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Event Activation Resource Guide for Zumba® Master Class
or Zumbathon® Charity Event to support Soaringwords.
Table of Contents:
p. 2-5
General information about Soaringwords and how to have a successful event
p. 6-12
Step-by-step guide to plan a successful event
p. 13-18
Appendix
p. 13
Soaringwords + Zumba® sign to print
p. 14
Sample venue donation letter
p. 15-16
Sample raffle prize donation letter
p. 17
IRS proof of non-profit status (to be shown to any company making a donation)
Please visit: www.soaringwords.org/zumba to download editable versions of all documents.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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We are delighted that you have chosen to host a Zumba® Master Class or Zumbathon® Charity
event to support Soaringwords. This Guide was created to help you have a successful event.
Soaringwords’ mission is to lessen the negative impact of serious illness by embracing
hospitalized children, families and staff, encouraging positive health and healing.
Soaringwords provides fun, creative and educational activities both in person and online
based on positive psychology concepts that enhance well-being in the midst of illness.
Soaringwords is unique because it is the only organization that motivates ill children and
their families to “pay it forward” which fosters altruism, reciprocity, empathy, well-being
and resilience.
Photos above: Soaringwords + Zumba® classes at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, FL led by ZES™ Richard
Gormley and Miami Children’s Hospital with ZIN™ Julissa Roman leading.
Soaringwords + Zumba® collaboration:
Thanks to the support of Alberto Perlman and David Topel, over the past two years, over 2,200
ZIN™ members have signed up to volunteer to lead free monthly Soaringwords + Zumba® classes
for hospitalized children, their parents and healthcare professionals in hospitals, Ronald McDonald
Houses, clinics, bereavement centers and camps in 62 countries.
Our goal is to have multiple charity events before Valentine’s Day, 2015. We will be awarding one
team of ZIN™ members who lead a successful charity event, a week stay in a one bedroom villa in
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to say “thank you.” So start forming your team, pick a date, and win your
dream vacation.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Sharing the love of Zumba® and the power to heal of Soaringwords with patients:
We know that when patients see the smiling faces of wonderful, caring ZIN™ members and hear
the music, start to dance and feel the outpouring of love, it will brighten their days and enhance
their well-being. In fact, Soaringwords is conducting research to show the impact of these positive
interventions and caring visits on improving the emotional and physical well-being of hospitalized
children. Visit Scholarly Commons to view the empirical findings of a study we did in 2013:
http://repository.upenn.edu/mapp_capstone/40/
What your financial support means to Soaringwords and why we need your help:
We need your help to embrace more hospitalized children today. 100% of the funds raised from
your Soaringwords’ charity events will enable Soaringwords to secure more hospitals to allow us to
share the healing power of Soaringwords and the tremendous joy of Zumba®, music, laughter and
love with patients and families.
Photos above: ZIN™ members Claudia Santana & Chris Decker share the love with patients at Chris Evert Children’s Hospital in Ft.
Lauderdale, FL. Brazil team at Hospital Miguel Couto, Rio de Janeiro, led by Carly Conti Kalavritinos and Beatriz Santiago.
Take the time to make your event a big success
As you know, in your market each month there are so many Zumba® events competing for
people’s time and participation. When everyone works on their own putting together individual
charity events, it lessens the impact of each event. That’s why we want you to join together with
the ZES™ and ZJ™ talent in your community and get a couple (or several) powerful
headliners to make your event a stand-out success. When you have the best talent headlining
at your event, it is easier to sell lots of tickets and motivate more of people to come.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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The best way to ensure that you put together a well-attended event is to join forces with other
ZIN™ members. Together, a strong team can all get the word out, everyone can recruit their own
students and fans to attend one unified, super successful Soaringwords’ event.
Photos above: Zumba® Master Classes to benefit Soaringwords: ZES™ Kass Martin headlines in NYC at Alvin Ailey Dance
Studios, April 2013. ZIN™ member Josephine Gonzalez’s Hospital Team with ZES™ Coco Xie, ZJ™ Diego Armando Chauca and
ZIN™ member Marcos Polonia in NYC; ZJ™’s Holly Rose & Lynn Blakely and their dream team and their amazing event in
Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2014
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Simple Steps for a Successful Event:
