Sports Day Fundraising

How to fundraise on sports day

One Fundraising Directory colleague observed that she never saw much fundraising at her children’s sports days. Yet this is a huge opportunity for schools to capitalise on a wider than usual audience – parents, younger siblings and thirsty contestants are all tempted by some cool and sustaining treats during the day.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

Sausage sizzles

This is often an easy one because you have hungry competitors, restless younger siblings and potential volunteers who’ll be attending the event anyway. Many schools have enough BBQs that a sausage sizzle takes very little organising, just make sure there’s a roster for the parents so they don’t miss seeing their children compete!

Bottled Water

Schools get a bit nervy about letting kids wander about the school unsupervised, so this may be one day where bottled water is more popular than tap water. If you’re really keen, you can get the labels customised for the school.

Face painting

For any artistic (or adventurous!) parents or older students. Use the different sport house colours and charge $5 for a whole face paint, or $2 for a red (or green/yellow/blue) nose. The face painting tent can also include coloured hairspray.

Ice blocks

A VERY easy one – all you need is an esky, ice and lots of change.

Lemonade and Passionfruit Icy Poles

Prepare two days ahead

Ingredients:

500 ml (2 cups)traditional lemonade or bitter lemon soft drink, 12 ice block sticks, 12 passionfruit (pulp only), 1 vanilla bean (coarsely chopped), 200 ml sugar syrup (see note), 2 limes (juice only)

Method

1. Divide lemonade among twelve ½-cup capacity dariole moulds or disposable cups and stand for 10 minutes to allow bubbles to subside. Place on a tray and freeze for 2-3 hours, then insert an iceblock stick into each one and freeze overnight.
2. In a food processor process the passionfruit pulp and vanilla bean to crack passionfruit seeds, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Measure 210ml of passionfruit juice and combine with sugar syrup, lime juice and 2/3 cup water. Refrigerate until cold, then divide among moulds or cups with lemonade and freeze overnight. Unmould and serve.

Note: To make sugar syrup, combine an equal quantity of sugar and water in a saucepan and boil for 1 minute. One cup each of sugar and water will make 1½ cups sugar syrup which will keep indefinitely refrigerated in a sterile container.