Think of the BRIGHT Run as the seat of a three-legged stool. Or perhaps, with a nod to modernization, the camera atop a tripod.
In either analogy, remove one leg and the structure cannot stand. The top will fall off.
In the case of the BRIGHT Run, the three legs are clear: volunteers, participants, community partners. Remove one of those three and the remainders cannot sustain themselves.
We know the volunteers are critical. Because the BRIGHT Run is volunteer-driven and organized, the overhead is vastly reduced. Result? It is cheaper to organize and host the event because we have no employees.
Participants. Without the participants, there would be no one to raise funds. So, there would be no point to the BRIGHT Run. Clearly, that leg too is critical.
And the community partners? What would happen without them?
There are costs to operating an event the size of the BRIGHT Run, even without employees to pay.
At in-person events, the bill includes such things as: the venue; tents, tables and chairs; extra washroom facilities; sound equipment; vehicles (golf carts and buses); and so much more.
Virtual events are different because many of the in-person physical items aren’t needed. Instead, professionals are needed to produce and direct a polished on-line show, including a studio in which it takes place. A venue for T-shirt pickup, contents for swag bags, prizes for online contests – all these things have costs attached.
If we did not have our community partners, large and small, BRIGHT would need to find a way to cover costs of goods and services. We could, in theory, dip significantly into the money raised by our participants.
But in our view, that is simply not right. Our participants raise money for local breast cancer research. It’s critical that every dollar raised by these hardworking and creative fundraisers goes to research only, nothing else.
That’s why our community partners are vitally important as one of the three legs supporting the BRIGHT Run.
And that’s why our community partnership committee, headed by Michele Mandryk, starts the heavy lifting right after each BRIGHT Run.
The committee members prepare the package used to inform and encourage partners, revisit existing sponsors, research potential new partners. They apply for partnerships online, via snail mail, through phone calls and emails, ZOOM meetings, sometimes through in-person meetings.
We also work hard to thank our community partners by writing about them in the monthly eNewsletter and displaying their logos on the website and in our print materials.
You too have a part to play in thanking our generous community sponsors. Find out which organizations partner to make the BRIGHT Run happen by visiting https://brightrun.ca/2021-partners/ .
Consider patronizing our partners if you need certain goods and services and encourage your network of friends, relatives and co-workers to do the same.
Let our BRIGHT partners know how important they are!