We've prepared this comprehensive, easy to use Soaringwords Event Activation Resource Guide
to help you create an action plan and then accomplish each one of the steps in order to have a
successful, well-attended event. In this way, you'll be a part of the Soaringwords + Zumba®
success to help more hospitalized children to “Never give up!”
Many thanks and much love,
,
and
Lisa Buksbaum, CEO & Founder, Soaringwords and ZIN
Melissa Mace, Soaringwords + Zumba Relationship Manager, ZIN
Rachel Gorman, Soaringwords Director Hospital Outreach and Wellness Education
The Soaringwords Team (left to right): Melissa Mace, Greta Rozensweig, Lisa Buksbaum, Rachel Gorman
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Resource Guide for Zumba® Master Class or Zumbathon®
Charity Event to support Soaringwords
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead
4-6 months out:
Putting together your dream team:
Pick a Date: Reach out to local ZJ™/ ZES™ talent and local ZIN™ members who will be hands-on
helpers and pick a date that works for everyone.
Having amazing talent will ensure that more people will want to come to your event. Invite the
ZES™ and ZJ™ talent and be sure to have this talent invite their fans/followers to SAVE THE
DATE, as soon as you confirm the date and venue.
If you are planning to host a Zumbathon® Charity Event, please take note:
As soon as the date is confirmed and you secure a venue, you will need to apply to host a
Zumbathon® Charity event at: zumbathon.zumba.com/application/request. You must be approved
by the Zumba Home Office in order to use the Zumbathon ® trademark and logo (see section 4.10
of the ZIN™ License Agreement). You will receive a response within three business days.
Get other ZIN™ members on board to co-chair your event. Pull together a strong working
committee:
Recruit ZIN™ members to be on your team. We recommend a minimum of 4-6 instructors so you
can delegate tasks and nobody gets overloaded doing all the work. Make sure your dream team
includes people who will actually “do” the work, not just those want to dance onstage. Note to
Divas, please pick another cause to support, Soaringwords is a non-Diva community. The more
ZIN™ members who make a commitment to make the event a success, the better it will be.
Review expectations and “divide and conquer” the to-do list based on who is the best person to get
each job done.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Review the calendar postings in your community:
Check for any events already scheduled or planned for your area. Reach out to local media
(newspapers, blogs, and radio stations to see what other events are planned and try to pick a day
and time that is wide open).
(Consider the month: e.g. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and typically has lots of
related events). Reach out to City Hall and community groups and invite them to post your event
on calendar listings.
Research Venues:
Always strive to secure donated space for your event. Utilize any contacts you have who work at a
venue or Google an organization to see ho is on the board of the organization to help with secure
the venue. School gyms often have stages and are a good option. YMCA’s, JCC’s, Recreation
Centers, local schools, church halls are also good options. See sample venue donation letter in
appendix. To edit and print this document go to the Soaringwords + Zumba® Event Planning
Guide Companion Document www.soaringwords.org/zumba to download an editable version.
Consider venue location, size, flooring (preferably no carpet) and accessibility. Discuss the
charitable cause of the event and ask if the facility will help promote the event to their members
and supporters. Often times they will promote your event to their membership, display large signs
in their lobby and on bulletin boards and their website events calendar. All of these things help sell
more tickets and fill the space.
Make a site visit before making the venue commitment:
Must Haves for the Venue:
Large and open space, good ventilation and lighting
Bathroom
Sign-up table
AV/Sound system with docs so that ipads can plug in
Staging area/changing area/place for talent to store valuables.
Optional Items Venue Will Provide:
Elevated platform or stage
Screen and projector to show the Soaringwords’ powerpoint presentation during the event so
people can see photos of the children dancing and enjoying the Soaringwords + Zumba® in
hospitals around the world.
Confirm venue:
It is always best to have a confirmation from the venue in email or in writing.
Provide any requested insurance certificate.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Note: Many times if ZIN™s work at the venue or are members of the community group that is
donating the space, they do not need to provide an insurance certificate. If you need one, you can
contact Soaringwords and we will send you our copy.
Ticket Sales:
Individuals on the committee should discuss who they can reach out to in order to sell tickets. This
should be a group discussion as this conversation of who will be reaching out to who can spark
great ideas from other committee members.
Ideas include:

