RIDE Freestyle

Pick a one-time fitness activity and break some sweat! There's plenty you can do:

• Stationary Bike: Ride for an hour alone, in competition with friends, or as a relay with each of you taking 10 minute shifts.

• Spin Class: If your gym is open, find yourself some uncomfortable bike shorts and Spin for Refuge.

• Running: Yeah, running! Fundraise in support of a running goal you set and accomplish.

• Swimming: Same with swimming - lap your way to fundraising success. 50 laps? 100 laps? Until your arms are jelly? Whatever it takes!

• Step Counting: 10,000 steps? 20,000 steps? 50,000 steps? Go get 'em, tiger.

• Jazzercise: Someone still Jazzercises out there... now they can do it for Refuge.

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Fitness activity!

Where Fitness (above) is a one-time activity, a Challenge is a big cumulative goal that you accomplish a little bit at a time. So bite off a big challenge with little mouthfuls of er, littler challenges:

• Walk a marathon this summer... for Refuge

• Hike Kilimanjaro virtually... for Refuge (It's about 60 km!)

• Cycle 1000 km from June to September

• Gain/Lose ___ pounds from signup day to RIDE Day

• Pledge to walk every day for ___ weeks... for Refuge

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Challenge activity!

Instead of receiving gifts, ask your friends to donate to your RIDE! You can even host a little bash on RIDE Day (with good physical distancing if that's still a thing by then):

• Birthday Bash Fundraiser: An old favorite! Tell your friends that instead of gifts this year, you want donations! Or, gather a covid-friendly group of friends together and host a cake-eating contest (your birthday cake of course).

• Anniversary: Are you celebrating a milestone this year? Great, ask for $____ for every year you've been married.

• Memorial or Tribute: For family or friends you've lost, consider a memorial celebration. This can be a lot of things. You may want go for a weekend walk, ride a long way, or paint a picture and auction it off.

• House Party: Throw a wild (but covid-friendly) house party with a $50 cover charge... for Refuge! Boom, 10 people = $500. Easy.

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Celebration activity!

Get in touch with nature and fundraise your way through the sunshine (or rain) with outdoor activities of your choosing. Grab your friends or go it alone by:

• Hiking: Set a hiking or climbing goal and ask your friends to give in support of your efforts. If possible, tie the distance to your cause for bonus points.

• Canoeing or Kayaking: A two-hour kayak excursion can be exhausting! Whatever you decide, tell your friends what you are going to do and ask for their support. Take pictures along the way on RIDE Day and share them with all your supporters.

• Spelunking: Caving for Refuge is a completely spookily unique choice - a guaranteed attention-getter for donors.

• Geocaching: There are millions of geocaches hidden around the world - there are probably some near you right now! Commit to finding #___ in support of your favourite RIDE charity, or place a new RIDE-themed geocache in someplace impossible!

• Birding: Offer to share a special photo and bird call to any donor who supports you.

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Outdoor activity!

Fundraise while expressing yourself! You could promise to make each of your $100 donors something special, or sell a unique piece and donate the proceeds.

• Shooting a Movie: Or, for fans of 'Be Kind Rewind', Sweding) a Movie

• Making Music: Offer to write a song (words optional) for any donation of $250. Or, offer to write a song that includes the names of all your $100+ donors. Or, write a meaningful song about your cause and then ask for straight-up support for your charity.

• Knitting/Crocheting/Quilting/Sewing: Creating something beautiful takes time. So ask your donors to support your efforts... for Refuge.

• Painting/Drawing: Paint or draw a picture and offer 2 ballots to win it for every $50 donation. Livestream the draw on RIDE Day for extra excitement!

• Snapping Photos: Offer to take a portrait of each donor who gives $100.

• Dancing: Offer to dance for 2 hours live without stopping... for Refuge. Or host a ballroom dance with friends.

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Arts + Crafts activity!

Are you a foodie? The sourdough king? The queen of steaks? Great - fundraise while you do what you do best!

• Bake cookies or sourdough in exchange for donations

• Cook an epic meal for your team if you hit your goal

• Set up a pop-up artisanal Lemonade Stand for the RIDE

• Run a Drive-by BBQ in your neighbourhood

• Picnic with your family team

• Progressive Dinner with your donors and fundraisers

• Indoor Pub Crawl? That actually sounds more sad than fun, nevermind.

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Food Fun activity!

You've got more board games than underwear. You consider Mario a close personal friend. You've got a killer crossover. Fine - turn that love of games into a fundraising effort unlike anything you've ever done before:

• Stream Online and hold an all-day fundraising gaming fest

• Pull out the classic board games like Monopoly, Risk, Checkers, Chess, and play as many as you can

• Run your own Golf Classic or 3-on-3 tournament at a nearby park

• Poker party for charity? Yeah, you can fundraise doing that...

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Games activity!

Words are knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power is money. Fundraise with words!

• Read for Refuge: Pledge to read ___ books by RIDE Day

• Go on a Social Media Rampage to raise money for Refuge

• Write a Poem for each of your friends who donates $100

• Do a book report on a book related to the cause for which you're fundraising

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Words activity!

This is your chance to shake things up and put your look on the line for what you believe in.

• Dye your hair in the three famous colours of the RIDE

• Shave your head, half-your-head, your back... for Refuge. People will pay to see it!

• Pledge to not shave during RIDE Season

• Promise to Wear a suit to work for 30 days (this will get you noticed if you, say, work at a gym)

• Get a Spray Tan, blondify your hair, or get a perm... for Refuge.

• Let your friends Write all over your t-shirt in exchange for their support. Like a Nascar driver, but for charity!

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Style activity!

Adrenaline junky? Off the beaten path? Channel that into your fundraising campaign this year! There are so many choices we're afraid to suggest them (and of course, our lawyers would like us to remind you that we do not condone or endorse any activities that are unhealthy, unwise, or too risky). Still, you may consider:

• Whitewater rafting: Are you terrified of swimming and rivers? Go public and face your fears while asking your friends to support you ...for Refuge. (Take lots of pictures to chronicle your accomplishment!)

• Sky-diving: Yikes! Same deal as above - scream those fears away. Just remember to wear an old RIDE t-shirt and take some selfies as you plummet to the earth, and don't forget to hit send before you land.

• Bungie jumping: Put on your bravest face and ask your friends to support your insane leap of faith. They will, and they should.

• Paintball Marathon: Suiting up with a team is a great idea (if Covid rules let you gather). It's like promising to ride 50 km except you aren't on a bike - you are plastering your friends with paint and getting cool new bruises.

• Donating a day or week's pay: This is downright generous! To amp it up, offer to match up to a week's pay to encourage your friends to give too.

• Get a tattoo: A little body art (for Refuge, of course) is something you could consider... but only if you were planning on it, the RIDE logo is included, and you take a picture and send it to us :)

• Or, Imagine your own RIDE Freestyle Wild + Weird activity!