YOUTH

RULE #1 - Someone has to be the leader. Decide from the beginning who will be in charge. This is the person who will be in contact with the Ambassadors for LIFE Coordinator.

RULE #2 - Make sure someone responsible is involved! If you are a minor, make sure an adult is part of your team.

RULE #3 - Speaking of teams, remember to surround yourself with people who will make this a success. Grab an artist and make posters, get the loud-mouth to spread the word, get the class president to talk to the school, get someone with skills to capture it all on camera - work together to be successful.

Bake Sale - There are some ideas that will always be around. Can you bake some mean cookies, or have a recipe for lemon bars...can you open a Betty Crocker box? Then whip out those bowls and spoons and Bake for LIFE.

Anything-you-can-think-of-a-thon - You can Skate-a-thon, Walk-a-thon, Bike-a-thon Read-a-thon, Sleep-a-thon - Get family and friends to sponsor you for something crazy. See how may clothespins you can pin on your face at a time or see how long you can last on a trampoline. What is the best idea you can think of for a LIFE-a-thon?

Campout - organize a massive night out (make sure adults are involved). See what its like to live without anything. This isnt boy scouts, so no tents, pillows, hairdryers... nothing but a blanket and the clothes on your back. This is a great way to share the message with others.

LIFE-Games - Hold a tournament. Dodge ball, Basketball, Volleyball, Battle of the Bands, Tiddlywinks - name the game... and GAME ON! Dont forget to get a medical waiver signed, because those Monopoly tourneys can be vicious!

Concerts - you need a place, a band, a HUGE sound system, and lots of people. Have fun.

40 Days of Hunger - Replacement Meal - Use our downloadable curriculum to share the need with your youth group. Products can be requested after you sign up.

Hunger Strikes - Give up something to support life. Are you a chocoholic or coffee addict? Were not suggesting you give up food entirely, but stop spending all that money on "extras" to supply someones needs. See One Week Challenge.

Hold a Junk/Yard/Garage/Rummage/Boot Sale - call it what you want, but its all the same. Gather useless stuff from everyone you know and sell it over the weekend to strangers in your neighborhood. Almost every sale has the same needs - signs, an ad in the paper, a lemonade stand with really cute kids, and a broken exercise bike.

Car Wash - This one may be new to some of you. It involves soap, water, rags, and scraping off the three years worth of dirt from other peoples cars. You might want to practice on your own 89 Honda Accord first.

Entertainment Dinners - Sell benefit tickets to everyone you know. Serve Spaghetti or something easy, and entertain everyone while they eat. Can you juggle, act, sing, make funny faces, eat bugs? Dont let those talents go to waste! Have a talent contest and let the audience decide... winner gets all the left-over spaghetti!

Can and Bottle Return - Set up recycle bins at school for cans. Check your state laws on this one.

Hold a non-uniform day at school - Talk to your school administration and see if they will "bend" the uniform rules for a day. All students who want to wear their own gear to school for a day, must pay a fee first.

Birthdays/ Anniversaries - Are you concerned about the needs of others? Many Ambassadors have asked people to donate to LIFE instead of giving gifts for special events.

Hold a Water or Food Video Screening - Organize a group of friends to see the need. LIFE has many DVDs available. Dont stop at one or two friends, go after the city. Fill a gym or church with people, share the need, and share LIFEs answer. Makes a great combination with an entertainment dinner. Dinner and a movie - who could pass that up?

Start a School Club - find out what it takes to start a club at your school. Spread the message, share the need, be part of the answer.

Sell Bottled Water for LIFE - It is what it sounds like.

Make Somethign to Sell - Are you good at drawing, crafts, making jewelry? If you can make it, they will buy it. God has given us all talents, and you can use it to help others. Share LIFE by using your gifts.

Sell Bracelets - LIFE is able to supply you with "Share LIFE Today" rubber bracelets (cost to LIFE is 35 cents apiece). Use your imagination. Give a bracelet to everyone who supplies water and food for a child. Including the cost of the bracelet, thats only $15! Bracelets may be added to your auction, or given to everyone who purchases a ticket for your dinner. Using this "Share" wear can really add up. Products can be requested after you sign up.

Letter Writing- Sometimes there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned piece of snail-mail. Get your pens, markers, crayons, chisel and slate and write for LIFE. You can write to friends, family, businesses, political figures, your grandmothers sisters cousins brothers friend... anyone! In fact, here are some sample letters you can use.

Sample letters:
To Friends and Family
To a Business Owner

Email Blasts - Whether you are a computer programmer, or just got a computer... anyone can use email. If you are so high tech that you dont even know where the post office is, then this is your fundraiser! Once you sign up, you can import email addresses into your personalized Ambassadors Online webpage and email everyone you know to check out your site. Go ahead and email for LIFE.

"Change a LIFE" - There are a million ways to collect change. Ask your school to set-up jars, ask convenience stores, ask everyone. For school or church fundraisers you can get an adult to help you build a "wishing well." Have them look online; there are many websites with free wishing well building diagrams. Just think, you could "Change a LIFE" forever.

Silent Auction - A little leg-work is needed to make this successful. Lots of nice, high-demand stuff will need to be collected. Remember - the better the donations, the better the auction. Write a letter explaining why you want to raise funds for LIFE and take it to local businesses. Once the donations are collected, hold an auction - silent or with an auctioneer. Combine the auction with a dinner, and you have a winning combination. Going Once, Going Twice, Sold for LIFE!

How to Spread the Word:
Wristbands
T-shirts
Take Pictures or Videos of fundraising
Brochures
Posters
Art - Paint/Sculpt/wearable
Announcements (School/ church/ newspaper)
Newspaper Articles (city/ school)
Phone Calls
Email Blasts
Add a Widget from your Ambassador page to your MySpace
Write to Influential People
Make Hats, T-shirts, buttons, shave your head - Spread the word!