Ask the gyms and studios where ZIN™ members teach classes to post the fliers.

This charity event is a perfect opportunity to grow your class sizes by inviting all of your
students to promote the event to their friends. Have a contest -- the student (from each one
of your classes) who sells the most tickets/brings the most friends gets to pick their favorite
song in a future Zumba® class.

Ask your students to promote the event if they work at a big company. Give them fliers to
post at their jobs. Send them email fliers and ask them to email all their friends and post on
social media.

Invite ZIN™ members in neighboring towns or states to come in to experience the
ZES™/ZJ™ talent in action. Invite them to bring friends and make it a Zumba® road-trip or
mini-vacation.

Invite everyone on the dream team committee to hand out fliers in all of their classes for
several weeks before the event. Photocopies of the invitation go a long way to “remind
people” to save the date and sign up online to attend. Encourage everyone to sign up in
advance. You’ll sleep better at night and if participants have already paid, they are more
likely to attend!
2-3 months out
We make it really easy to support Soaringwords!
Soaringwords will:
1. Create a Facebook Event
2. Create the event flyer
3. Create the brownpapertickets link for online payment
ZIN™ members will:
Post "save the date" with event highlights in event itself and also in any Zumba® related FB
groups.
Raffles Prizes & Donations:
Come up with a strategy for securing prizes, especially some big-ticket items such as hotel
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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packages, spa packages, vacation packages (does anyone have a time-share or vacation home
they can donate a weekend or week-long get-away), gift certificates at local restaurants and
stores. Customize our donation letter to each person/company you are requesting a donation from
instead of sending out a mass request. Raffle Donation Letter sample is in the appendix and on
our website.
Here are some popular items that you can get donated:

Bottled water

Local grocery stores will often provide a gift certificate of $100 to purchase apples, waters,
and healthy snacks to have at the event or at least to offer to the talent.

Gift certificates or discount offers to popular restaurants, spas, or salons.

Photography studios to donate family portraits.

Gift certificates from local retailers

Lunch or dinner with a local celebrity in your town. People will pay a lot of money to do this.
Media coverage - Tell the world about your event!

Customize the Press release template www.soaringwords.org/zumba

Call the local radio and TV stations and newspapers and pitch the event to the assignments
desk manager. Tell them the compelling story about Zumba® instructors in the local
community doing something kind and healing to transform the lives of hospitalized children
in their community.

Invite the press to attend the event, tell them it is a great live-action visual. Invite them to
complete the story of the Soaringwords + Zumba® collaboration in your community with a
follow up visit to film your ZIN™ dream team leading the free monthly Soaringwords +
Zumba® class in the local hospital. Naturally, check with your local hospital to get
permission for the media to come and film or take photos at the class. Most hospitals will be
delighted to get positive press coverage, as long as they get permission from the families of
children to be featured in the video or photos.

Calendar listings require 6 to 8 weeks lead-time. Send in the press release as soon as you
finalize the dates and venue. Call the assignments desk and features editor to follow up,
discuss the event and invite them to come.
Leverage any contacts you have in business, with community organizations, and in the media.
Three weeks before
The event dream team kicks into high gear promoting ticket sales.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Designate someone to take the lead for coordinating the playlist. Remember, it needs to follow the
Zumba® format and have a balance of international rhythms.
On the day of the event, be sure to have a backup iPod with the playlist as well as a backup sound
system.
We recommend that you plan 2 hours maximum for your event, with 90 minutes of dancing.
Have the ZES™’s and ZJ™’s send you their song choices prior to requesting songs from other
participating instructors.
Headliner talent need to submit the playlist to coordinator two weeks prior to the event to ensure
that the coordinator has time to get back to everyone with the final list.
Pull together the songs from each participating instructor. Finalize and share the playlist with all of
the instructors 3 days prior to the event to allow for any final adjustments. This will help to ensure
a fun time for all the day of the event!
Number of instructors - if there is a large group of instructors, people will need to team up to
perform on stage. Have them work out who is doing what song with whom and submit a few song
options of various rhythms to the playlist coordinator.
As the date gets closer, start your aggressive marketing push to sell tickets and fill the house.
Successful elements for a great event:
Event Logistics - each event has dozens of details that add up to make the event successful. The
goal is for all of the paying participants to experience the joy of Zumba® and have everything flow
together.
This does not happen by itself. The ZIN™ team needs to divide up responsibilities on the day of
the event. The various jobs are detailed below:
Someone should print out some signs (attached in appendix) and post the signs on the front
entrance of the space and signs along the hallway with arrows directing people to the precise
location. See Printable Soaringwords + Zumba® page in Appendix for sign.
Day of the event
Designate which ZIN™ members will be responsible for the following jobs:




