Wondering where to start? Need some ideas about how to promote your team within your company? Download the Team Captain Toolkit. It has tons of great tools and ideas to help your team surpass their goals this year.

Team T-shirts at-cost through Pure Protein!
Looking for a low cost way to build team camaraderie and wear your team pride on your sleeve, literally? Pure Protein has partnered with the National MS Society to provide the opportunity to purchase team T-shirts at cost — which means no mark-ups! To order yours today, visit teampureprotein.com, where you can customize your shirts with a team logo or photo. Cost is $6.95 per shirt plus a one-time set-up fee and shipping. A minimum of six shirts must be ordered with 14 days for delivery. Thank you to Pure Protein for underwriting the cost of this opportunity and for supporting the MS movement!

Online tools for team captains
Online team management tools provide easy ways to get statistics, search for team members and collect team rosters.
Log in to your Participant Center and have complete access to your team information. With these tools, you can:

• View the entire roster
• View summary statistics
• Search or browse rosters for specific team members
• View an individual team member's record, including fundraising
• Contact your team with just the click of a mouse

Team captain timeline

January

• Meet with MS Society team staff to set fundraising and recruitment goals. Contact your team staff at 612-335-7900
• Contact a T-shirt or jersey company to get on the jersey production schedule
• Pick a team name. Keep it simple. Your organization’s name can serve as your team name or you can be creative
• Secure support from top executives or organization leaders
• Ask your marketing, matching gifts or human resources department for support

February

• Share the work and form a committee
• Start recruiting. Hold a team meeting or party to kick off the Bike MS: SAM'S CLUB Twin Cities Ride 2013 and sign up teammates
• Invite a National MS Society team staff member to discuss our organization and the benefits of having a team
• Announce that you are forming a team at the next staff, club or faculty meeting
• Post an updated roster to list confirmed team members
• Approach potential sponsors. Ask your company or neighborhood businesses to provide T-shirts, hats or jerseys for your team to wear on ride weekend. Their company names will be seen by more than 1,000 riders, volunteers and supporters, as well as media from across Minnesota
• Create a jersey design. Contact National MS Society team staff at 612-335-7900 to get National MS Society logos
• Display posters in corporate cafeterias, break rooms, lobbies and bulletin boards
• Place articles in your company newsletter and Web site
• Plan your pre-ride event to promote team involvement, including training rides and social gatherings. Offer a prize giveaway at this event
• Enlist those not riding to volunteer for team support
• Check your fundraising goals
• Track team donations. Announce current totals and top fundraisers.

March

• MS Awareness Week is March 3-9! Click here for information on how to raise awareness in your community.
• Fundraising efforts should already be well underway. For mission-related fundraising, visit themsmovement.org/
• Push team training
• Check with official bike shops for additional training rides
• Check your roster by logging into your Participant Center
• Reward top team members. Get prizes donated for top team fundraisers (such as tickets to events, gift certificates, etc.)
• Keep fundraising and recruiting

April

• Arrange last-minute details with your team. Follow up with team meeting area instructions
• Remind your team about directions to your team meeting area
• Continue fundraising and recruiting

May

• Saturday, May 10: Enjoy the ride!

After the tour

• Keep lines of communication open with teammates
• Send thank you notes or call team members to thank them individually
• Remind your cyclists once a week about the pledge deadline
• Log in to your Participant Center to learn your team’s fundraising total and identify which team members have yet to turn in money
• Plan a team wrap-up meeting. Captains can distribute team awards to cyclists and volunteers
• Ask an executive to thank corporate team members personally with a note, party or a casual day
• Follow up with your company regarding matching gifts. Make sure all paperwork is submitted by the appropriate deadline
• Submit a story to your company newsletter or Web site recapping the ride, acknowledging top team members, showing team pictures and thanking supporters