GUIDE FUNDRAISING
IMPORTANT DATES
September 18th
12:00pm ET
September 18th + 19th
September 19th
6:00pm ET
September 20th
—Fundraising Awards Deadline
Champions for Hope Celebration Deadline
College Cup + High School Challenge Deadline
Packet Pick-Up in Simard-Payne Park
September 22nd
8:00am ET
October 31st
11:59pm ET
Champions for Hope Celebration by invitation only to $3,000+ fundraisers
Dempsey Challenge Run, Walk, and Ride Events
Simard-Payne Park, Lewiston, Maine
In-Person Dempsey Challengers: Pick up Your Incentives at any time during the Festival in the Park
Please note that when you pick up your incentives in the park , your fundraising will be considered complete No incentives will be mailed out to in-person Challengers post-event (unless pre-arranged)
Final Fundraising Deadline for Incentives
Virtual Challenger Incentives will begin to be shipped
Final Deadline to Accept Donations
The 17th Annual Dempsey Challenge, presented by Hearts of Pine, is HERE! We are so excited to have you join us to walk, run, or ride to help make life better for people impacted by cancer. Your participation ensures that people throughout Maine, across the United States, and around the world receive high-quality cancer support care all at no cost.
For most in-person Challengers, there is a $300 or $400 fundraising minimum depending on your registration type and event. Each and every dollar of your fundraising goes directly to providing no-cost support services to people impacted by cancer. To help you reach this minimum (and beyond!) we’ve put together a Fundraising Guide, showing you how to navigate our fundraising software, tips for fundraising, and more!
Have another question? Email us at info@dempseychallenge.org.
LET’S TALK ABOUT FUNDRAISING MINIMUMS
YourSupportHelpsThousands
Taking on the Dempsey Challenge is more than Challenging Yourself to take on a run, walk, or ride route—taking on the Dempsey Challenge means committing to supporting people impacted by cancer.
Your fundraising efforts during Dempsey Challenge are making life better for cancer patients, survivors, care partners, and their loved ones. As the largest fundraiser for the Dempsey Center, your efforts are crucial to keep our mission moving forward.
We know that $300 or $400 can seem like an intimidating number to fundraise, but we have found that Challengers are able to reach it easier than they think! Throughout this fundraising guide, we’ve included helpful tips that will drive your fundraising efforts. Need some more help? Join our Facebook Fundraising Group to connect with other Dempsey Challenge fundraisers.
Where your gifts go...
The Dempsey Challenge, presented by Hearts of Pine, is a community event, bringing people together from all over the world with one goal in mind: to make life better for people impacted by cancer. All money raised by those taking on the Dempsey Challenge goes directly to the Dempsey Center, a nonprofit organization based in Maine that provides no-cost support services to cancer patients, survivors, care partners, and their loved ones. Your fundraising efforts will go to ensure that Dempsey Center clients have access to high-quality services like counseling, support groups, massage, acupuncture, reiki, movement + fitness classes, nutrition support, and more.
WHERE A GIFT GOES
$10 GOES TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF SEEDS FOR GROWING PRODUCE IN OUR COMMUNITY GARDENS
$25
PROVIDES A WIG OR HEADWEAR FITTING FOR A PATIENT EXPERIENCING DIANOSISRELATED HAIRLOSS
$50
SUPPORTS A NUTRITION WORKSHOP ON HEALTHY EATING BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER TREATMENT
$100
COVERS THE COST OF A MASSAGE OR REIKI SESSION TO PROVIDE A MOMENT OF CALM TO A CLIENT $150 $250
SUPPORTS A PRIVATE ONCOLOGYRELATED COUNSELING SESSION TO AN INDIVIDUAL.
PROVIDES A MOVEMENT + FITNESS SERIES TO PATIENTS AND CARE PARTNERS TO MAINTAIN ACTIVITY.
COVERS THE COST OF PRODUCING ON-DEMAND SUPPORT CONTENT AVAILABLE TO ALL CLIENTS PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO A TEEN IMPACTED BY CANCER TO ATTEND OUR SUMMER CAMP, SPACE2BREATHE $500 OFFERS A CLIENT TRAVELING FOR TREATMENT TO STAY AT CLAYTON’S HOUSE AT NO COST
GET STARTED
[VIDEO] PARTICIPANT FUNDRAISING CENTER OVERVIEW
Navigating the new Participant Fundraising Center is the first step to successfully fundraising in the 2025 Dempsey Challenge, presented by Hearts of Pine. Watch the video at the link above to walkthrough the Fundraising Center, or check out some of the more important parts below.
