to share on the HIKRZ website before returning home. Afterwards, if a suitable child is found on the trail and the hiker so desires, the book will be given as a gift to the child.
So far, there are three teams hiking for Kids Need to Read. One is from Arizona, the second is from Maine and the third hails from Oregon, so you can expect pictures from these hikers to vary in terrain quite a bit. From deserts to oceans and piney forests, Kids Need to Read supporters are everywhere!
If you would like to learn more about this project, make a pledge, or even consider joining up as a team, please visit the HIKRZ site. We would love to have you!
