Registration and Fundraising
Your registration fee covers our costs associated with putting on the event, from permit to tent rentals and more. This way, the funds you raise will help our homeless dogs and cats. Because the registration fee outsets our costs, it does not count towards your fundraising.
Yes, all children must be registered regardless of age. Because our registration includes electronically accepting our event liability waiver, we need every attendee of the event registered, including children. This protects the health and safety of all attendees. Because our event costs are also based on the number of attendees, we do require a registration fee for every attendee, including infant children.
If you want to register people to attend AS YOU are registering yourself, you can create a family team. Follow these steps:
- When you start the registration process, select “Create a Team”. Type in your team name and hit enter.
- On the next page, you will see various types of registration. Hit the “+” to add each individual type of registration needed per family member (Adult, Child, Automatic Hero Hangout, etc.)
- Your total cost of all registrations will be tabulated in the final step for payment.
No! Our canine guests are free, but we do limit no more than one (1) dog per registered participant. Dogs must be up to date on all vaccinations and records and kept on a non-retractable leash at all times. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in being asked to leave the event with no refund issued.
Because our registration fees cover our event costs, we are unable to issue any refunds for any reason (including but not limited to: illness, cancellation of event due to weather, family emergency, etc.).
Your fundraising page reflects donations submitted to PAWS Chicago so until checks / money orders are received, you will be unable to post these on your page.
You may mail in checks / money orders to our office:
PAWS Chicago, ATTN: PAWS 5K, 1933 N. Marcey St., Chicago, IL 60614
Be sure to include a note indicating if the checks should be credited to you or your team! Once we receive these, we will post them (process takes approximately 2 weeks depending on mail service).
You may endorse the back of the check and mail it in with a completed donation form to PAWS Chicago, Attn: PAWS 5K, 1933 N. Marcey St., Chicago, IL 60614
It is not a good idea to send a cash donation in the mail. You may do one of two things:
- Drop off the cash at PAWS Chicago’s Blazer building at 1933 N. Marcey Street, Chicago, IL 60614 Monday-Friday between the hours of 9am-5pm along with your information.
- Have the cash made into a cashier’s check (made payable to PAWS Chicago) and mail it to the Blazer building (address above).
You can thank your donors three different ways through Classy. To view a step by step guide on each option please follow THIS tutorial. As a note: due to privacy, Classy does not share your donors physical addresses, only email addresses are available.
Because this is the donor’s contribution, we are not allowed to move any of their donations without written consent from the donor. They should email us at PAWSChicago5K@pawschicago.org and indicate which donation (amount and date made) they want moved and to whom/which team. We will then move the donation.
You are receiving these emails because we would like to keep you updated on your fundraising efforts. If you wish to stop receiving these updates, please login to your headquarters and edit your account preferences.
When we receive the matching gift check, we immediately post it on your page as long as your company notes that it should be credited to you. The length of this process is entirely dependent on your company’s matching gifts policy so if you have any questions, you should first go to your company’s HR department.
You may send that information to our Matching Gifts Department at matchinggift@pawschicago.org and they will complete the requested information.
Donate
All donations should be mailed to:
PAWS Chicago
Attn: PAWS 5K
1933 N Marcey Street
Chicago, IL 60614
With your donation check, please be sure to include the name(s) and/or team that the donations should be credited to.
Click on the home page and begin typing the first or last name. Your options will display as you type.
Any online donation made online should post immediately. If an online donation does not post within 1 hour please contact us at PAWSChicago5K@PAWSChicago.org
For check donations mailed to us, we process and post them the moment we receive them. This could take several days after being sent, depending on mail service.
For donations submitted in person, please allow staff 2-3 business days to process and post.
Any donations received event weekend will take up to 2 weeks to be posted due to the high volume.
Yes, all monetary donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Yes. For overseas donations made online with a credit card, the amount entered in the online donation form will be in U.S. dollars.
Any donor who mailed their donation will receive an acknowledgment letter directly from PAWS Chicago. Please allow up to 3-4 weeks for this. For those making an online donation, they will receive their receipt within their email confirmation of their donation immediately after it is processed.
A Tax ID number identifies PAWS Chicago as a 501(c)(3) non-profit Organization. The PAWS Chicago Tax ID number is EIN 36-4219778.
Hero Hangout
There are three ways to get the ultimate VIP experience on event day, access into our Hero Hangout!
1. Automatically secure your spot during registration ($250)
2. Individually fundraise $250 by 11:45pm, Wednesday, September 4.
3. If your team average is $250 per member by Wednesday, September 4 then every member on your team will gain access (for example, if you have a team of 10 and your team raises $3,000, your average is $300 a member, which is over the $250 minimum).
There will be NO EVENT DAY HERO HANGOUT REGISTRATION!
Because of the difficultly in confirming the exact date when companies and/or Facebook will submit these funds to PAWS Chicago, we are unable to count outstanding funds.
In order to gain Hero Hangout access, donations must be received by 11:45pm, Wednesday, September 4.
All those who qualified for Hero Hangout Access before the 11:45pm, Wednesday, September 4 deadline will receive an email on Thursday, September 5, notifying them of their access.
Hero Hangout wristbands will be given out at Hero Hangout check in at the event. Please be sure to bring your photo ID for the check in process.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the items that may be in our Goody Bags (e.g. perishable items, large/bulky items) and the shipping costs that would result, we are unable to mail or set aside any Goody Bags.
Goody Bags are available for the first 400 attendees in the Hero Hangout area on event day and are not guaranteed.
Because the Hero Hangout is a fundraising prize, we cannot allow in anyone who did not meet the fundraising minimum so we encourage you to encourage them in their fundraising efforts! But should they fail to gain access, there will still be other great entertainment and activities for them to enjoy while you are in the hangout.
And don't forget, if your team AVERAGE is $250 a member, then every member of your team will get in (for example, if you have a team of 10 and you raise $2,500 but no one else fundraises, because your average would be $250 a member, they would all get in).
Of course! (we will have volunteers on hand to help with your dog while you grab a bite to eat!).
MISC.
Yes! Dogs are allowed on the route. For the health and safety of both our human and canine guests, dogs are only allowed to walk, not run.
Yes, you may bring strollers and wagons. However, for the health and safety of our runners, these are not allowed on the run route. Please note that the event and portions of the walk route do take place on grass and/or gravel, which could be difficult for wheeled items.
Yes! We have limited handicap parking and the route is wheelchair accessible, but please note that portions may include grass and/or gravel. We will also have ADA compatible portalets on site.
Because of the costs and logistics in mailing out shirts, we will not mail out any shirts, unless the participant registers using the "shirt mailed" option, for an additional $10. If you think you will be unable to make the event but still wish to support PAWS Chicago, you may register with this option and have your shirt mailed to you two weeks before the event.
You may also pick up your shirt during our Early Pickup on Thursday, September 5, or at the event. In addition, you may have another team member pick up your shirt on your behalf.