Login Share
Thank
Log into your Fundraising Center by visiting www.DempseyChallenge.org and clicking the “Login” button or by visiting this page.
Select “Share My Page” on the left hand menu or by copying the links found on your Fundraising Center under Quick Start > Links.
Select “Share My Page,” then select “Via Email.” Follow the on-screen instructions to write the email and select recipients and send to exisiting or potential donors. Be sure to include your personal “why” for taking on the Challenge!
“My Donations,” found on the left hand menu, will show you who has made donations to your fundraising efforts. Gifts made directly through your fundraising page will also give you an option to email and thank your donors by clicking the small envelope icon by their donation.
On a team? Grow your crew by sharing your Team Fundraising Page by visiting “Our Team” from the left hand menu. Here you can change your team’s goal, add informatio about your team, and get the link to share with others.
FACEBOOK FUNDRAISING TheQuickestWaytoHitYourGoal
Back by popular demand in 2025 is the ability to raise money for your Dempsey Challenge efforts via Facebook Fundraising! The switch to our new fundraising platform makes this easier than ever. After registering, connect your fundraising page to your Facebook page via the “Quick Start” section in your Fundraising Center.
After connecting to your Facebook page, your friends and followers will be able to donate with just a few clicks. Please note that donations typically will appear in your Fundraising Center immediately, but on occassion, it may take longer. Facebook Donors cannot be thanked via your Fundraising Center, but you can thank them directly on Facebook!
Helpful
Share your Facebook fundraiser on your page often! You won’t always make it into everyone’s Facebook Feeds, so share regularly. Including your personal “why” for taking on the Challenge often encourages more people to donate. Fundraising on Facebook can increase gifts by over 50%!
TEXT-TO-GIVE
How-ToandMore!
Boost your fundraising efforts by utilizing our new Text-toGive Feature! You can activate this by logging into your Fundraising Center, scrolling down to “Quick Start” and selecting the “Text Giving” Tab.
After following the steps to set up your campaign, you’ll be given a number and keyword that potential donors can use to easily donate to you via their mobile phone.
Be sure to include “dempsey” along with your custom keyword when sharing with potential donors!
To promote the ability to text to donate to your efforts, try something like “Text ‘dempsey firstnamelastname’ to 50155 to support my Dempsey Challenge Fundraising!” or “Text ‘dempsey teamname” to 50155 to join my Dempsey Challenge team!”.
[PDF] HOW TO SET UP TEXT-TO-GIVE
RESOURCES ForEveryChallenger
[VIDEO] PARTICIPANT FUNDRAISING CENTER OVERVIEW
{PDF} PEER-TO-PEER USER GUIDE
[VIDEO] REGISTERING ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS
[VIDEO] HOW TO SET UP A FACEBOOK FUNDRAISER
[PDF] HOW TO SET UP A FACEBOOK FUNDRAISER
[VIDEO] HOW TO MAKE A DONATION TO AN EVENT, PARTICIPANT, OR TEAM
[PDF] HOW TO SET UP TEXT-TO-GIVE
[DOWNLOADABLE] OFFLINE GIFT FORM
THINGS TO DO IN LEWISTON, MAINE
PLACES TO EAT
The Station
Davinci’s
Lewiston House of Pizza
Lost Valley
She Doesn’t Like Guthries
THINGS
TO DO
The Pub at Baxter Brewing
Sam’s Italian Foods
Fish Bones Grill
Sonder + Dram
Forage Market
Hearts of Pine Soccer Game - Sunday, September 21st
Maine Wildlife Park
Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary
Franco Center
Public, Self-Guided Art Tour
Auburn Riverwalk
Just-In-Time Recreation - Bowling
Bates College Museum of Art
Community Health Options - Fitness Court
Simard-Payne Memorial Park 46 Beech Street Lewiston, Maine
Coming From Away?
Fly into PWM and head North on I95 to Lewiston/Auburn (exit 75)
From the North?
Take I95 South and take exit 80 to Lewiston