Set up (arrive 1.5 hours before)
Clean up (stay 1 hour after the last person leaves)
Audio Visual/Tech person. Check all technology. If you have access to a projector and want
to show a slide show before or during your event, please reach out to Soaringwords for a
fabulous slide-show showing the program in action.
Registration: two committee team members should sit at the sign-up table for the entire
event, or have two shifts so that two people are there for the first hour and two different
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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












people are there for the second hour. You need to have two people there, especially if you
are collecting cash.
Be sure to have a sufficient waiver for all participants to sign. This can be a waiver you use
for your regular classes that you tweak. Just be sure that is legally sufficient. You may
want to consult with an attorney to review your waiver.
Displaying prizes for the Raffle.
Organizing raffle sales/selling tickets prior to the event and during the start of the event.
The person in charge of the tickets should buy the raffle stub tickets at Staples or two
packages of playing cards, when someone buys a raffle the other half of the ticket or the
same card goes into the shoebox or fish bowl where they will be “picked” when the winners
are chosen.
Designate someone to be the emcee to introduce any headliners and to welcome guests
and thank them for coming and supporting Soaringwords.
Print and post Playlist in several spots at the event.
If you have a Soaringwords shirt, please be sure to wear it proudly and take lots of photos of
the event!
Hospitality/Sign-in Table
Cover with a plastic tablecloth. Red would be great!
Display the Soaringwords + Zumba® sign
If you create any signage, please be sure it is in compliance with the Zumba® license
agreement. We are happy to help you with this.
Have a printed list of all participants who paid in advance. (This list will be provided by
Soaringwords through brownpapertickets.)
Nametags are a nice touch – seeing someone’s first name allows people to get to know
each other.
Sharpie markers and pens for name tags and sign in.
Have someone bring four large garbage bags to collect empty water bottles and trash at the
end of the event.
Waivers - Must have all participants sign a waiver before entering dance space.
Using a single sheet group waiver with space for multiple signatures makes more sense
than one page for each person. Make sure to have extra sheets if more people are walk-ins
on the day of the event.
Soaringwords information table:
Please print the Soaringwords one pager with the six easy steps to volunteer from
soaringwords.org/zumba. You can also purchase SoaringQuilts® and SoaringPillows® to have at
the event. Everyone will love to decorate quilts and pillows which can be donated to hospitalized
children in your community.
Having an event photographer is a nice touch. Often times someone in your community will do this
for free. It doesn't have to be a professional. Post photos on social media. Invite participants to
share a photo from the event on social media during the event. Tag Soaringwords’ social media
during and after the event so we can share the news in real time:
www/facebook.com/soaringwords and www.twitter.com/soaringwords.
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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24 hours after the event
Email: Melissa@soaringwords.org
Subject line: name of your city/event and date of the event
Send the following information:
1. The number of walk-in participants who paid for the event
2. A copy if the sign in sheet with name/email addresses
3. A list of names and e-mails of all event talent and working committee so we can send them a
thank you.
Policy for submitting funds to Soaringwords
We prefer that people register online through Brownpaper tickets. Once you have your date and
venue, Melissa Mace will create a customized link for your event. The link closes 12 hours before
the event.
When people show up on the day of the event you can accept cash and checks at the registration
desk. Checks should be made payable to Soaringwords, Inc. and mailed to Soaringwords. Collect
all the cash and one of the team leads needs to send a bank check to Soaringwords within three
days of the event. We strongly recommend that two people work the registration table and are
responsible for the funds (and cash) on the day of the event. Make sure someone has a money
belt on them so the funds are in a safe place at all times.
Thanks for your love and support, passion and commitment.
