About the Event
WHEN:
(April 1-April 30, 2021).
April is the perfect time to celebrate all facets of adoption! April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Month of the Young Child. Our event will be the entire month of April to honor these nationally-recognized months and to kick off National Foster Care Month in May.
In the United States, more than 100,000 youth are waiting to be adopted from foster care. Please join us and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids to prevent child abuse, celebrate youth, and promote adoption from foster care!
WHERE:
Anywhere around the world! Participate wherever you want!
WHAT:
Iowans For Adoption is holding its annual Gingerbread Run (5K) AND Move For Adoption (any activity, any distance, any time) virtually this year due to COVID-19. Please celebrate adoption by participating in a virtual event any time during the entire month of April (April 1-April 30, 2021). There will NOT be a specific place or time for this event because it is completely virtual.
Invite your friends, family, workout partners, etc. to run a 5K or Move For Adoption whenever, however, and wherever you want.
MOVE FOR ADOPTION ($20/person; $65/family of 4): Individuals and families who register to Move For Adoption can participate ANY WAY they would like to MOVE (ride, run, walk, roll, row, yoga, dance, swim, etc.). No specific distances, activities, or times are required. The top three fundraisers will receive a Wendy's gift card.
5K RUN For Awards ($35): Participants who register as a timed runner (5K) will submit their results to the results page (on this website) for a chance to a Wendy's gift card in nine different age categories, in which you will automatically be placed when registering.
FUNDRAISE
Each participant has the ability to create their own personal fundraising link. Click on "Become a Fundraiser" on the top menu bar to create your own link to post. This will allow you to post your fundraising link to various social media sources to continue to fundraise for Iowans For Adoption.
The top three fundraisers will receive a Wendy's gift card, so set up your fundraising page now!
HOW TO COMPLETE THE VIRTUAL EVENT
1. Register for the Virtual Gingerbread Run (5K) or Move For Adoption (any activity, any distance, any location). This can be anywhere in the world! Create your fundraising link and post to any social media platform/send it to friends and family for the chance to win a Wendy's gift card!
2. You will be mailed your Iowans For Adoption Gingerbread t-shirt, finisher medal, and a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids free Frosty & sandwich coupon.
3. Either run the 5K and submit your time, or Move For Adoption however you want. Make sure to take pictures and post them to the run website. Runners, don't forget to submit your time online, with picture confirmation, for the chance to win a Wendy's gift card (on the results page).
3. After you complete the event, upload your pictures through this website as well as social media and use these hashtags #WendysWithIowansForAdoption & #IowansForAdoption. Post a picture of your time and distance if you're signed up for the 5K event! If you signed up for the Gingerbread Move for Adoption, post a picture showing what activity you did to show your support for adoption.
HOW DO WE HELP?
- Money raised from this fundraiser will be used to help pay for:
- Media campaigns to promote adoption from foster care
- Shirts and registrations for youth living in foster care to participate in this event
- Media campaigns to honor birth families, adoptive families, individuals who are adopted
- Individuals who are waiting to adopt and those who are waiting to be adopted from foster care.
- What have we accomplished in the past?
- Donated thousands of dollars to families who were in the final stages of adopting a child.
- Collaborated with individuals and policymakers to enact more stringent laws to reduce adoption fraud in Iowa.
- Created and disseminated educational materials to increase the number of children who are adopted from foster care.
- Raised awareness of adoption and foster care through presentations, radio outlets, newspapers, TV segments and social media.
- Collaborated with adoption professionals to make all types of adoptions in Iowa easier for those involved.
- Promoted equality for parental leave in the workplace and supported companies that allow adoptive parents the same leave as birth parents.
- Hosted various adoption-related events such as The Gingerbread Run/Walk for Adoption & Iowans for Adoption Gala.
- Held educational, adoption presentations at conferences across Iowa.
- Covered registration fees and provided shirts for more than 100 youth in foster care, so that they could attend the Run.
