Steps-2-Balance

One way to celebrate Steps-2-Balance in your local community is by hosting a pop-up event. You can encourage community members to join together in a walk or participate in another safe and accessible activity to improve their health and balance.

Here is a guide to organizing a pop-up event:

1. Pick a date during S2B week (May 19-25)
2. Choose a location
   1. Options:
      1. Public park
      2. Physical Therapy clinic
      3. Your neighborhood
   2. Reserve your space (if applicable): If you are only going to be hosting a small (e.g. <20) group of people, this probably isn’t necessary, and it’s much easier to have a “pop-up” event (i.e. just show up, no reservations). 
   3. Other issues to consider:
      1. Do you need a permit or insurance? For a pop-up event, no. If you are partnering with a PT office, they may already have insurance. If you are reserving a space in a public park, ask them for their requirements.
      2. Is there adequate parking? You might want to provide attendees with instructions on where to park.
      3. Make sure there isn’t another planned event taking place at your selected venue that day (e.g. check city and community events calendars). A weekday evening (instead of a weekend) might help you avoid other events.
   4. Plan your walking route. Consider the people who will be attending when deciding on the length of the route, or do a loop so people can participate for as long as they like.
3. Invite friends and family
   1. Start a private Facebook event so people can RSVP.
   2. Share often on social media (it’s OK to repeat yourself; people don’t always see your post the first time around).
   3. Go the old-fashioned route - call or email friends and family members!
   4. Announce it on NextDoor or other local networks.
4. Create signage to announce your event.
5. Sport your flamingos! 
   1. Purchase S2B t-shirts from VeDA’s online store (and encourage your friends and family to do so as well).
   2. There are LOTS of flamingo-themed things you can find to spruce up your event and get people’s attention - clothes, hats, capes, tutus, etc. The more outrageous your outfit, the more people will ask you, “What’s this about?” Which gives you the opportunity to educate them about the challenges of living with a vestibular disorder.
6. Bring snacks and water: It’s important to stay hydrated! You can encourage participants to bring a reusable water bottle if there is a water source nearby. Snacks can be easy, like bagels and cream cheese (if you’re doing a morning walk) or fruit and nut bars. 
7. Take photos (or a video), post them on social media afterwards to let people know how much fun you had, and send them to VeDA ([email protected]).
8. Thank your attendees for coming, and let them know how much you appreciate their support during your vestibular journey. You can tag them on social media, but a personal note card or email is also appreciated.

You can request materials and educational resources for a pop-up event by emailing [email protected].

You can purchase a Steps-2-Balance T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, Sticker, and more! And your purchase will help a person get the health care they need to regain balance.

Shop S2B

You can make a difference with a Steps-2-Balance fundraiser. By doing so, you will help make sure that people with vestibular disorders get the information and medical care that they need!

FUNDRAISING TIPS:

• Make sure you REGISTER for the event: When you register for Steps-2-Balance, you get your own webpage and donation button! That means that when someone in your community makes a gift it goes directly towards your goal!
• Make your page personal: Add images or text to make your webpage personal. Include detail that let your family and friends know why you’re fundraising for VeDA. If you have a personal story to share about how imbalance due to vestibular dysfunction has affected you or someone you know, this can be a powerful way to inspire others to give.
• Tell everyone about your fundraiser: Along with a personal message, you can share the link to your fundraising page on your social media accounts or via email.
• Tell them AGAIN: People get busy and need reminders. Your friends and family will be happy to hear about your passion for this cause and many will want to contribute. Make it easy for them by giving them a couple of extra nudges. That means posting and emailing more than once. You can even include an update about your Steps-2-Balance activities when you do!
• Donate to your own page: People are more likely to donate if someone else has already contributed, and donating to your own fundraiser shows people you’re serious about the cause. And your gift will help make sure that people with vestibular disorders get the help they need!
• Set mini fundraising goals along the way: This will make it easier to reach your main goal—plus, you can share updates on social media to thank donors for helping you reach your goal.

