Medal Ceremony FAQ

Here is the form for Medal Ordering!!

How do I order my medals?

It’s easy. Just print this form, tell us what you need, and fax or mail/email it in.

Your site is eligible for the same number of certificates as you have Incentive Packages. For example, if your school has ordered 250 Incentive packages, your school is eligible for 250 certificates. We will add in extras in case you mess up. :)

Additionally, you will get medals for those participants who have crossed the 100 Mile point. PLEASE only order what you need. Again, we will add in extras for you "just in case". Ordering only what you need will ensure that we keep our costs down in the years to come.

Soon, you will receive a form in which you may include your order for these certificates and medals. They are already paid for...you just need to cover shipping. PLEASE allow at least 14 day window for medal and certificate delivery. DON'T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE. It will make us and you freak out.

Medal ceremony time is SO exciting! Make sure to set those ceremony dates and let us know when they are.

Do we have to pay for shipping?

Yes, you do have to cover shipping, but it shouldn’t be too much.

We will make an invoice with your shipping total included. You can pay by check or credit card. (Or you can pick up.)

May we pick everything up?

You bet! Just let us know when you want to come. Our normal hours are 8-5, M-F. We will have extended hours as we get closer to the end of the Cycle (aka May and June).

How much time do you need to get everything to us?

If you are picking up, you can come any time (BUT PLEASE HAVE YOUR FORM FILLED OUT!). If we are shipping, allow 10-14 days just to be safe.

When should I stop my kids?

That is totally up to you. We ask that you schedule your medal ceremonies to allow as much time as possible to get those miles in. Don't cut off too early (or too late!).

Here are the steps:

1. Set your Medal Ceremony Date/s

2. Back up about a week (if you are picking up), or 10-14 days if we are shipping.

3. Set that date as your cutoff date.


What if I have a child who is SO close? Can I extend running special just for him/her?

The expectation for completing 100 miles is clear. Trust that expectation and stick to it. Miles must be completed at school or at 100 Mile Club®/Sanctioned Events. You can allow extra time at school, before school, after school, let them know about outside opportunities, but be careful about bending the rules for just one child. Open it to all, in which case you are extending your cutoff date. Ask yourself what it teaches a child when you allow them to take these extra privileges.

What if we have someone almost there, can we let them run at home?

The kiddos know the expectations going in.

I know it’s hard, but allowing miles to be completed at home with just mom or dad opens a whole can of worms with kids and families (trust me). The commitment was to have her complete the majority of her miles at school with classmates, etc. Having her go to school and complete her challenge with her “team” according to plan would be the very best way to go. Doing anything else cheapens the process, so be careful when you decide what to do.


Should I give a special award to the runner with the most miles?

That is up to you. You can, but again, be really careful about HOW you do it. I’ve actually seen it done really, really well. Some schools have a little trophy, or they get a cap or hoodie from us to give them. Usually you wait till everyone has gotten their awards, and do it at the very last.

In addition, think about the children who really blossomed somehow within the program but didn’t quite make their 100. These kids may need personal recognition more that anyone.

Do you have special gifty things we can get for our special runners?

We sure do. Hats, hoodies, backpacks, bling tees, girly tees, beanies…you name it.

How do I get my certificates and medals?

It’s easy. Just print this form, tell us what you need, and fax or mail/email it in.

We have kids who ran but we didn’t order Incentive Packages for them. Can we order certificates for them?

Yes. You can order certificates above and beyond what your school is eligible for, but the cost for these will be 0.10/certificate. These will be added into your final invoice.

REMEMBER: There is NO CHARGE for certificates that are part of the Incentive Packages you have already ordered. If you need more, they are 0.10/each. Just tell us what you need.

What are some basic DOs and DON’Ts just to get me going?

• DO make sure that EVERYONE receives a certificate with the total miles run/walked written in and signed by the Site head Coach/es.

• DO make sure that everyone wears their 100 Mile Club® t-shirt the day of the ceremony.

• DO remember that only those who run/walk 100 miles receive a medal.