We are honored and excited to collaborate with you to make your event a huge success.
Soaringwords is the power to heal!
With Z-love and Soaringwords’ hugs,
,
and
Lisa, Melissa and Rachel
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Insert Date
Insert Name, a licensed Zumba® Fitness instructor, is kindly hosting a charity class to benefit the non-profit
organization, Soaringwords which is a 501©3 (see attached certificate) on Insert Month, Date. All proceeds will
go to Soaringwords to support the Soaringwords + Zumba® = LOVE for hospitalized children program. As of
2014, 2,200 Zumba Instructors have teamed up to bring free Zumba® fitness classes to hospitalized children,
families and staff in over 62 hospitals globally. In our community, this program will benefit children at insert
name of local hospital here.
We would greatly appreciate if you could donate space for this amazing charity event. To thank you for your
donation, we will be sure to publicize your generosity on our website and in our social media where thousands
of people will see it. To see Soaringwords + Zumba® = Love in action, please visit:
http://youtu.be/XV1FRC8LvzU (at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in FL).
Soaringwords’ mission is to embrace hospitalized children, families and staff, encouraging positive health and
healing. Soaringwords engages ill children and their families both in person and online, providing fun, creative
and educational modules based on positive psychology concepts that enhance well-being. Soaringwords is
unique because it is the only organization that motivates ill children and their families to “pay it forward”, which
fosters altruism, reciprocity, empathy, well-being and resilience.
Space needs for the Soaringwords’ event:
We need a large room, preferably with a stage or elevated platform so that participants can see the dance moves
of the talent when they are leading the Master Class. We need an AV system with plug in for ipad, speakers and
a table for registration/sign-up.
Many thanks and warm regards,
Lisa Buksbaum,
CEO and Founder, Soaringwords
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Insert Date
Raffle Prizes for Soaringwords Zumba® Master Classs or Zumbathon® Charity Event to benefit hospitalized
children in our community.
Insert name, a licensed Zumba® instructor, is kindly hosting a charity class to benefit the non-profit
organization, Soaringwords which is a 501©3 (see attached certificate) on Month, date. All proceeds will go to
Soaringwords to support the Soaringwords + Zumba® = LOVE for hospitalized children program. As of 2014,
2,200 Zumba Instructors have teamed up to bring free Zumba® Fitness classes to hospitalized children, families
and staff in over 62 hospitals globally. In our community, this program will benefit children at name of local
hospital here.
We would greatly appreciate if you could donate …list what you want donated here
for this amazing charity event. To thank you for your donation, we will be sure to publicize your generosity on
our website and in our social media. You can give us brochures or business cards to hand out to all the
participants at the event to promote your business. To see Soaringwords + Zumba® = Love in action, please
visit: http://youtu.be/XV1FRC8LvzU (at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in FL).
Soaringwords’ mission is to embrace hospitalized children, families and staff, encouraging positive health and
healing. Soaringwords engages ill children and their families both in person and online, providing fun, creative
and educational modules based on positive psychology concepts that enhance well-being. Soaringwords is
unique because it is the only organization that motivates ill children and their families to “pay it forward”, which
fosters altruism, reciprocity, empathy, well-being and resilience.
Many thanks and warm regards,
Lisa Buksbaum,
CEO and Founder, Soaringwords
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Here are some great ideas for what you can request to have donated:
Two night hotel stay
Free dinner for two
Two movie tickets and popcorn
Free spa treatments
Free manicure and pedicure
Free salon treatment/hair-cut
Free coaching session
Service providers – clutter consultants, painters, tax preparation anything that people need services for
$100 shopping coupon to the local grocery store
Gift certificates from local merchants and chain stores
Vacation packages from hotels, local people who can donate time-shares or vacation homes
Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org
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Soaringwords 1 Penn Plaza, 9th floor, New York, New York 10119 646-674-7105 melissa@soaringwords.org