Komen DC 3-Day anyone?

Theresa--

Is this the walk where you pledge to raise at least $2,200 and you have to give them your credit card number when you register, and if you don't raise that amount, they charge that amount or the difference to your card?

3. What if I haven't raised $2,200 in time to check in for the 3-Day?
If you haven't sent in at least $2,200 in donations by the time you check in for the 3-Day, you have two options. You can make an instant self-donation or a delayed self-donation. The instant self-donation is a regular donation (credit card or check attached to a donation form) that you make to your own fundraising account.

For a delayed self-donation, you give us a credit card number to secure coverage of the donation balance, but you have four weeks after the event to make up the difference. That means that you can continue to accept donations for four weeks after the event to reach your minimum. After that four-week window, if you still have not reached your fundraising minimum, any outstanding balance will be charged to your credit card. If you reach your fundraising minimum within that four-week window, your credit card is not charged.

With the delayed self-donation, please note that you have only four weeks after the event to meet your minimum fundraising goal and mailed donations can take up to four weeks to process. We cannot allow extra time for mailed donations to process. We recommend that you submit any donations received after the event online.

I just bring this up because my sister and some of her friends were going to do the 3 day, and they were clueless of this.  I think it is great, but if you don't meet the fundraising goal, there are many who would be quite surprised and put into a bad financial position to have to pay this debt on their credit card.

Please, someone correct me if I am wrong about this, but I copied the above from the 3-day page.

When I Commited to walk the AVOn walk in Charlotte, I too wasa bit put-off by the need to raise the money or I could not walk. As I looked closer at what is involved for the city and organizers it became clear. Shutting down street, setting up stations for rest, food, water, medical attention, and transportation. I had friends who were appalled they could not come and walk a little way with me for free.

These walks take an enormous amount of resources and if raising the money was not mandatory there would be even more walkers for a city to accomodate and make safe.

Surprisingly, it is not that difficult to raise the money. I mailed out personal letters to all my Christmas card list. I briefly explained what I was training and commited to walk. I followed up with thank you cards and post cards of my training. What I did not do is solicite any more contributions once I reached the mandatory amount. They would not count that for a future walk. I even turned money down telling friends I appreciate it but would call on them next time. I was able to give any extra dollars collected to walkers who were behind in their collections at the pre-event registration.

You know, I have nothing against the Komen group, I think they are wonderful, but I just don't like that so many of my friends and family who have assembled "teams" and going solo want to do the 3 day walk had no clue about this minimum fundraising.  And many of them are college kids friends of my niece, and I am reminding them of this.

To register for this walk, you have to pay $90.00 in registration fee.  To me, this $90.00 from all of the walkers should cover the bulk if not all of the administration costs of holding the walk.  I have no problem in their charging this fee to walk.  And I understand most of the administrative stuff is handled by volunteers.

I just have a problem with the minimum fundraising requirement being $2,200.00 or you pay it yourself or you cannot walk.

And I personally would hate to see my niece and her friends training for this, and if they are unable to come up with the minimum fundraising required, and they cannot afford to make up the difference themselves, they cannot walk.

So, everyone who is telling me they are doing one of these walks "for me and supporting my battle with bc" I just want them to know all of the facts first.  I would feel horrible if any one of them had to go into debt on their credit card at the last minute for any amount that they had not raised or not be allowed to walk after raising say, $1,500.00, doing all the training.

Just my humble opinion.  I fear too many young folks are going to get into this, raise money but less than the $2,200 and be unable to walk or unable to handle the credit card/interest payments.  I think should be much clearer on the website and not lost in "fine print."

Cayenneblue, please let us know if they make this clear in their information sessions.