• DO think about that child who did something extraordinary.

• DO have FUN!!

• DO Read more here.

DON’T sort your kids from lowest to highest miles.

DON’T make excuses or shy away from Medal Ceremonies if nobody made their 100.

DON’T just recognize the kids who did 100 miles and ignore the rest.

DON’T put certificates and medals in cubbies to just send home.

I still need some ideas! Help?

Sure!! Ceremonies can be any of (but of course not limited to) the following…

• A School-wide Assembly. These can be wild and crazy, or dignified and noble. You make it what you want… have balloons, make a slideshow, have music, invite local dignitaries.

• A Family/Company Potluck, Picnic, or BBQ. Yes, families and businesses can be a 100 Mile Club® chapter, too! You can end the year with a group picnic at the beach, lake, or local park.

• A Reflective Year-End Classroom Activity. This is actually how the ceremony began in my classroom. We invited all of the families of our individuals and spoke of each individuals’ achievements, as we announced their miles and presented medals and final certificates.

• Individual Classroom Visits...aka MEDAL Patrol! As done by Orange Elementary School in 2009-10! They traveled from room to room with medals, certificates, loud music, a tiger mascot, and a rather large bullhorn! It worked!

After our ceremonies, we may have extra medals. What do we do with them?

Please bring or send them back to us! We can store them and get them redone and ready for 2014. Please do not hold on to them. The neckbands change and are customized each year, so we can wrap and store the medals. Thanks so much for helping us keep costs down for us all.

In sum, what you need to know is that The 100 Mile Club® Medal Ceremony something that should be meaningful to you, your colleagues, and your participants. You are creating tradition with this, so plan well and make sure to always have FUN!! Visit our website at www.100mileclub.com for video snippets of different medal ceremonies around the country. 

Healthy and Yummy: Honey Banana Bread

I took this horrid photo with my iPhone, so major apologies.  Don't discount this yummy and healthy recipe because I have no photo skills. I had these bananas that were about to go, and a rare desire to create some sort of baked treat...I found a recipe online at the coolest website and tweaked it a little to utilize what I had on hand.  

Honey Banana Bread The original recipe is from Trisha Gagne of Cambridge, Ontario, who writes, "This banana bread was in a very old recipe book published by the women in a tiny church in Southern Ontario. It has a really unique flavor thanks to the honey. The maple syrup version is also delicious served with butter. This is the only banana bread I ever make, and every crumb vanishes quickly." Trisha adds that she lines the pan with aluminum foil, which makes it super easy to clean up, and the loaf never sticks.   Ingredients:   1/3 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1 cup honey or maple syrup (I used honey) 1 cup mashed banana 2 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour) 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional.  I left them out) Directions: With a mixer, beat together the butter, egg, honey and banana. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in pecans if using. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 300 and continue baking for around 30 minutes, or  until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

This recipe is from  Now....you're cooking! www.donogh.com   Click here to download a printable copy of this recipe. http://www.donogh.com/cooking/print/cake/banbread.html

Medal Ceremony Wisdom: A few DOs and DON’Ts for you.

DOs

• DO REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE receives a certificate with the total miles run/walked written in and signed by the Site head Coach/es. Even if they walked 1 mile, they are recognized for making the effort.
• DO Make sure that everyone wears their 100 Mile Club® t-shirt the day of the ceremony. It is spectacularly unifying to have everyone in their tees, and it LOOKS really cool! Take pictures!
• DO REMEMBER THAT only those who run/walk 100 miles will receive a medal. Everyone knows this going in, so it is no surprise. Trust me when I say that the medal is a huge motivator, and so is the recognition by one’s peers. The will work for it, and if they don’t quite make it, you celebrate anyway.
• DO Have FUN!

DON'Ts

For what it’s worth, I really do not like having to outline the don’ts. It seems so…negative. That said, some folks need them and that is ok. We want every child’s efforts to be celebrated and respected, and if that means peppering in a few DON’Ts, I’m fine with that.

