NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve} THE FUTURE OF FUNDRAISING IS FITNESS Tom Evans | Contributing Editor If you know the missus and me, you’ll find the following statement funny, but … we’ve been known to go to the occasional event here or there. You name it, we’ve pretty much seen it. Black tie. White tie. Bolo tie. No tie. We’re pleased and privileged to go to a lot of different fundraising events throughout the year for some great causes. And over the years, you start to notice subtle changes — trends that drive the charitable landscape in new directions. The biggest trend afoot right now is a move away from the old-school charitable gala. Don’t get me wrong, most galas are great. Some of them — the Heart Ball and Ryan House’s White Christmas jump out — are institutions that should not be trifled with. But people’s tastes change over time, as do the activities that are popular in any given community. Right now, one of the hottest trends we’re seeing is raising funds through fitness. We Americans get our share of criticism for our obesity rates, but the fact is that more people exercise regularly nowadays than ever before, and many more people participate in high-intensity exercise activities such as triathlons, road races or fitness challenges. According to Health magazine, fitness trackers are changing the way people exercise and encouraging more high-intensity workouts. Personal training sessions are more popular than ever, and the diversity of exercise available is greater than ever before. According to Running USA, the number of people participating in some sort of road race has more than tripled since 2005. What does all of this have to do with fundraising? For starters, more road races and fitness challenges to raise money for charity. Pat’s Run and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon are already Valley institutions, but other methods of combining fundraising and fitness are taking hold as well. Pat’s Run may be the most noteworthy charity event centered around exercise. Started in memory of U.S. Army soldier and Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman in 2005, the race generated more than $1 million in contributions to the Pat Tillman Forget the rubber chicken circuit 30 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | JANUARY 2019

Foundation in 2018. The 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon is raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and, nationwide, the series has generated more than $320 million for charity. As another example, the Village Health Clubs & Spas hosts TGen’s Fitness for the Cure event each year, which has raised $1.2 million for cancer research over the past eight years. The daylong event started as Cycle for the Cure, but was such a hit that additional activities including hiking, tennis, yoga, fitness boot camps and interval training were added as well. Carol Nalevanko, president of the Village Clubs, said that the Fitness for the Cure event combined with the clubs’ other Valleywide philanthropic efforts is designed to create a unique impact through fitness. “We believe in the importance of making a difference in the community and are proud to have partnered with a number of local charities to raise money and collect everyday essentials that so many of us take for granted,” she said. “We are extremely proud of our TGen Fitness for the Cure annual fundraiser and the impact it has made on cancer research.” I wrote last month about golf, and how it’s changing over the course of time. But golf tournaments remain a staple for fundraising, with many — such as the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Golf Tournament — reporting record fundraising in 2018. And that doesn’t even touch on the ever-expanding impact of The Thunderbirds and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. So as more and more people get into fitness, fitness gets more and more into the fundraising world as people escape the ballrooms and hit the roads. It’s a good thing — and it’s making me feel a little guilty about not getting into the gym today. The Village Health Clubs & Spas Fitness for the Cure has raised $1.2 million for TGen in the past eight years. Credit: Village Health Clubs & Spas Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING EDITOR @TEvans927 JANUARY 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 31