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UPDATED FEBRUARY 24, 2007
Here are answers to questions folks have asked in the past. Please feel free to email Blake Discher, event coordinator, with questions not answered here.
DONATIONS
(It's listed first because that's what it's all about!)
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
RUN ADMINISTRATION
To whom should checks be made payable and mailed?
Donation checks should be made payable to "CBVIC" or "Adventures for Wish Kids" and mailed to Blake Discher, Event Organizer, America's British Reliability Run, 1363 East Fisher Freeway, Suite 8, Detroit, MI 48207 USA. Please DO NOT make checks payable to the run, instead make them payable to the charity. Back to top.
There's no way I can participate either because I'm too far away, or my car just won't make it. But I still want to help your group out by making a donation. How can I do this?
Thanks for asking, and thanks for your support! There are two very easy ways to do so. First, mail a check as oulined above. The second, and perhaps easiest, is to make a donation safely and securely online using a credit card. Click here to donate securely. Back to top.
How does the website toteboard get updated?
When I get a notice from the web site that a donation has been made by credit card, I add it to the total and send you a copy of the advice so that you may thank the donor. If you get checks, let me know and I'll add them to your total. I usually count on teams to keep me apprised of their TOTAL, rather than their sending me a note to "add $50 to our total." Every once in a while I'll ask everyone to give me an updated total for the web site because the higher the number moves, the more media attention the event draws. Back to top.
Why should I register early?
Besides the $20 incentive, registering early will help us to determine how many participants will make the run and help us with logistical planning. You also will receive a rally plaque for your car which can be helpful in gaining interest from potential sponsors and getting people to make donations to your team. Back to top.
Is this a TSD (time-speed-distance) rally?
No, not at all. Everyone is free to complete the run at their own pace under no pressure of having to be somewhere at a specified time. If you want to stop to take pictures along the way, please do so. In last year's run, most of the group did stay together however, which made for an impressive 'parade of cars' as we passed through small towns on the route. Back to top.
Why are we asked to report our fundraising total each month?
As the amount of money raised begins to increase, the run receives more and more attention both from fellow British car enthusiasts and the media. This increased visibility almost always results in more donations because everyone can see how hard we as a group are working to help ailing children. Back to top.
Why is there an entry fee?
The entry fee covers administrative expenses such as this web site, rally plaques, route books, etc. Back to top.
Am I expected to stay at the chosen hotel?
Yes, although it is not mandatory. We will be arriving at the hotel at varying times, depending on each participant's pace. The goal is to leave the hotel very early Sunday morning en masse. I have arranged a very reasonable rate with the hotel for everyone's benefit. The hope is that we will arrive at dusk, giving everyone a short time to meet other participants and have dinner on your own before retiring for a good nights sleep. Back to top.
Are there awards for the fastest finishers?
No. Please remember, this is not a race, but rather, a reliability run. The goal is to finish the run. This allows time for everyone to drive at their own pace, stop when they feel they need to for meals, snacks and bathroom breaks. Back to top.
How will you know I followed the route?
I won't, you're on your honor. Back to top.
I'd like to participate but my little British car is: (choose one) not running; in restoration; on blocks; making a strange noise; or not trustworthy for a 750-mile run. This is the second-most asked question, glad you asked! You can get involved in two ways. The obvious one is to make a donation to one of the teams, or to the overall event. (For details, see the first question in the 'donations' category. Another way to get involved is to be the 'wingman' for someone who has a car but doesn't have a second driver. Yet another way is to offer to be a support vehicle (perhaps with a flatbed trailer!) for the run. Email me and I can help you make a connection with someone in this situation. Back to top.
What if I break down during the run?
A couple of things will work in your favor if this happens. First, with at least 45 other drivers expected to make the run, you'll have at least 45 experts to help you solve the problem. At the start of the run, you'll be given a list of everyone's cell phone numbers. In the event of a breakdown, contact me by cell and I'll make an effort to locate someone in your vicinity. Second, hopefully, before making the run, you'll have upgraded your AAA membership to the Gold Level, which provides towing up to 300 miles. And last, we hope to have at least one empty trailer and tow vehicle planning to make the run. (If you know anyone who is willing to make the run with an empty trailer, please let me know.) Back to top.
Can I join the run in progress?
As much as I am trying to discourage this, here's the bottom line: if you can round up donations to get you to the goal of $500 per car, and pay the entry fee (it's just plain unfair to other drivers to let you into our fun event without your paying the same fee they did!) you can join the group wherever you like. But, and this is a big but! Be absolutely certain to let your donors know that you will not be completing the entire run. Don't take a donation from a person that thinks you'll be undertaking the entire run without letting them know that is not the case. Important: You must still complete and sign an entry form and waiver prior to the run so I can give the charity a complete list of participants. Back to top.
Can I deduct my entry fee or other donation?
It is unlikely the entry fee is deductible since you will receive some value for at least some of it. Other donations you make, for example, if you sponsor yourself, are deductible. You should consult your tax advisor for additional information based on your situation. Back to top.
What made you decide to create the run?
Many of you know that I am a commercial photographer and as such, one of my clients is Children's Hospital of Detroit. I've photographed children battling all sorts of illnesses and each time have been moved emotionally by the courage of these kids. The idea for a charity run to benefit children came in early 2003 when my wife discoved she was pregnant with what would be our first child. The run that year was the first weekend in October, our baby was born three weeks later! A healthy boy, my "best boy," Blake Kingsbury Discher. Back to top.
How do you select the run's partner charities?
I've always been open to suggestions and do quite a lot of research to try to choose charities that are well rated by organizations that review charites such as Charity Navigator or charities that meet the Better Business Bureau's 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Another factor I consider is a charity's total annual budget. Some charities have no trouble getting $25,000 donations from a single individual, I prefer to partner with smaller charities for whom our anticipated gift of $30,000 is considered a sizeable donation. Back to top.
What is your long-term goal for the run?
From the start, my goal was to have multiple runs in various locations around the country on the same weekend. It appears the average amount raised in the first four years of the run is about $30,000. Imagine if we could raise more than $100,000 in one weekend! 2007 will be the first year with two simultaneous runs. Check back in November of 2007 to see if we pulled it off! Back to top.
Do you have a privacy policy in place?
Indeed we do. Simply put, with exceptions noted shortly, we do not release your private information (including email or USPS addresses) to anyone. Not to the media, not to run sponsors, and not to car clubs or sanctioning bodies. Here are two exceptions: 1. Your name and your navigator's name will be displayed on the event website with a photo of your car. 2. At the Friday evening team banquet I will distribute a list of every team's mobile telephone number so that in the event of emergency or breakdown you can contact another team for assistance. Back to top.
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2008 TOTEBOARD:
$0
Total represents amount raised so far for [charities TBD] combined.
With your help, year after year the run continues to raise amazing amounts of money for children's charities.
Since 2003, the run has raised more than $130,000 for children's charities. (Does not include total collected so far in 2007.)
(Teams pay their own expenses, your donations are paid directly to the charity.)
DONATE NOW
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