At your Medal Ceremonies, PLEASE:

• DON’T sort your kids from lowest to highest miles. Think about how you would feel if you were the first one called. First, having to stand up while everyone after you has more miles than you would be torturous. Second, perhaps those first-called-low-mile-total kids did their personal best, and being sorted from low to high miles would negate that personal best. Finally, everyone KNOWS who did more miles than whom, who worked hard, who is new, who got hurt or sick halfway through the year…these kids have become a team. Ranking is divisive and unnecessary. Be careful when recognizing the child who ran “the most” miles. It can be done, and has and is being done really well in a lot of places, but be aware of over-celebration of certain things.
• DON’T make excuses or shy away from Medal Ceremonies if nobody made their 100. It is difficult to stand up in front of parents and your students when nobody in your class made their 100 miles. The kids know if they worked hard at 100 Mile Club®, and you know in your heart whether or not you were a helpful, encouraging coach, if you allowed them the time to complete their miles, and if you made the program what it should be. If a lot of kids did not make their 100 miles, you need to refrain from blaming kids for being lazy or making excuses. Nobody DOESN’T want to make it. As a group, talk about what you can do to do better next year, even if you are going to have a new class and they are going to have a new teacher. There is no time for judging or making excuses.
• DON’T just recognize the kids who did 100 miles and ignore the rest. This is just sad and wrong and will make kids feel like their best was not good enough. Do something to recognize everyone…it doesn’t have to be monumental, it just has to be something. For many of our kids, this certificate is the only one they will receive at year’s end.
• DON’T put certificates and medals in cubbies to just send home. If you do that, you are wasting money and time. These kids work and wait all year for their Medal Ceremony. Leaving out that final step in the 100 Mile Club® process will destroy the soul of the program. DO SOMETHING.

In sum, what you need to know is that The 100 Mile Club® Medal Ceremony something that should be meaningful to you, your colleagues, and your participants. You are creating tradition with this, so plan well and make sure to always have FUN!! Visit our website at www.100mileclub.com for video snippets of different medal ceremonies around the country.

Jenson USA Spirit Awards: Thoughts become words become actions...

A committee is a thing which takes a week to do 

what one good man can do in an hour.   

~Elbert Hubbard

The JensonUSA Spirit Awards all started at about 3 a.m. on October 24, 2011 at the 100 Mile Endurance Challenge, a 100+ mile urban ULTRAmarathon.  Jenson USA's own Jared Saunders was in charge of coordinating bike escorts, aka Mobile Aid Stations, from Corona, CA to Santa Monica, CA...a distance of over 100 miles and 30 hours.  These bikers were escorting our ULTRArunners to the Finish Line. We were somewhere between Huntington Beach and Long Beach (or was it Long Beach and Santa Monica? I don't really remember.) when Jared said to me,

"You know, we should totally give away awesome bikes to the top 100 Mile Club runners this year."

Time out. 

Normally, the layers of speaking something out loud to another person go something like this:

Think it.

Think about what you are saying.

Think about how you will affect others by what you are saying.

Think about HOW you will say it so as not to offend or anger or do something totally irrational.

Think about how it will make others feel.

Layer on allllll the manners you have been taught in your life.

Go over it in your head.

Take a deep breath, and then...

Say it.

Usually, that works well in the world.  It keeps us all in check.

But, by the time you are 19+ hours into helping with a 30 hour foot race, you have absolutely no filters.  All of the layers of manners have been peeled away and you are left with the following:

Think it.

Think about what you are saying.

Think about how you will affect others by what you are saying.

Think about HOW you will say it so as not to offend or anger or do something totally irrational.

Think about how it will make others feel.

Layer on allllll the manners you have been taught in your life.

Go over it in your head.

Take a deep breath, and then...

Say it.

Now, back to the conversation.

"You know, we should totally give away awesome bikes to the top 100 Mile Club runners this year."

Had we not been completely punchy and sleep-deprived and stressed beyond belief, he may have never even said anything.  Again. No filtering here.


