Teams

It only takes one person to inspire hundreds—that’s the power behind being a team captain. As a team captain you become a leader in a powerful movement toward a world free of MS. Being on a team is an opportunity to share a great experience with friends, family members or coworkers—a community connecting to help end MS forever.

As part of the MS movement, you and your team are committed to a world free of MS and we are committed to you and the success of your team!

Forming or joining a team is a great way to experience an event! The camaraderie and support you’ll feel from the rest of your team is like no other. By forming a team during the registration process, you will become the designated team captain and will be in charge of rallying the troops for the big day.

Follow these steps below to get started today!

1. Just Begin!
   Register first in order to create a team. It's easy!
2. Enlist your colleagues, friends and family members.
   Ask them to ride with you to become an "Official Team." ("Official" teams consist of 4 or more members and get included in team competitions, but we welcome teams of any size!) They can register by clicking "Join a Team" and searching for your team name. Or, you (the team captain) can email one of the Suggested Messages from your Participant Center and the new team members can register through a link provided.
3. Communicate.
   Forward along to your team members any pertinent information that you get from the National MS Society regarding team/fundraising contests, event details, and your team ranking.
4. Be a cheerleader!
   Once team members have begun registering, send out emails to the team, welcome new members, congratulate those who reach fundraising milestones, and create fundraising challenges for your team members.
5. Plan and share day of event details.
   Are you meeting somewhere special? Are you wearing team jerseys or coordinated outfits? Send the details to your team members so they feel included and can have as much fun as possible on event weekend!
6. Donation Distribution Form
   If you need to send in donations that are split between multiple teammates use this Donation Distribution Form. 

Recruiting

Team members can be anybody — family members, friends, co-workers, or even neighbors. Whether you’re a corporate team or a friends and family team, just be sure to ask everyone you know. Remember, team captains must register themselves first and create a team before team members are able to join or register.

Be bold! The first step is to ask. Enthusiasm and spirit are contagious—your friends and family will want to join the movement when they see how committed and excited you are.

Think outside your neighborhood. Use this experience as a meaningful reason to reunite friends and family who live around the nation. They can fundraise and train at their homes, and then join you here on the day of the event. Keep each other motivated by e-mail or phone or surprise each other by sending care packages. A reunion on the day of the event can create a special memory!

(Leading isn’t your cup of tea? Convince someone else you know to lead the group, or join an existing team.)

The benefits of forming a team include being eligible for contests throughout the year as well as being eligible for team awards at the end of the season. We highly encourage you to recruit as many people as possible to join you. The more, the merrier...right?

How do you fundraise on a team?

Fundraising comes more naturally when you make it personal. It your team is participating for someone living with MS, ask them to share their story when making donation requests. Always follow these stories with statements about how much progress we have made in treating the disease. Another easy way to fundraise is through matching gifts, so be sure to ask anyone who donates to you if their company has a matching gifts program.

Some ideas that work well for teams:

• Throw a team challenge party. You can each take on a task, such as food or decorations, sending the invites or hosting. Invite a representative from the National MS Society to the party to answer any questions your team may have.
• Set up an informational meeting at your company: Invite your co-workers to be a part of your corporate team by donating, volunteering or participating. Don't forget to invite the CEO of your company to get involved with the team. When the boss gets involved, everyone else will want to join you. A representative from the National MS Society would be happy to speak at your meeting to discuss the event and share the mission of the MS Society.

As a team member (or team captain) you can fundraise like everyone else. Instead of your fundraising going directly to the overall team, we funnel it there through you first. So, when you turn in a check or receive a donation online, you get the individual credit for it and your team also receives credit for it. This allows you to qualify for the individual clubs and the team awards.

Send your flyers and/or fundraising event info to us at teamMS@mspacific.org and we'll post it on our website!

Training

One of the biggest perks to forming a team is that you already have training partners. It's much harder to bypass training, hit the snooze button or go for doughnuts when someone is counting on you to help them train. Training as a team keeps the momentum going and helps you support each other every step of the way.

Bike MS Team Coaches

As your Team Coaches, we will do our best to make your experience as a Team Captain fun, rewarding and easy. We are standing by to help you every step of the way! Contact us with any questions you may have concerning your team.

Angelina Sperry
(760) 448-8430
angelina.sperry@nmss.org

Renata Sahagian
(760) 448-8406
renata.sahagian@nmss.org

Sharon Shahnazarian
(760) 448-8404
sharon.shahnazarian@nmss.org

Jennifer Gaylord
(760) 448-8413
jennifer.gaylord@nmss.org

Christine Wiley
(760) 448-8446
christine.wiley@nmss.org



Have fun!

Our events are about a community coming together to create a world free of MS and the accomplishment of a unique personal challenge! As a leader, you get the opportunity to remind your teammates of why they are participating. These are more than fundraising events—they are celebrations of how far we’ve come together.