Are you looking for a great event that will put the fun into your next fundraiser?
In the past, we’ve featured some great ways (see for example our posts on golf and cycling) that Jewish organizations are using sports to raise awareness and funds for their organization. In the following post, we are going to show you how you can use Spinning as your next fundraiser.
What is Spinning?
While every class is a little different, one of the great things about Spinning is that it is adaptable to anyone’s fitness level. You do not have to be in great shape to participate in a Spinning class. In fact, there are no complicated moves to learn with the Spinning program. People enjoy taking Spinning classes because it is a great way to get fit, reach their fitness goals and burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
All that one needs to do is simply hop on a bike, set the resistance to the level that’s right for them, and listen to the Spinning instructor guide them through an incredible ride.
Spinning class makes riding a stationary bike more fun by adding variety and visualization into your workout. A motivating group setting, energizing music and inspiring instructors make Spinning class an incredibly fun workout.
A Minimum Age for a Spinning Class Participant?
Participants need to be at least 4’11”. That said, this is not an exact minimum height because leg and torso length are the determining factors. If kids are going to participate, make sure that they are mature and responsible enough to follow safety rules. It can sometimes be tempting for kids to pedal as fast as they can, and that can be unsafe. Because the Spinner bike is a fixed gear bike, the weight of the flywheel can turn the pedals at a very high speed with a lot of momentum if there’s not enough resistance.
OK. Now you know what Spinning is. Why would you consider it as a fundraiser?
Why Spinning?
A nice advantage of holding a Spinning fundraiser is that participants stay in one place. Instead of a walking or biking event where people start at one destination and end at another while raising funds for every mile that they run or walk, this sort of fundraiser takes place with stationary exercise bikes. Each particpant can raise funds for every minute that they go Spinning.
With this type of event, you can rent out a Spinning gym or even host it in your local JCC for the day or a couple of hours. Depending upon your venue, you can make your fundraiser into a community party and include live music, Kosher food and beverages, and other fun games and contests while people go Spinning to raise money for your cause.
Plus, there are people in the Jewish community who will have wanted to attend a Spinning class, but never bothered to do so because the classes in your area are not offered for strictly men or solely women and do not play Jewish music.
By creating a fundraiser that is dubbed as a, “Jewish Spinning class,” you will have people come to your event, and by extension, give to your cause, who may not have participated in a “normal” fundraiser of yours.
In fact, one Jewish organization that has recently held a Spinning fundraiser was Camp HASC. They created a website dedicated to their Spinning event (see here) and also advertised it on their Instagram account (see here). You can see the flyer for their event below:
Looking for More Ideas?
Once you’ve decided to host a Spinning fundraiser, there are other possible ways that you can make your particular event truly unique.
For example, because your fundraising event is about promoting health and wellness, you can extend the day by giving a shiur on, “Maimonides and Health.”
Likewise, depending upon your budget, you can consider bringing in a speaker like Rabbi Jacob Rupp who is also a certified weight loss coach or Rabbi Yaakov Marks gives a class called, “Nutritional Torah: Food as a Spiritual Nourishment.” For more on this sort of idea, see the flyer below:
Combing excercise and a shiur is something that a new organization, SouledNYC, has been doing. You can see their flyer below:
DoJiggy.com points out that you can also, “Invite nutritionists to talk about eating healthy. You could also consider offering complimentary chair massage for participants after they finish their hour of Spinning to help them unwind, or paid chair massages from event attendees (with the money earned benefiting your cause). This is also a great time to consider reaching out to sponsors who provide products or services that are in-line with the theme of your event. Sponsors can provide financial donations and assistance promoting the event, as well as prizes for contests.”
Good luck planning your Spinning fundraiser. We hope that you’ll be able to cull some great ideas from this post. Be on the look out for more ideas in this series.
