earthcare balloon

| fundraising |

Show that you care for the world by raising money to go toward projects pertaining to nature and the environment. These fundraisers may be especially effective if they are held between March 20 and April 22, the days specified as Earth Day (see more under Earth Awareness).

Money raised from these fundraisers can benefit local and provincial charities. One project that you could put your money toward is the Adopt-An-Acre program with Earthcare Connections. Through Adopt-An-Acre, you can sponsor an acre of cultivated land for $500. This will help preserve land to ensure that it is used for agricultural purposes only. Contact Earthcare Connections for more information.

| Circumference of the Earth
Have students bring any loose change to school on the day of this coin drive. Use masking tape in the hallway to create lines on which students can place their coins. If each coin equals 50 kilometres, how many coins would it take to measure the circumference of the earth? See how many times the coins collected in your school would go around the earth. Send your findings to Earthcare Connections to receive a certificate for participating in the program. Use the money collected for your planned project or donate it to an environmental group, such as Earthcare Connections.

| Garbage/Walk-A-Thon
This is clean, healthy fun. In a walk-a-thon, ask participants to recruit sponsors to donate a set amount for a designated distance, such as a loonie per lap around the gym or down one block on a street. A garbage-a-thon functions along the same line with participants asking sponsors to donate a certain amount for a designated weight of garbage collected. There are different variations on such fundraisers. Use your imagination to come up with a fun, exciting project for your school.

| Bottle Drive
You are doing two-in-one with this fundraiser. Not only are you raising money for a green cause, but you are doing it by recycling used containers that may otherwise be thrown out. Inform the community well in advance that students will be coming door to door to collect any available pop bottles or cans. Use these bottles to collect the deposit and raise money. You could also set up a booth at the mall or a grocery store for people to drop off their collection of bottles.

| Have a Reuse Sale
Ask individuals to bring in reusable items that are in good condition: books, toys, etc. Recruit volunteers to organize items and to help on the day of the sale. Promote the event through the media and let people know how much you collected. After the sale, donate any leftovers to local charities. Give clothes and toys to shelters, books and magazines to hospitals and senior citizen homes, and eye glasses to optical stores. Reuse can curb pollution by up to 80%.

| Bake Sale
Have a bake sale at your school to raise money for the activity you wish to fund, such as adopt-an-acre through Earthcare Connections. Use as many locally produced ingredients as possible. Have each family bring a dozen squares, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, etc., to be sold at the sale.

| Pancake Breakfast
Teachers and parents will be required to volunteer their time to help cook the food items to be sold. The pancake breakfast can be held in a local church, community hall or in the school, itself. The buffet menu will have to be selected and the expenses calculated so a price can be determined. School children can help with set up and clean up, serving, dishes, drinks, etc. Use as many locally produced ingredients as possible.

| Dress Down Day
For the office or at school, have students, teachers and/or employees pay some fee, a quarter or loonie for example, for being able to wear jeans on a Friday. Or participants could pay a fee to wear green on a certain day or to wear a hat in class for part of the day. Make sure people who have paid have been stamped to show that they have paid their fee.

| Environmental Display
Set up an environmental display in a high traffic area, such as a local shopping centre. Make it eye-catching with Earth Awareness Month posters, facts about the environment, information about Earthcare Connections, brochures and information on your own environmental achievements. Sell Earth Awareness bookmarks are available from Earthcare Connections.