We are all feeling the effects of being physically distanced from our family, friends, colleagues and teammates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Longest Day is a wonderful opportunity to come together virtually, share in a joyful activity and make a difference in the lives of people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The Longest Day is the day with the most light — the summer solstice. On June 20, thousands of participants from across the world fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through an activity of their choice. Together, they use their creativity and passion to raise funds and awareness for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association.
While participation in The Longest Day may look a little different this year due to physical distancing, we have plenty of fun activities you can do from the safety and comfort of your own home. Register today and use these 25 at-home fundraising ideas as inspiration to start planning your The Longest Day activity!
1. Board Game-a-thon. Ask your network and their families to play board games for an extended period of time. Ask for donation bets on who will win. You can even set up online board games with friends at websites like Tabletopia.com.
2. Concert or karaoke. Offer to sing songs live on Facebook or Instagram. Take requests in exchange for a donation.
3. Cooking lessons. Share a video of yourself making one of your favorite recipes. Let others know why this recipe is special to you and include an ask for support. Create and share a digital cookbook in exchange for a donation.
4. Dance class. The Jitterbug of the 1930s, the Hand Jive from the movie Grease, the Floss and everything in between — teach the moves, share why you are motivated to fundraise and ask for donations.
5. Facebook Fundraiser. Registered participants can launch a Facebook Fundraiser through your Participant Center. Use Facebook Live from your Facebook Fundraiser to share your story or activity and invite your Facebook friends to give.
6. Get crafty. Are you crafty? Knit scarfs, paint flowers, make candles in your downtime. Auction or sell items online, share why you’re donating the proceeds and ask for donations alongside your sales.
7. Group marathon. Ask 26 friends to join your team, run a mile and raise money for the fight against Alzheimer’s! Encourage them to post why they are running on their own social media.
8. Host a Virtual Happy Hour. Invite friends, family, or coworkers to an online happy hour, share your reasons for participating in The Longest Day and ask for donations.
9. Indoor Scavenger Hunt. Households join as a team and donate to play. Each team is sent a small list of items to find in their home. The first team to find all of their items and provide video evidence wins! Encourage teams to challenge each other to find additional items and make bets to see if they can find them or not.
10. Movie night. Use Netflix Watch Party or any video system, invite friends to watch a movie with you and donate what they would usually spend at the theatre. Add a theme like 80s movies, old Westerns, or musicals and dress up accordingly. Add a movie trivia competition using Crowdpurr. You could even mail a bag of popcorn to get people excited!
11. Letter writing campaign. A handwritten note will go a long way. Share why you are participating in The Longest Day and ask for a donation. Get the kids involved and have them draw pictures or add notes as well. Send them to your friends and family!
12. Makeup or nail painting tutorial. Use your cosmetology or manicure skills to virtually teach your family, friends and neighbors. Host a virtual class and ask for a donation to participate.
13. Paper, Rock, Scissors tournament. Focus on creating a fun competition through a video chat. Let your friends and family know why you are participating and ask for donations to join in. The winner can take home the glory of being a champion!
14. Pet costume contest. Create a virtual fashion show for pets! Charge an entry fee and have your friends and family show off their pet’s fashion in a virtual show. Pick winners for different categories that you create. Share pictures of the pet participants on social media!
15. Plant some purple. Ask your friends and family to plant a purple flower of their choice in honor of people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Ask them to post a photo of their flower on social media with a link to your fundraising page so their friends and family can donate!
16. One-day flash fundraiser. Think one-day flash sale, translated to fundraising. Send emails, texts, post updates on the hour and go live on your social media. Share your story and ask for donations during your 24 hours. Don’t forget to build up the excitement by promoting it in advance.
17. Puzzle with me. Invite your virtual community to assemble puzzles. Ask participants to post photos, share the number of pieces and make a donation. Set a puzzle piece goal, post updates and encourage donations.
18. Silent auction or virtual garage sale. Auction items or sell them using Facebook Marketplace or Instagram. Sell for an extended period of time and share why you are participating. Don’t forget to ask for donations alongside your sales.
19. Talent Show. Have your family perform a play, sing, or play a musical instrument on a video call. Invite people to watch the show on the video online and ask for donations as an “entry” to the performance. This is a great one for getting the kids involved!
20. Teach a class. Use your skills to virtually teach your friends. Are you skilled at yoga? Drawing? Sewing? Host a virtual class and ask for a donation to participate.
21. Text. You can simply text your network and ask them to donate to The Longest Day by texting “Solstice” to 51555 and entering your name. Share your story with them and include a picture of who you are honoring!
22. Trivia Night. Host a virtual trivia night or quiz bowl and charge an entry fee to participate. Share why you are involved in The Longest Day and ask for additional donations.
23. Unplanned staycation. Have a fundraising staycation. Do an online tour of all the places you would have gone and make a self-donation in place of each location. Ask donors to sponsor an unseen site and ask trivia questions to help them guess the site.
24. Wacky wager. Livestream yourself on a social media platform. Ask your community to donate to keep singing, cleaning your house, etc. or for you to do something wacky in return. For example, if five people donate $50 each, you’ll record yourself trying the latest dance move, dying your hair or singing a rival’s fight song.
25. Workout challenge. Ask for a donation for each exercise activity you can complete. Challenge others to complete more than you. Sit-ups, lunges, jump rope, bench press a kid, get creative or host a “biggest loser” challenge.
STATEMENT REGARDING COVID-19: The Alzheimer’s Association is closely monitoring developments related to COVID-19. Our top priorities are the health and safety of our participants, volunteers, staff and constituents. The Longest Day is currently moving forward as planned. We recommend that participants continue with virtual fundraising efforts and adhere to CDC guidelines when planning in-person fundraising activities. For specific inquiries, please contact tld@alz.org.