You’ll need a leader, commander, captain: someone who can steer the RIDE ship and has a natural talent for bringing people together. This can be a teacher, principal, staff member, or administrator - anyone with a big heart who can get students excited about the RIDE.
Reach out to a local charity in your community that is already participating in the Ride for Refuge. You can find an official RIDE charity close to you by visiting rideforrefuge.org/locations.
Talk to them about supporting their work through your own school RIDE - they’ll be overjoyed! The charity is your main RIDE contact point; they’ll supply you with resources to help make your walk or bikeride fun.
Create a route for your school walk or bikeride that is easy for your students to access - in most cases, this should be on your school’s campus. Outdoors is best (around a soccer field for example), but in a pinch you can even walk the halls or around your school’s gymnasium.
Then, select a date and time that fits in well with your school’s schedule. We highly recommend walking or biking between September 18 and 22 - this is the week preceding RIDE’s official event date. Closer to the event is better.
You’re going to need a team page to collect online donations! The leader you’ve selected should be the captain of this team and the ‘face’ of this school event.
Get the word out! You’re riding, walking, and fundraising for the RIDE, say it loud and proud. Promote widely - share your team page link with students and encourage them to join, fundraise, and collect pledges. Hype it up, incentivize, and recognize hard workers. A few ideas to get the ball rolling: