RIDE BEST PRACTICES

Highly Recommended Do’s and Don’ts
Right from the Horse’s Mouth

We have learned and continue to learn a lot as we journey across America. The following are some of the lessons we have learned so far and encourage all Ambassadors to embrace.

1. EVENT SPEAKERS: We must always remember the entire ride is about the “Children” and what the SPC initiatives are doing to help protect them. Ahmad and I are riding for “their” lives, our children. Therefore, speakers and demonstrations should be limited to those relevant to the SPC’s initiatives and not other organizations. This is the public launch of the SPC so please focus all media and speaking presentations around the Surviving Parents Coalition and our initiatives. We are inviting other advocate groups to participate by having an exhibit table and to talk from that exhibit table. We don’t want to confuse the audience. Mark Lunsford is accompanying us across the country, riding his motorcycle the whole route. He is a compelling speaker and may also share his expertise regarding the Adam Walsh Act. Please consider adding him to your event agenda and press releases. Contact either Jill or myself if you would like him to speak.

2. TIME (EVENT PROGRAM LENGTH): The attention span is very limited for both the general public and the media. The longer the event, the more opportunity we have to lose them and diminish the impact. Unless you have some entertainment it is highly recommended that you make your presentation no longer than one hour. Those speaking to the initiatives should be allotted no more than 7 to 10 minutes and all others should be 2 -3 minutes. Again, we want to maintain the attention span and the focus on the SPC mission otherwise, we have left our mission on the side of the road (like some road kill we have passed).
3. RV PARKING: Ambassadors should arrange for a prominent, easily accessible location for the RV prior to its arrival. (Preferably a front and center location to draw awareness to the event) This will also facilitate set-up, create good press coverage and help focus on our initiatives. We are in the process of arranging to have balloons made up with SPC/RFTL’s and Not One More Children. They will be arriving on Tuesday, August 31, 2010. The RV will transport the helium, but we will need volunteers to help blow up and hand out. Volunteers should be scheduled to meet the RV and help set-up at least one-hour prior to the event.

4. ROUTE GUIDANCE: If a police escort has been arranged, please send Jill and me the contact information so that we can communicate en route. If you can, please find someone who is familiar with the route and see if there is any new construction or road hazards that we need to be aware of prior to biking in. When the RV arrives we will be contacting you to assist with directing it into the venue and it’s parking space. Please have volunteers waiting to do that and unload.

5. PROGRAM THEME: Ensure Not One More Child is the positive message and the call to action is how people can join in our efforts. All of our stories are very compelling. However, we don’t want to overwhelm the audience or be inappropriate with details. We want to try to modify our speeches to fit the audience (adults, children, law enforcement, politicians etc). Keep in mind your audience may be different at each venue and if you keep to the SPC’s Initiatives and all that WE CAN DO to prevent tragedies by promoting our triumphs your audience will leave inspired rather than depressed. Make sure your volunteers hand out our Surviving Parents Coalition Brochure and the Not One More Child Cards at every venue. If they leave with these documents they will not only know about our initiatives but will also have a Call to Action in their hands. These documents are printed out and available on the RV.

6. AMBASSADOR COMMUNICATION: We are working very hard to make the SPC blog the “one stop shopping “of communication. We will be having 2 items added to the blog ?
(Carol is trying to arrange this in time to announce details on Thursday night’s call).

1st. A post –event blog for each ambassador to share constructive critique after their venue/event is complete so that future events can benefit from lessons learned. Please make sure that your ambassador phone numbers are included in the critique so that others having questions can contact you.

2nd. Ambassador checklist – this will include a checklist of what you can expect from the RV and its VOLUNTEERS. In addition, we are trying to make sure we have correct information on all venues participants including: law enforcement; dignitaries; families with missing children, etc. Also included in the checklist will be a reminder report card on initiatives relevant to your State.
i. To help with the federal DNA Katie Sepich Act, we will be providing the names of the Senators and Congressman to encourage participants to call. Please print cards with the names, emails and phone numbers for your state’s Senators and Congressman so that people can take those and call. Phone calls from constituents are logged and will urge representatives to support the bill.

