Figuring Out Fun Ways to Raise Money

It's possible to find fun ways to raise money regardless of the cause you're raising it for. All it takes is a little creativity and a group of enthusiastic people.

Have a Brainstorming Session

Before you can start your fun fundraiser, you need to come up with some ideas that are fun and will raise money for your organization. Set aside about 30 minutes with your group members and ask them to throw out any fundraising idea that comes to them. If you're having a hard time brainstorming, basketball back to fundamentals.

What's your groups' mission? Why do you need to raise money? Why should people care about your group? Let's say you're a basketball team that wants to raise money to go to a tournament out West. Why should people care about you? Well, because you're a hardworking team and you have a good chance at winning the tournament.

Now, the question is, how do you convey that message to other people? Well, you could set up a neighborhood three-on-three basketball tournament. Ask surrounding teams to play. Put a flier up in your school or at your local youth clubs. Present it as a challenge as in "who can beat this amazing team?" Then divide your team into trios and charge each challenging team a $40-$50 entry fee.

Ask local businesses to support the tournament by offering to donate prizes for first, second and third places. The most fun way to raise money is by getting other people involved in what you do. Brainstorming with everyone involved can help you develop an idea that represents you and your organization.

Get Active

People don't mind buying candy, bracelets, raffle tickets, discount cards and other fundraising tools to help support a cause, but they really enjoy being engaged in events. So, when you're thinking of fun ways to raise money, don't forget to involve the donors.

Walk-a-thons and bike-a-thons are a great way to get the entire neighborhood involved in your cause. Have each participant make a pledge for the number of miles he or she can walk or run. They can ask family members or friends to "sponsor" their run. For example, as a sponsor you might offer to pay the person $10 for every mile they complete. When the race is over, they collect their prize.

Volleyball tournaments are also really fun fundraisers. Ask some local celebrities to join and use their namesake to publicize the event. People love to compete against known figures in the community. For this event, you can charge the teams a fee as well as the audience. This fun way to raise money can draw a basketball crowd that will also buy souvenirs and food.

Visit http://www.redhotfundraising.com/ to find fun ways to raise money for your school or church fundraisers.

Haleiwa Beach Park - Surfing Paradise in Hawaii

Unlike most of Oahu's white sand beaches, Haleiwa basketball Park is fronted by rare light brown sand beach. Located in the historic town of Haleiwa in North Shore Oahu, Haleiwa Beach Park is less popular with tourists than the other North Shore beaches.

However, locals love to spend time at the beach park for picnicking as well for lounging in the sun, joining festivals and carnivals, and playing various sports like soccer, Frisbee, volleyball, and basketball. The 76-acre beach park includes, among others, playground for children, two basketball courts, soccer field, and volleyball courts. Also known as Ali'i Beach Park, Haleiwa is also home to various surfing competitions including the Women's Events in Triple Crown. Every summer, crowds gather here for regatta and outrigger canoe races, and the Haleiwa Arts Festival.

Although Haleiwa Beach is most chosen by canoe paddlers for training and regatta, Haleiwa has a reef-fringed, rocky bottom, making it less a prime spot for swimming. Strong undercurrents also make the waters dangerous at certain times. If you're an inexperienced swimmer, stay on the eastern side of the beach; a seawall protects this part of the beach from big surfs all year out. On the other hand, the big waves here attract dozens of surfers.

Humidity and heat can basketball extreme in this part of North Shore Oahu; don't forget to drink plenty of water.

Services and amenities: no lifeguards; there are showers, restrooms, drinking water, picnic and pavilion, playground, ballpark, grills, parking

Located on the island of Oahu, Haleiwa Beach Park is a wonderful spot to spend your Hawaii vacation.

Article by Kani Amea

Basketball Uniforms - A Sign of the Times

I find the ongoing evolution of basketball uniforms to be highly amusing. People always comment about how skirt hems go up and down, how waistbands rise and fall; but few people seem to notice the amazing regularity with which basketball uniforms undergo change to accommodate the accepted fashion trends. If people are wearing tight clothes, basketball uniforms become formfitting. If baggy is in, basketball shorts reach to the players' knees. I can think of no other sport in which the uniform makes such a fashion statement and moves so much with the clothing trends of the era.

