Support Our Efforts

​Organize a Fundraiser for GBSI

Let's come together to spread GBS awareness! 
Email info@gbs-intl.org with your ideas and questions! Once you have a fundraiser idea, email us so we can provide you with any informational materials you need!
How to get started:
First things first - get your 5 W's in order to set up the framework of your fundraiser!
  1. Who are you trying to reach and who do you want to attend?
  2. What type of event are you looking to host?
  3. When (date/time) do you want to your fundraiser to take place? Make sure you give yourself enough time to plan and execute your fundraiser.
  4. Where will your fundraiser take place?
  5. Why are you fundraising? Knowing your mission will help you reach your goals!

Helpful Tips for Planning Your Fundraiser:
  • Set a goal and make a timeline
  • Make a budget of possible costs
  • Ask people to help volunteer at your event 
  • Research your venue (check for proper utilities, surrounding events, permits, insurance etc)
  • Order materials in advance
​Fundraiser ideas:
Funds raised by spreading awareness in your community go towards spreading awareness worldwide, so even a small project has a big impact!
Fundraising from home ideas: 
  • Sponsor your steps: Ask family and friends to sponsor your steps, whether it's a penny per step or $100 for reaching 50,000 steps - it adds up! It's a perfect way to keep you active during the pandemic while also helping out a great cause.
  • Trivia Night: Invite your friends to join you on Zoom or another video platform and host a night of trivia. Whether it's pay-to-play or you raffle off prizes between rounds, it's sure to be fun! You can even find quizzes online that are ready to go.
  • Spring cleaning sale: Use this time to sort through your closet or those boxes in the garage you've been meaning to get to. Sell the items online and donate the funds to GBSI.
  • Sell a skill: Use Zoom or other video platforms to teach people a skill like cooking, fitness training, sewing, drawing, etc.
  • Facebook birthday fundraising: With many parties put on hold, consider asking your friends to donate to our cause.
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Fundraising Ideas:
  • Social media campaign
  • Bake sale
  • Dinner Party
  • Clothing drive
  • Garage sale
  • Organize a walk-a-thon or fun run
  • Softball game
  • Car wash
  • Silent auction
  • Bunco night
  • Fashion show
  • Store donation cards to show support at checkout
  • Birthday & Angelversary events to promote GBS awareness

​Ask a local business to support your cause! Stores and restaurants often host fundraising days where a percentage of the sales goes to your cause! Chick-fil-a, Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin' Donuts, Chili's, Applebee's, California Pizza Kitchen, Blaze Pizza, Pieology, IHOP, and Olive Garden are just a few you can try! You raise money for an important cause, and they get more business - it's a win-win scenario!
Check out examples of past fundraisers!
You can also look through some of our products in our online store or customizable shoppe for ideas!
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Get the Word Out!
The more people that know, the more successful your event will be! Let us know about your fundraiser, we want to help!
​To find others interested in participating in a fundraiser, visit our Facebook page here.

Ask your friends and followers on social media to support and participate in your fundraiser! Get the word out to a larger community through posters, other parent groups, or sending press releases to local news media! If you need help with a press release, download our template and fill in the blanks!

You may also want to consider getting a sponsor for your event! Many companies and local business love to give back to their communities whether its through donating money or goods. Some companies will even match donations, so don't be afraid to ask!
 How to Collect Donations:
If you want to make it easy for participants to donate online, create a fundraising page linked directly to GBSI! 
You can also consider collecting funds via cash, check, venmo, cashapp, and text-to-donate systems, 
After Your Event:
Tell us about it! Share your pictures and stories! 

We not only want to help promote your event before it happens, but we want also want to promote it after to help encourage others to spread GBS awareness!
Examples of past fundraisers:
Reagan's Rides
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This amazing fundraiser is held each year in Broadalbin, New York, complete with a motorcyle ride, bounce houses, raffles, food, and more! 
 
Special thanks to Amanda and Brandon Caldwell and the many people who helped them raise GBS awareness and over $4600 for GBSI at the 7th Annual Reagan’s Ride on August 26, 2023, bringing the total raised by Reagan’s Rides to over $30,000 for the past 7 years!
 
Over 100 people and 60 bikes came out to support the cause this year in honor of Reagan Caldwell, GBS meningitis survivor. Thank you to Down Range for doing such an incredible job with this event year after year as well as to Timeless Tavern, Toby’s Tents, and Kyle Cetnar for his donation of a bounce house, and for their ongoing support of this event. Special recognition and thanks to the Grupp Family for their very generous donation!
 
Learn about Reagan's experience with GBS meningitis.
Lynn's Totes for Mena
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​Proceeds from the sales of these hand-screenprinted natural color tote bags were donated to Group B Strep International to help #starttheGBSconversation.

"These tote bags are made with love and care to honor my angel, Philomena Rose, who was born sleeping 11/15/14. This design comes from an original painting I did of a rose shortly after losing our Mena. The rose has brought a whole new meaning to me, my husband, our family and friends as a representation of our angel. Our hope by selling these bags is to keep Mena’s memory alive and raise money for GBSI and awareness of GBS in her name, so that some day no other child, parent or family has to suffer as a result this disease. Thank you so much for supporting this cause that is so near and dear to me and my family. 
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With love and gratitude,
Mena’s Mama"
MacKay "Finnegan" Bag
"Hi, my name is Heather Bryan and I lost my son Finnegan to Group B Strep. I decided to start a fundraiser for Group B Strep to honor Finnegan and to raise more awareness and money. It is a new venture I just started. I believe that selling this online will help awareness and has already given me the opportunity to share my story locally in my area to help prevent this pain for others. 

We sold out our first small batch of the bags I designed in Finnegan's name in the first week and have more being made!!! It is so exciting and it is a great way for me to share my story to help others."
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Please visit Heather's website to order. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to GBSI!
​Angel Ride for
​ Emma Faye Wallgren
Emma's parents organized a horse-drawn carriage ride in their community to raise awareness and funds for GBSI in memory of their daughter who passed away due to late-onset GBS disease.
Emma Faye Wallgren
​ GBS Awareness Walk-a-thon 
Emma's parents held annual walk-a-thons in their daughter's memory to raise funds for awareness and community involvements, with 50% of all profit being sent to Group B Strep International.
Asher's Fight sponsored a Family Fun Day

​Kylie Vinsant of Asher’s Fight was interviewed about GBS on ABC Atlanta! Thank you, Kylie and Cara, for holding the family fun day at Oak Mountain State Park in Birmingham, AL to raise funds for GBSI!
 Thirty-One Fundraiser by Kim Wagner
"Hello everyone! My name is Kim Wagner and I am the mother of a miracle baby! My now 13 month old daughter was diagnosed with late-onset GBS at 2 months old. 

We are so lucky to have her here with us and we want to raise as much awareness as possible. We ran a Thirty-One fundraiser in her honor to donate 100% commission to GBS International. Let’s all join together and raise awareness for this horrible disease!!!" 
This is my sweet girl rocking her pretty pink hearing aide and enjoying her popsicle!