Walking to class at NGU can help raise money for your favorite charity
Gabrielle Fanelli, Staff Writer
Donating to a charity is a heart-warming experience, but usually requires you to have money and that is one thing most college students lack.
What if donating to a charity didn’t require you to give a dime but instead required you to give miles? Charity Miles is a charity app that does just that. How else does this apply to college students?
In May of 2013, U.S Citizens were surveyed to calculate just how many people exercise. The survey revealed that only 20.6 percent of people met the total recommended amounts of exercise. Some 23 percent were men and 18 percent were women. People most likely to exercise were between the ages of 18 and 24 (almost 31 percent of exercisers) which is the age of a typical college student.
People ages 18-24 have more drive to work out and if you already work out, why not use the app to raise money for charities in the process? You can raise money by simply walking to class, to the car and to your room each day. As their slogan says, “Every Mile Matters!”
You can read more of the case study here.
Step 1: Choose your Charity. I chose the first one.
When creating your account with Charity Miles, you don’t even need to give bank account information. The money comes from a sponsor. Each time you open the app, you pick a charity. You’ll then earn 10 cents per mile for biking and 25 cents per mile for walking and running.
Step 2: Choose your Type of Cardio. I Chose Indoor Walk.
“The idea is to combine getting fit with donating to charity”, says Kit Eaton. “To get that corporate donor to contribute the funds, you have to put in the miles, by walking, running or bicycling. For every mile the app detects you’ve gone, using your phone’s motion sensors, a sponsor will donate to the charity you’ve chosen to support.”
Step 3: Learn who will sponsor you and begin recording your cardio.
While the app is open, it shows you an ad from the sponsor donating the money. Learn about Denise Claycomb who runs 13 miles per day for Autism Speaks because her sons both have autism. She was the first user to reach 2,000 miles.
The app’s list of causes includes names like Project Red and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as lesser-known charities. Charity Miles is free for iOS and Android. For the month of December, download the app and make it a spacial event with your friends. December 2 is Special Education Day. Choose a charity on that day that has to do with special needs. You can grab some friends and have them download the app as well. Go walk around campus at NGU or take a bike ride on Swamp Rabbit Trail! Raise money together while staying fit together.