What did I say back?  Well, normally I would have been more like,

"Well, I think that's a great idea, Jared.  We should take this idea to the board and figure out how it best fits in with our mission and vision and we can figure something out. Let me get back to you on this."

Thank goodness I had lost all my filters.  :)  Instead, I just said...

"Nope. No way. That's not how we do things." 

...because it's not.

It isn't how we do things. We work hard at 100 Mile Club to recognize excellence in ALL FORMS. It is really easy to recognize the child that runs the most miles, the one that runs the fastest, or the superstar who is just a gifted runner.  They are right there.  In your face. Every day.

True success comes in all forms, and part of the beauty of 100 Mile Club is that we celebrate those fast kids, of course.  They are incredible!! 

...but we also celebrate those kids who are doing something new, challenging themselves, taking risks, reaching out, or simply showing up to give their best every day.  We ask kids to find their spirit...and they always do.


Jared and I had an awesome conversation about personal best in all forms, and what 100 Mile Club really means. 

We went back and forth until we had created The Jenson USA Spirit Awards, an award for five (5) children who exhibit the TRUE spirit of The 100 Mile Club®. The whole conversation lasted maybe two minutes. Had we been lucid and normal and not foggy-brained and sleep-deprived, it may have never happened.

We cut through a whole bunch of meetings and dialogue and filters and manners and gunk and made. it. happen.  The graphics guys at Jenson even made this cool logo!!

I made a simple nomination form with Google Docs (my first time ever!).  We received 31 nominations this year, and as soon as we crossed the nomination deadline, I closed the nomination form and sent it all over to Jared over at JENSON USA.  The nominations circulated through the offices and everyone voted.

Simple.

Once the decisions were made, Jared called the families and we all agreed that the kids would not be told at all about their nomination or award.  It would all be a HUGE surprise at Run 4 Kids.  FUN!!


The JENSON USA Spirit Awards were created on a whim literally in the middle of the night, by two very sleep-deprived people with no filters.  We probably wouldn't have created such a thing had we been a bit more lucid.  We just went for it...and I am so glad we did.  Look at these smiling faces!

Our Spirit Award Winners with their new bikes from Jenson USA
From L to R (front):  Melanie S., Ryan M., Nolan T., Vivianne S., Jonnice Q.
Back: Jared Saunders, JensonUSA and Kara Lubin, 100 Mile Club®

 

Thank you to Jenson USA for their incredibly generous donation of 5 bicycles for our Spirit Award winners this year.  We are so grateful for their support, and for their belief in our mission and vision.



Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain

JENSON USA Spirit Award Winner: Nolan Torres

Photo courtesy of Jim Dorsey Photography

 By all medical accounts- Nolan should not be able to walk properly, yet alone run. The struggles within his body each and every day are more than most adults will face in their life, and...he is still the first to hit that track! Just like he faces his medical conditions one day at a time, he faces his running goal one lap at a time. He wants to run before school, during school, and whenever he can. He encourages others (including his parents) to get out and move. I have personally watched him stop to encourage classmates while running. He wears that shirt with pride and will tell anyone who will listen what 100 Mile Club is all about- even his doctors. Nolan exemplifies all that is 100 Mile Club is: His ENTHUSIASM is unparalleled, his FIGHT is undeniable and his AMBITION is something I strive to match.

JENSON USA Spirit Award Winner: Melanie Schneider





Photo courtesy of Jim Dorsey Photography


Melanie Schneider, a sixth grade student at Susan B. Anthony Elementary is the person who I think truly embodies the true spirit of the 100 Mile Club®.  Melanie has dedicated herself to participating in the 100 Mile Club® every day throughout the year. She has set her sights on a goal, and on a daily basis she works to achieve it. Melanie runs, jogs, and walks between 2.5 and three miles daily. At this point in the school year, Melanie has surpassed 300 miles. An extraordinary achievement if you ask me.

