JDRF INNOVATION!

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What is the T1D Parade?

The T1D Parade is a Walk Day mission moment. It is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate all those living with T1D at your walk. It is a parade that leads your T1D participants through the crowd and onto the stage to be applauded and celebrated.

Recruitment and Promotion

To have a successful T1D Parade, your participants and volunteers must know it is happening. Make sure to include details about the T1D Parade in the pre-walk communications and day of schedules. This should include what the T1D Parade is, who can participate in the parade, when and where participants should line up, and when the parade will begin. Make sure your volunteers know about the parade as well so they can inform participants on Walk day of what it is and when it will begin.

You should also plan to recruit volunteers to help execute the parade. Volunteers will help gather and organize participants and clear and manage the parade pathway. You might also want to preselect some T1D participants to lead each group in the parade. Consider asking key volunteers or V1Ps ahead of time to hold the sign and lead their group.

Day-of

  1. Make sure all your volunteers are knowledgeable about the T1D Parade, especially those working in the JDRF Info/Welcome area, New Family Teams area, and V1P area. Ask them to share information about what it is and when and where to gather with participants.
  2. Your Emcee or DJ should start to make announcements asking T1D participants to gather 20-30 minutes in advance. Have specific volunteers in the crowd begin asking T1D participants to start gathering at the same time. Make sure to have a sign or easy distinguish area for the DJ to call out as the gathering place.
  3. 10-15 minutes before your desired start, volunteers should begin to clear the parade pathway of people and picking up or moving anything that is blocking the pathway.
  4. 3-5 minutes before the start of the parade, your Emcee or DJ should speak from the stage from the speaking points JDRF will provide. More information on speaking points can be found in the FY24 One Walk Event Day Playbook.
  5. As the speaking concludes from the stage, volunteers should get participants lined up in order and ensure that the correct sign holder is leading each group.
  6. As the parade happens, ask your volunteers to keep the energy high and encourage lots of clapping and cheering for the T1D Parade participants. Have volunteers on the stage or designated end location to help line up the participants.
  7. When all the participants have completed the parade, your Emcee or DJ should read the appropriate speaking points from the stage. Ask all the participants to stay in place for a moment to have their picture taken, and then ask everyone to head to the start line to begin the walk.

Materials

  1. T1D Parade Signs can be found on OneBrand. These are sponsorable assets.
  2. A sample playlist can be found on Workday. 
  3. Check out a T1D Parade Video here.

We are asked the construction industry to join together and help us Build A Cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D)!

At the 2023 JDRF Triangle One Walk, we had a special section that had a “construction site” for kids (most who have T1D) to play – including hard hats, foam bricks, and more!

This was a initiative sponsorship opportunity that allowed sponsors to choose a level:

Kid Hardhat Sponsor = $5,000

*Includes Company Logo on all “Kids Hardhats”

Kids’ Foam Brick Block Sponsor = $2,500

*Includes Company Logo on 20 Blocks

Building For A Cure Sign Sponsor = $1,500

*Includes Company Logo on Yard Sign in Area

Here are some factors of success from a Top Fundraising Team in North Carolina:

  1. Utilizing the One Walk Facebook fundraising page for our family
  2. Sharing the Facebook fundraising link to other platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn
  3. Sending a snail mail family newsletter with our family updates – TZield, JDRF progress, etc.
  4. Handed out our newsletter to those who are not on social media, such as coaches, teachers, medical team, etc.
  5. Mailed thank you cards that included photos from the day of the event as well as estimated total fund raised dollars by our team and JDRF
  6. Created social media educational content on diabetes then vs. now, TZield, warning signs, type 1 vs. type 2
  7. Created a “diaversary” video at year 1 – pictures from symptoms, onset, hospital, thriving. etc.
  8. Created a video recapping the days event from One Walk – this allowed us to give one more big ask and yielded almost $1,000 incrementally
  9. Hosted a chili cook off and biscuit sales event
  10. Came up with a theme for our team! “Jenna’s T1D T-Rexes” We believe that a large reason our team is successful is because of the “marketing” behind the theme. We had something people of all ages were excited about – the costume essentially functioned like Mickey Mouse! People wanted to have their picture taken with him and dance with him. The idea of a theme took the t-shirt and the day of to a whole new level.

Watch a short video of Walk Fundraising Tips & Tricks here!

 

As you can see in the pictures below, our Greater Charlotte One Walk was attended by a diverse group of people. We attribute this success to starting a Facebook group for the event. We invited our vendors and sponsors to the group to share updates and build excitement and momentum. The invitation was extended to entire walk teams, not just the team captains. We were intentional about engaging with the community about the event by inviting everyone on our newsletter list and encouraging everyone to spread the word.