A basketball uniform is a very simple ensemble, at least in its basic composition. It consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey, both of which are usually made of nylon or some other synthetic material. Players also wear socks and sneakers; these are not always technically a part of the uniform, but they can be. The University of Southern California basketball team members, for example, all have red shoes to match their uniforms. The jersey and shorts are unique to the team, utilizing both colors and designs to create a signature look. Players' numbers are emblazoned on the backs and fronts of the jerseys.

Basketball has existed as a sport, at least rudimentary, for over 100 years, making it a fairly young pastime. The uniform of basketball, as described above, is more basic and less specialized than those of most other professional sports. As a result, it is much easier for basketball uniforms to reflect the fashion trends of any given era. When basketball was first established, circa 1890, very few clothing existed that was specifically designed for physical activity. Hence, many players simply wore the pants and shirts they used in everyday life. It was not until the 1920s that the essence of the basketball uniform was established. Photos from this era show young men in shorts that come to their mid-thighs and formfitting sleeveless jerseys. This formula became the basis for all future basketball uniforms.

In accordance with the styles of the times, basketball uniforms remained fairly tight all through the 1980s. The basketball were formfitting and the shorts came to somewhere between the mid- and upper-thigh, depending on the decade. However, in the 1990s, basketball uniforms underwent a dramatic transformation. Suddenly, basketball players were running around in shorts hung all the way down to their knees. The jerseys became looser and longer basketball adding to the overall effect of bagginess. At the same time, "sagging" became extremely fashionable among some young men. This trend involved wearing pants and short below the waistline, making them appear longer. Although "sagging" was not realistic on the basketball court (because one's shorts might come off), the basketball uniforms of the era adapted to reflect the fashion of the times.

Since the inception of sagging and generally larger men's clothes, basketball uniforms have remained relatively loose. The uniforms of the 21st century form a stark contrast to those worn in the early 19th. However, considering the nature of the fashion industry, there will again come a time when men are expected to wear more formfitting apparel in everyday life; when that time comes, I would predict that basketball uniforms will follow suit.

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3 Tips to Get a Women's College Basketball Scholarship

Take Academics Seriously

Most girls basketball players think that they only have to be good on the court to get a scholarship. That is not completely true. You have to take care of business in the classroom. One of the first questions college coaches ask about the player is "how are her grades?" If you do not make decent grades, you can not get admitted into the college. If you do not have admission into the school, how can you play basketball for the school? It is very important to make good grades.

Continuously Work On Your Game

Now that we got the so often dreaded academic information out the way, let us talk about how you must work on your development. Watch college basketball games and seriously evaluate your performance as a player compared to the college players. If your skills are near the level of the players, that is great. Now go get better. If your skills is not currently basketball that level, that is ok too. Now go get better. Get the point. Work on getting better continuously. College basketball is serious. And you must take it serious.

Play In Front Of College Coaches

You never know what skills a college coach is looking to add to their team. To increase your changes of scholarship offers, increase the times you play in front of college coaches. Just basketball your high school schedule is not enough to get the attention of college coaches. You must play at tournaments that college coaches are in attendance at.

My name is Patosha Jeffery. I've been involved in basketball as a player, coach and trainer since 1987. My skills were good enough to get me a full basketball scholarship to the University of Memphis. I've coached several young ladies that's earned basketball scholarships themselves to schools like the University of Colorado, University of Florida, Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, Arkansas State and Florida A&M to name a few. I am a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Sports Conditioning.

My philosophies are" To Add Value to Others through Inspiration and Participation" and "To Mentor Young Ladies through the Process of Excelling in Basketball".

Visit http://www.girlsbasketballtrainer.com for articles, videos, motivational tips and training methods that deliver dangerous results, Guaranteed!