Because of Melanie's extraordinary efforts, I have noticed many other students stepping up their own efforts. By the end of March, all 33 of my students will have reached 100 miles. My own children have taken notice of Melanie's accomplishment and talk about it daily as they tell me how many laps they completed on that day. On numerous occasions I have had children from around the school come to my classroom to check out the 100 Mile Club® chart to see Melanie's miles with their own eyes. I see and hear how excited the children are getting about what Melanie has done and about what they would like to do on their own.

Melanie continues to remain humble through it all. I have never heard her brag about what she is accomplishing. She remains dedicated to getting her miles, helping her classmates get theirs, and then helps me track and post our classes' miles. During this school year, I have watched Melanie become more physically fit and more self-confident. To me, those two benefits are what the 100 Mile Club® is about. Melanie Schneider is definitely the type of person you are looking for to represent Jenson USA and the 100 Mile Club® .

JENSON USA Spirit Award Winner: Ryan Martinez

Phot courtesy of Jim Dorsey Photography

 Ryan was nominated more than once!  Here are excerpts from his nomination essays:

Ryan Martinez is a 1st grader at our school. His heart for 100 Mile Club® is HUGE. He is at my field at 6:55 every tuesday and thursday morning for our 7:00am run and can't wait to get going! He attends all of the "Helping Feet" events in the community, even events that I as a head coach can't make it to. I will view the pictures on facebook from the event and see his adorable face there. He always has a smile on his face, greeting the women that give him sticks as he passes each lap. The other day he came up to me and said..."I found this stick on the ground, so I wanted to turn it in to you." He is in first grade and already has honesty and integrity. Whenever he reaches a milestone, he can't wait to share it with his coaches...and he makes sure to let us know that he only has one more lap to go so we can cheer for him loudly when he is done. I can't think of another child in the two years that I have been involved with 100 Mile Club® that captures the spirit more than this little boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan exibit all the fine qualities consistent with the mission and philosophy of the 100 Mile Club®. He has logged over 170 miles and is reaching for a goal of 300 for this year. Furthermore, Ryan has combined his passion for running with this passion for helping others. He has participated in various charitable events that raise funds for worthy causes such as the Peppermint Ridge Center, Leukemia Foundation and the Hope Recovery Center. Ryan is a well rounded boy that looks to excel and make friends. He is worthy of such honorable award.

JENSON USA Spirit Award Winner: Vivianne Silva

Phot courtesy of Jim Dorsey Photography

I believe that Vivianne Silva should be a Jenson USA Spirit Award recipient because she is a very dedicated team member and member of her community. I have seen first hand how her friendly spirit directly affects everyone around her in a positive way. She is not only a model member of The 100 Mile Club® but she is a role model to her peers. (I am) the mother of two young girls, and Vivianne is the kind of young lady that I would love my daughters to look up to (and they do!).

Vivianne is a track athlete that not only participates in The 100 Mile Club® but is passionate about its mission. She has personally hosted successful fund raising events so that others can reap the benefits of The 100 Mile Club® through her donations. She not only sets the bar high but she leads by example.

I would love to see Vivianne recognized for her hard work and genuine spirit. I believe this would encourage her to continue her amazing work and it would motivate others to do the same.

Jenson USA Spirit Award Winner: Jonniece Quintero

Photo courtesy of Jim Dorsey Photography



Jonniece embraces the 100 Mile Club® as she does her faith with enthusiasm and honesty. She gives of herself which is, at times, very rare in our youth today. She shows a lot of responsibility when she reaches out to others with sincerity and eagerness. Jonniece strives to do her very best in every aspect of her life and her dedication toward the 100 Mile Club® is nothing short than exemplary. She strives to do everything with 100 degree effort. Her quick wit makes her extremely approachable and likable beyond most kids her age. Jonniece embodies servitude as she frequently helps and reaches out to others. She stands up for what is right and will defend anyone who is less fortunate and is so very humble about all of her good works. Her love for her God, her family and friends give her integrity that exuberates from this young lady from within; Her diligence and hard work is very rare in a child of her age and this all shines from within making all these characteristics part of her sweet nature.