Fundraising stilt walking tournament!

Here is a stream of consciousness exercise on a fund raising stilt tournament.  Enjoy!

  5 parts:  Overall description, types of stilts , types of course challenges or tasks,  sponsorship opportunities, random thoughts

  Teams of 5 to 8 members.  Each team member pays a $50 registration fee.  6 team members @ $50 = $300 per team.  The more teams, the more $$ $ you raise!

Each team can have a cheerleading squad.  The wackier the better!

Each team member has a different kind of stilt. Bucket stilts, hand held stilts,  hands free peg stilts, hands free dry wall stilts, etc.

All team members complete all of the course challenges or tasks.

Teams compete in pairs.  Fastest time determines winner.

The kinds of stilts and their use:

#1   Team member #1 uses  medium size hand held wood stilts.

#2   Uses one medium stilt and one short stilt

#3  Uses a set of  tall hand held stilts.

#4  Uses two bucket stilts the same size, choice 2 gallon or 3 gallon

#5  Uses one 5 or 6 gallon bucket stilt and one  3 gallon bucket stilt

#6 Uses a set of weighted bucket stilts.  Put 5 pounds of weight in the stilts?  Or strap some weight on one or both of the hand held stilts.  or strap on an ankle weight on just one leg.

#7 Uses a set of strap on peg stilts, 30 inches high.

#8  Uni-stilt with long crutches.  Need to make these.

The course

part lawn,  part black top, divided into zones:

Start with a straight course.

Field of balloons.  course littered with a few dozen balloons to navigate.  pop a balloon loose a point.  Party store or balloon decor company sponsors this zone.  They could build a helium balloon arch over this zone.  hang crepe paper streamers from arch as a "jungle" to navigate through.

tire zone.  like in the army.   Tire store sponsors this zone.  At the Boulder City, Nevada Spring Jamboree tournament, they used hula hoops instead of tires.

alternative to tire zone would be a "hop scotch zone".  Participants have to step on certain squares.  Sponsors logo on each square?

backwards zone.  Must navigate while walking backwards.

no fall zone.  fall down or step off your stilts and you must start the zone, (or the whole course) over from the beginning.

straddle zone:  has to straddle a pole set on the top of a couple of tall traffic cones.

Step over zone.  Step over pole without knocking off  low traffic cones or other support.  maybe 10 inches tall.

Sand trap or hill zone.  navigate over a zone  of sand or cedar chips.  (volley ball course?)   Or find a landscape company to sponsor the pile of cedar chips, gravel or sand.

Duck zone: duck under volley ball net while on your stilts. penalty for stepping off stilts?  Put sponsor’s banner on volley ball net.  Station press photographer there.

costume change zone:  at this zone, team members change into the sponsors coveralls, hard hat and utility belt.  Race the zone, and then change out of the coverall, hard hat and utility belt.

water hazard zone.  Navigate zone while being pelted with water balloons or super soakers.  best on sod.

desert zone:  utility company sponsors heat lamp zone!

winter zone:  air conditioners or big fans / wind machines blowing across course

carry zone.  navigate while carrying a water balloon under your chin with out breaking it.

Rodeo alternative: carry a live chicken!  Or a box of chicken!

Soccer zone. while on stilts, kick or role a soccer ball through a goal.  Sporting goods store sponsors this one.  banner on portable soccer goal.

mattress zone or crash mat zone.   sponsored by the mattress store or the yoga school.  This was a popular zone at the 2003 Brantford, Ontario tournament.

Goggle Zone with special vision distortion goggles!  Sponsored by local vision store or eye doctor. These goggles are sold online, or you can make your own with fresnel lenses and safety goggles.  These goggles are popular for teaching the effects of alcohol consumption, and can be found online for about $80.

don't use all of these ideas this year, save some for next year!

prospective teams:

Utilities:  rival teams: water company vs. the electric company.

telco vs. internet or cable tv or satellite tv installers

rival auto dealerships - fireman vs. police - parents vs. teachers !!!

school teams - girls coaches vs. the boys coaches

Army vs. the Marines - EMT’s vs. the firemen -   Scouts vs. their leaders

service clubs, Kiwanis,  Rotary, Moose, motor cycle clubs, etc.  habitat for humanity building teams?  get creative. Teams should be encouraged to wear uniforms or costumes.  Prize for best costume?

sponsorship recognition ideas.

all team members have to complete course wearing a hard hat.  guess who supplies the hard hat?!  the utility company sponsor!  No hard hats?  how about traffic safety vest?

child care center or maternity ward  sponsors great big diapers for the diaper zone.  must avoid "land mines" on course!

souvenir ball caps and T-shirts for team members and for sale to the public.

The teams, the longer the course, the more team members, the more time to complete.  Doug says they had 6? teams and  the tournament took a couple of hours. 

Get one of those internet event photography companies to cover the event and post photos on a web site for sale.  Family members and co workers will want to buy photos of their boss on stilts!  Make T-shirts from the photos.

more later, hope this helps spark your imagination!

Bill "Stretch" Coleman