7. ATTENDANCE: Has been unpredictable, which is expected. The Nielson Ratings assign each household a value of over 200 that represents how many people each household connects to. Based on that idea, every adult who attends our event could affect over 200 people. Some of the things that have helped to increase attendance are:
1st. When we ask for volunteers to attend, encourage them to bring their friends and families.
2nd. We have not capitalized on inviting local law enforcement in joining us in the ride…please extend that invitation to local law enforcement agencies and ask them for additional contacts, e.g. LE Associations.

3rd. Go to www.ridefortheirlives.com Click on Press Room. Take the language from the press release, add the details for your event and send it to your local connections as well as the Public Information Officers of the law enforcement agencies in the town where the ride will start as well as the town where your event is being held.
Tell media about your connection to the RIDE and that this is an awareness campaign and that we need to get as much support as possible for these important initiatives. We are educating each city about what is going on in their area and giving them opportunity to help make a difference for their local children.

4th. Invite:
1. Local Missing Children's Organizations
2. Child Advocacy Groups (CAC Centers)
3. Victims of Crime
4. Invite families of the missing via the State Clearing house
5. State Clearing House Folks, ICAC Folks
6. Local law enforcement agencies and associations and those surrounding the city stop.
7. Invite local church/faith groups and schools to be involved to support this by coming out to the event on behalf of their children.
8. Native American Groups if in your area
9. Ask local businesses and parks and recreation departments to post flyers (where parents are likely to see them).
a. If you know of a local celebrity that would be appropriate and who is available to come out invite them to be part of the event and let the press know. People may just come out to see that celebrity and get the bonus of finding out about what we are doing and additional lives can be saved.
10. PTA’S/PTO’S, School Boards, Educators, Parks and Recreation Folks and be sure to let them know Not One More Child also includes Bullying Violence Prevention as well.

****All Ambassadors should visit and recommend to all to check -out our Ride For Their Lives Page and Click on Not One More Child to view the video by our Not One More Child partner, Steve Daley. This video can be shared with those educators and parental advocates in your community to show what we can do.

8. MEDIA: This is a public awareness campaign so there can never be too much media. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends/contacts in the media. (TV, Radio, Newspaper all)
We do want to try to keep Kathy at Dixon Schwabl in the loop…all you need to do is send her an email letting her know what you are doing…that way, she can track the stories for us.
Kathy’s email address is: Kathy_Phelps@dixonschwabl.com. Kathy will continue to contact you with any requests for interviews based on the Press Releases. Media Alerts go out the evening before in hopes to get on their morning agenda for coverage.





RV Checklist
This is just a reminder of what we will be bringing to the venue for your use.
1. Expandable wall – back drop
a. Sand bags
b. Zip ties
2. Podium
3. Portable sound system
a. Can run from either RV generator or from electrical outlet.
4. 2 pop up tents if you need them
5. Tables - 4
6. Brochures (already placed in brochure stands)
a. radKIDS – Not One More Child cards
b. Amber Alert
c. SMART Office - About the National Sex Offender Public Website
d. Katie’s Law
e. DNA
f. Metlife Finger Print kits
g. Joyful Child Bookmarks and Parent’s Guide to Prevention Booklets
(There may be more as we have collected items along our journey)
7. Memorial wall
a. Ribbon
b. markers
8. Silhouette’s and stands
9. Memorial Wreath
10. Jersey’s
11. T-Shirts
12. Donation box
13. Press-Kits for the media
14. Sign-up to keep informed (if people want to stay informed we have index cards they can fill out with their contact information)
If you have volunteers who can help offload the RV, that would be very helpful…the more hand the merrier! For cleanup what we have found to be the most helpful is that materials are brought to RV and just placed outside while we pack repack the inside…