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An art auction fundraiser for cancer? Now that’s a great idea.

Steven A. Rosenzweig, Ph.D., is a cancer researcher at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center who lost both parents to the disease at a very young age. On Nov. 2, he’ll be riding in the inaugural LOWVELO bike ride for his parents as well as HCC patients.

“I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the LOWVELO ride, raise money for research at Hollings Cancer Center, and raise people’s awareness about cancer research at Hollings and MUSC,” Rosenzweig says. “My goal is to raise as much money as possible for Hollings Cancer Center. To that end, I chose the 100-mile route.”

While fundraising is the ultimate goal, Rosenzweig also likes the health benefits associated with cycling.

“I was an avid runner and during my training for the 2018 Charleston Half Marathon, I experienced some issues with my back and had to hang up my running shoes. I am also using the LOWVELO ride to get back into shape,” says Rosenzweig.

So, in an effort to stay active, raise awareness, and fundraise, he plans to share his artistic talents with friends, family, and anyone else by producing one-of-a-kind art pieces. For those pledging $150, Rosenzweig will do a charcoal sketch of your chosen subject. Watercolor paintings are available for a pledge of $200 or more. Examples of Steven’s art can be seen on his LOWVELO rider profile. The goal? To commission five original sketches or paintings to further cancer research!

Using a personal hobby to fundraise for a cause is genius, but if this idea doesn’t fit your style, there are many more options to consider. Shannon Rice, manager of LOWVELO, has seen many creative ways that people are fundraising for the ride.

“I think the most innovative idea has been either a competition or challenge,” she says. “They get people involved.”

For example, tell your friends and family that if they help you raise a certain amount, you will dress up as a Disney character the day of the ride. This creates a fun, interactive way for people to raise money and promote the event.

If you’re feeling stumped in the brainstorm department, here are a few more favorites to get you started:

• Think about ways to help friends — mowing lawns, shoveling snow, organizing closets, baking cookies, taking down holiday lights, addressing invitations.
• Find a favorite pub or restaurant willing to donate 20% of sales to cancer research and invite your friends for a night on the town.
• Ask your employer to have a “jeans day” where employees who donate to your fundraising can wear jeans.
• Have a group garage sale or host a cooking class.

Rice has three tips for those fundraising for LOWVELO: ask everyone, make a donation to yourself, and have fun.

“If you don’t ask, you’re not going to get anything,” she says. “Show people you truly do support what you’re doing. And have fun!”

But there’s one thing that every person fundraising and donating should remember. “The most important thing to keep in mind is that for LOWVELO donors are giving 100 percent to the cause,” she says. “We’re doing this for the greater good.”

For a more comprehensive fundraising how-to guide, click here to download the LOWVELO Fundraising Toolkit.

TIPS ON HOW TO SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Don’t forget to share your fundraising event on social media! Here are some top tips from Team LOWVELO:

1. Create a Facebook event: You don’t have to have a business Facebook page to create events. It’s easy and allows you to regularly update the event page to give ongoing details about your fundraising ideas. Don’t forget to use the Invite and Share tools to let all of your friends know!
2. Use hashtags. We’re using a few hashtags we’d love everyone to utilize too — that way, when people click on the hashtag, they’ll automatically see all the good things (like fundraisers!) happening that are centered around LOWVELO. That goes for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Here are the ones we’re using: #LOWVELO #LOWVELO19 #PURPOSETAKESMOTION.
3. Speaking of Instagram, this is a perfect place to share photos of all you’re doing to prepare for the fundraiser. Those cookies you baked, the vintage typewriter you’re selling at a garage sale, the invitations you’re addressing in exchange for donations — capture it all with your smart phone, throw in a fun filter, pop the hashtags in the caption, and post to your social media feed.
4. Tag LOWVELO: We’d love to share your fundraiser news! Simply tag us and we’ll retweet you or share to our Instagram story.