YoYo Club Grant Program

General Yo-Yo
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In relation to the recent release of yoyos by @codinghorror (the remake of the @HVizier Ti-Walker) they were looking for a way to put proceeds of the run towards a good cause.

I do want to first acknowledge I still do not necessarily agree with how this has played out on our forum. It is rare and unprecedented circumstances that I let it happen on the forum here and I still have mixed feelings about the situation. However as most have learned there were determined individuals involved and I felt it important that if I can try to direct money towards doing something positive and community growth oriented that I would - so this is the plan and proposal. And regardless I appreciate the opportunity to have some resources to put towards this.

So - with the proceeds from this I have proposed to do the following:

YoYo Club Grant Program

Goal: To provide physical and educational materials to people looking to start a yoyo club or workshop in their local community (libraries, schools, YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, camps, stores, etc).

How: Applicants will fill out a form with information on where they plan to start the club, how many people they expect (no number is too small), venue, and background. We will help approve applications and send out full ā€˜starter kitā€™ of supplies.

Why: Many people have an idea that they want to start a club but donā€™t have the resources or have concerns with best practices to teach, etc. We have a program we are confident is a great way to introduce people to yoyo and keep them on track to discover modern tricks fast.

Trick program and cards has been piloted locally at our toy store here in Northampton with great success!

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Club starter set supplies include:

  • Case packed with beginner yoyos per grant application request. (More can be purchased at discount).
  • Spare backup string.
  • Trick cards including Levels 1, 2 and 3 (4 and 5 available upon request).
  • Lanyards that trick cards can hang on (and place to keep yoyo all together)
  • Club attendance card punch card program via YoYoExpert.
  • Special access to private area on forum for ā€˜club organizersā€™ to ask questions and get help/support.
  • Ability for club organizer to obtain ā€˜awardā€™ pins for people completing Level 1 through Level 5.
  • Guidance on best practices to teach and introduce yoyoing.

Award Pins Mockup:

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I donā€™t have an exact timeline but I think this should be ready to go towards the end of the summer and I look forward to rolling it out!

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Where can we find out more info about this program? Is there a way people can donate to this?

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I would definitely be interested in trying to open this up down the road - we will have a dedicated place with information once it launches so applications and possibly donations could be made. :blush:

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That is amazing. Once itā€™s ready I definitely have a couple of shops in Tucson that would love the opportunity.

(On a side note, if you make those pins available as a sort of ā€˜proceeds to YYCGPā€™, I would certainly snag them up in a heartbeat.)

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Maybe one way people could contribute is by volunteering time? I get the feeling @AndreBoulay is rather overloaded with work, so perhaps having some trusted people help drive the program forward, would be a better way of contributing than money, per se?

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This is such a great idea!

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This makes my heart happy

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One thing I have always thought would be good is regional representatives who can help kind of lead a charge in community building efforts - whether that is being around to travel to help start a club or even a contest, etc. And be a person that helps bring people together in those regions. So perhaps we can build this in.

And while Iā€™m ā€˜currentlyā€™ overloaded - its more of a result of two young kids, two businesses, and a website overhaul that Iā€™m personally invested in super tiny details. Not to mention teaching yoyo classes Tuesdays/Fridays and trying to test out/tweak the program!

But you are right in that I would love to have more people involved in actively promoting yoyo in front of more people. There really is no better way than face to face!

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I would be willing to offer my services with my sales field and I could be a manufacturer rep for the base of the company as to try to bring other manufacturers on board with this.

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Iā€™m super excited for this, itā€™s exactly what Iā€™ve been looking for. Iā€™ve been trying to figure out how to build my own kit but other than yoyos & string the other stuff just isnā€™t available anywhere unless I print out my own materials.

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Very excited about this program!

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What goes in this white box? The studentā€™s name?

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Thatā€™s what Iā€™m assuming. They said theyā€™d include a lanyard too to hang the card onā€¦so it just makes sense to me.

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Also, Iā€™d love to help out if able in anyway.

Iā€™ve been thinking about starting a club or program since jumping back in.

I did a class once many years ago around 2004ā€™ish. Yomega was AMAZING in helping meā€¦they sent me all sorts of awesome stuff. Yo-yos, lube, string, instructional videos (haha VHS tapes!!!) and even little holders to carry the yos in). It was a ton of fun.

But more recently Iā€™ve been working with a life coach of sorts who works at a counseling centerā€¦and she works with a lot of kids with behavior issues. She uses toys like legos to help foster their creativity and to break the ice with them.
Iā€™d love to get some of these kids together and to start up a little yo-yo club with them as a volunteer thing. These kids have had tough livesā€¦having something to focus on, something where they can feel like theyā€™re achieving somethingā€¦something they can brag about and something physical to do to help and maybe release some of their hurts and frustrations could really do something for them.
And theyā€™d have a couple of stable adults there each week supporting them, cheering them on, guiding them and for them to count onā€¦something a lot of them donā€™t get back home :(.

I donā€™t know that thereā€™s much I can provideā€¦but really, if thereā€™s anything I can help you guys withā€¦Iā€™d love to become involved in this program!

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Maybe just me but I think itā€™d be awesome if these kits included YYE Contest Shirts or something to show off your yoyo-ness :grinning:

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Or maybe have the included lanyards have the YYE logo on them? :smiley:

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Correct. Name goes there. :blush:

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Perfect! :smiley:

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iv been trying to start a yoyo club in gastonis nc but i dont have any one at the momment to who yoyos or wants to come to a club if i started one

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