Team Leader Information

Thank you for leading the way in our annual Garlic Mustard Pull-A-Thon! Together, we can continue to control invasive plants in Southeastern Wisconsin, while involving and educating more people.

Raise Money for YOUR Organization!

Your nonprofit organization will earn half of any Pull-A-Thon funds you raise. The remaining proceeds help SEWISC support programs to control invasive species in our eight county area through education and on-the-ground management. Let your sponsors know that!

Making Fundraising Easier

We realize that asking friends and family to donate money to your cause can be difficult, but we try to make that easier!  We offer pre-written emails and printable donation forms that you and your team members can use to inspire family, friends or colleagues to support your efforts. As a team leader, you don’t have to collect donations. Sponsors send their donations to SEWISC, which then distributes the proceeds to your organization.

How to participate in 9 steps

1. Select a Pull-A-Thon work site that has been invaded with garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). For example, select a neighborhood park or natural area and arrange work days through the natural area’s managers/owners.
2. Register your work site with SEWISC. Just send an email to and include your work site location, team leader/your name and contact information.
3. Schedule one or more Pull-A-Thon work days at your site and report the date(s) and time(s) to SEWISC at: . We’ll include your event(s) on our website calendar.
4. Promote your event. Download and customize a Pull-A-Thon Promotional Flyer to distribute and promote your event. Post it at your workplace, school or other appropriate meeting and activity facilities. Send it to volunteers, teachers and parents. Also announce it in social media and newsletters.
5. Form a Pull-A-Thon team by recruiting volunteers to fundraise and pull garlic mustard.

• It’s a fun team activity for both adults and children. You can find volunteers among neighboring residents, schools, youth groups and senior centers.
• Encourage each volunteer to commit to their sponsors that they’ll pull at least one bag of garlic mustard. They will gain a sense of accomplishment and pride by doing something worthwhile for their community and the environment.
• Advise volunteers to dress for outdoor, grubby work. Long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and sturdy footwear are essential. They should also bring a water bottle, sunscreen and insect repellant on work days. All should have a great time!

6. Encourage each volunteer to request donations from 3+ sponsors before the work day. Donations help both YOUR organization and SEWISC‘s regional efforts. Team Leaders can distribute copies of the STAR Team Member Information flyer and direct them to the Team Members web page.

• For email contacts: Volunteers can ask for donations from friends, family and others by using a pre-written donation request email. Simply copy/paste the text in an email message and customize it.
• For in-person contacts: Volunteers can ask friends, family members, neighbors, or local businesses for donations, using the mail in donation form. Sponsors will mail the form and donation check to SEWISC.
• Donations can be made online or with a mail-in donation form.

7. Purchase 33-gallon-sized trash bags for your event, or ask team members to bring their own bags to your work day. You can also ask local businesses to donate trash bags.
8. Print a Pull-A-Thon Work Day Tally Form for each work day and have each team member sign in at the event. At the end of each work day, use the tally form to:

• Record the number of bags pulled by each team member.
• Record the total bags pulled for the site.
• Repeat this process for each work day completed.
• Send completed tally forms to the address listed on the form.

9. Conduct your Pull-A-Thon work day(s). This is the best part!

• Each team can hold as many work days as they wish, usually ranging from 2-5 hours each.
• Pulling can begin as soon as garlic mustard is identifiable, but all pulling must stop once seed pods have formed, to avoid spreading the seed. If seed pods are developing, the bagged material should be disposed of in a landfill or burned to avoid potential seed spread. The competition officially ends June 30, but you may need to stop pulling before that date.
• Dame’s rocket, another invasive member of the mustard family, can be pulled and bagged along with garlic mustard, giving your team the extra pounds we call a Rocket Boost!
• Instruct your team to knock and shake soil from the roots of all plants before bagging.
• Download and print these helpful fact sheets to share with your team during work day events: Garlic Mustard Fact Sheet, Dame’s Rocket Fact Sheet

Receiving Your Donation Proceeds

After the event, the SEWISC Treasurer will send 50% of your team’s donation proceeds back to your organization for continued stewardship of your work site and invasive species education. Please inform SEWISC of the name of the non-profit organization to which the proceeds check should be payable.

Please contact Jill Hapner with any questions:

 

Ready. Set. PULL!

 

Quick Links to Online Tools/Documents

Use these tools to create your team and report your Pull-A-Thon results:

Team Leader Information

Work Day Tally Sheet

Use these documents to communicate with your team and sponsors. Customize them as needed before sending!:

Promotional Flyer – to recruit team volunteers

STAR Team Member Information – everything your team members need to be successful

Team Member Safety Tips and Pulling Protocol – having a safe and accurate work day

Promotional Email – to recruit team volunteers (email this request to )

Promotional Flyer & Email – for teachers and parents to make them aware of the event

Sponsor Request – sample email to potential sponsors

Social Media – message suggestions