VeDA is here to help you meet your fundraising goals! Feel free to contact us at 800.837.8428 or [email protected].

Email Sample Language for your Fundraiser

Dear Friends,

I’m asking you to support me (or your loved one, or your patients) in taking steps to regain balance.

The Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) helped me (or your loved one, or your patient) when others dismissed the symptoms of dizziness and brain fog, saying they were “all in your head.” Vestibular patients around the world continue to struggle with these invisible illnesses, alone and misunderstood, and for many the physical toll of the coronavirus pandemic has made their symptoms even worse.

>> [INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY AND PHOTO HERE]

Please help me make vestibular visible so others won’t have to endure the challenges I have faced in getting an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Thank you for all your support!

All the best,

>> [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]

Social Media Blurbs for Your Fundraiser

• Learn more about my vestibular journey and support me by making a donation to my fundraising page. [INSERT LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE AND ATTACH A PHOTO] #Steps2Balance
• Help me take #Steps2Balance by supporting my fundraiser. I’m hoping to raise [$XX] to help people struggling with debilitating vestibular disorders—please consider a generous donation to @vestibularveda! [INSERT LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE]
• I’m participating in Steps-2-Balance to raise awareness about how these invisible vestibular disorders affect people like me (or your loved one, or your patients). You can help me by making a donation to the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA), a nonprofit organization that supports and empowers vestibular patients all over the world. [INSERT LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE] #Steps2Balance

Please join me by contributing to my Steps-2-Balance campaign. Thank you for your support and for helping make "vestibular" visible! [INSERT LINK TO YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE]

Steps-2-Balance is a time to celebrate your journey with the people in your life, and social media is a powerful way to reach your community. To help your posts reach even more people, use #Steps2Balance and tag VeDA's accounts:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Social Media Graphics

Click on the following graphics to download and post them on your social media. Make sure to include the link to your event webpage that you get when you register.

If you like to use Canva, you can use the following template to customize a graphic with your Steps-2-Balance goal:

Editable Canva Template

Social Media Messages

Customize our sample posts for social media (all short enough for Twitter and Pinterest) to make them personal, and share why VeDA is special to you.

• This #Steps2Balance I am taking a step towards better balance by (INSERT ACTIVITY). Will you support me? You can make a gift in honor of my "step" at (INSERT WEBPAGE LINK)
• Raise awareness about vestibular dysfunction during Steps-2-Balance, May 19-25.  Learn more at vestibular.org/s2b. #Steps2Balance
• Join us and @vestibularveda as we take #Steps2Balance together. Learn more at vestibular.org/s2b.
• This week is #Steps2Balance. Comment below what activities you are doing to improve your balance and tag @vestibularveda.

Sending a letter to your local newspaper is a great way to raise awareness about vestibular disorders. If your letter is published, please send us a hard copy or email us a link.

Example Language

Dear Editor,

For many people like me (or your loved one, or your patient), living with a vestibular condition is a daily struggle to find balance. There are good days and bad days, but every step is a step toward recovery, a journey of discovering new ways of moving, eating, and sleeping that make every day a little better, more balanced, than the one before.

[Insert your vestibular story here. Be brief–you don’t need to go into detail about every doctor you saw. What is most impactful is how the disorder has impacted your life.]

That’s why I’m participating in Steps-2-Balance, an event hosted by the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA). From May 19-25, vestibular patients like me (or your loved one, or your patient) will celebrate the steps we’ve taken on the road to recovery.

While many vestibular patients are restricted in their everyday mobility, many forms of exercise or movement can help patients improve their balance. So, regardless of where a patient is on their journey back to balance, there are activities and exercises that can allow us to take “steps” forward to rediscovering a life rebalanced.

For more information about VeDA and Steps-2-Balance, please visit vestibular.org/S2B.