This past spring…
Gavon and his friends were able to raise over $1,000 for Water for Good to help the people of the Central African Republic by implementing many different fundraising tactics. As a high school student, his motivation to help others is inspiring. So, we asked Gavon to share his fundraising story with us!
My name is Gavon Horting and I am 18 years old. Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, I always knew I wanted to travel and find a way to show kindness to others. In the summer of 2017, I went on a missions trip to Haiti where I learned to be grateful and have compassion toward others in need.
When I returned home, I knew there were millions of people in need of clean drinking water, and yet, we can simply turn on our faucet and access clean water any time we need it. I found Water for Good and wanted to help more people by bringing them clean water.
During my senior year of high school, I gathered a group of willing and dedicated students. Once our group was approved by our school, we quickly began fundraising. We had meetings during our lunch period at school to go over our ideas. Of course, we had a few failed fundraisers but that did not discourage us.
We tried the following out and were able to raise over $1,000!
CAR WASH: As our most successful fundraiser, customers donated whatever amount they wanted. We also sold cupcakes, cookies and hot dogs during the car wash.
FOOTBALL GAMES AND RUBBER SILICONE BRACELETS: During our home games, we set up a small booth with a trifold brochure, explaining the organization. We sold glow sticks and bracelets for $1. For each donation made, the customer would write their name on a water droplet, which we displayed in the school’s halls.
LOCAL GROCERY STORE: When a customer would check out at the register, they were asked if they wanted to make a $1 donation. If they said yes, they were given a water droplet to sign, which were displayed in the front of the store.
THROUGH RUNNING THESE FUNDRAISERS, WE LEARNED A FEW LESSONS ALONG THE WAY.
DO’S:
- Get creative
- Use social media to help spread the word
- Recruit dedicated people who are invested
- Know the facts and information about your cause/organization
- Stay organized throughout the process
DONT’S:
- Don’t hound or force people to donate
- Don’t overlook young kids
- Don’t get discouraged by rejection
Through my team of hardworking teenagers, we were able to provide a year of clean drinking water for 200 people living in the Central African Republic!
From our whole team at Water for Good, thank you Gavon Horting, Eli Whitehead Zimmers, Colby Houser, and Sarah Nagengast for your hard work!
