For you fashion-savvy fundraisers out there, this weekend traditionally marks the end of the summer and the end of white wardrobe pieces. 

Flickr image courtesy of eye_capture

Labor day weekend also marks the beginning of a host of fall 5k fundraising runs and walks.  In our own backyard, the Massachusetts Arc of East Middlesex (EMARC) is kicking off a year of work with a 5k fundraiser to benefit EMARC’s recreation programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities and Autism. 

EMARC has gone the proverbial extra mile for this cause by raising awareness and garnering community involvement on a number of fronts.  They’ve partnered with local businesses and a huge community event to maximize the impact of their fundraising efforts:

Phase 1: The annual Sneaker Campaign for EMARC begins this weekend at local supermarkets Atlantic Food Mart and Jonnie’s Foodmaster.  Paper sneakers can be purchased for a donation at the checkout.  Donors sign the sneakers, and they are posted around the grocery store to show community support for EMARC. 

Phase 2: One week later, the 5k Run/Walk and Kids’ 1/2 Mile Fun Run in Melrose, MA take the Sneaker Campaign a few steps further.  Participants can register online and create their own fundraising pages for the event; team Spicy Spruce has already raised over $700 online.  EMARC’s annual 5k is also strategically scheduled to kick off the Melrose Annual Victorian Fair.  Over 14,000 fair attendees will gain exposure to EMARC through this partnership!

Beware, if you dare to wear white after Labor day, you may be identified as a fashion disaster.  Then again, you could be identified as an innovator, an agent of change, a mover-and-shaker.  Might be worth the risk.