Benefits for Our Sponsors

Principally the benefit for our sponsors involves their association with two profoundly important causes and the high profile advertising that these adventures and promotions will result in.

• The public and media interest has already been stimulated - with a number of previous South African expeditions (particularly Everest) and the first two climbs of this venture have already received the attention of the press and radio attention.
  
  
• This is a high profile adventure for a high profile cause (blood products) – A Leukemia survivor and his fifteen year old son challenging the seven highest mountains on the seven continents. It is packed with possibilities for adventure, highs and lows, danger, misfortune, exhilaration, concern and conquest.
  
  
• Phase 0 was a success and serves as proof of ability and lessons learnt. Future Phases 1 - 3 of this venture are to be spread over a number of years (2012 to 2016/17). Our sponsors will therefore have rolling publicity; as the excitement of one venture starts to cool, the build up for the next gets off the ground.
  
  
• There will be a progressive mutual sense of achievement developed for everyone as they follow Ray & Jay adventures
  
  
• Ray & Jay will wear the logos of the sponsors on their clothing, equipment, tent and kit.
  
  
• Lynne, Ray & Jay have officially been made Good Will Ambassadors of The Sunflower Fund (South African Bone Marrow Registry). Jay wears his Sunflower Fund Pin on his KES school blazer and uses it as a conversation starter.
  
  
• Logos and other approved advertising will be placed on the expedition stationery and social media sites and mentioned wherever possible in media and press releases / interviews.
  
  
• Ray & Jay will raise banners / flags with the sponsors’ logos and approved advertising on them at the summit of every peak reached.
  
  
• A ‘sponsored’ website that will feature the sponsors’ logos and approved advertising is being designed. Our website will be linked to the causes we are promoting, the media, our sponsors' websites and our blog. (intended launch: 31st May 2012)
  
  
• Social media sites such as Twitter will follow Ray & Jay’s progress during the preparation, climb and return stages of each climb.
  
  
• A regularly updated blog, featuring the sponsors’ logos and approved advertising, will follow Ray & Jay through each leg of their preparations, travels, climbs, summits and their return journey down the mountains and during the media interest on return.
  
  
• Lynne (Ray’s wife) created a highly successful, well supported blog during the Aconcagua climb.
  
  
• NOTE: Where internet connection permits, photographs and stories will be forwarded regularly to the blog / website.
  
  
• The causes that Ray & Jay are drawing public attention to - The Sunflower Fund and the South African Blood Service (SANBS) Blood and Platelet Units have in-house publications The Sunflower News and ‘Bloodbeat’ that will feature articles and photographs of each climb. (copies of previous issues featuring Ray & Jays Aconcagua climb are available on request)
  
  
• On their return from Aconcagua Ray & Jay gave interviews and presentations to various groups including two radio stations, blood donor functions and business groups.
  
  
• Jay has been featured on the King Edward School (KES) website, the school magazine and the schools’ hall of fame
  
  
• Where appropriate, the sponsors’ logos will be on Ray & Jays’ PowerPoint presentations and hard copies. In addition they will obviously feature in the photographs. The sponsors ‘advertising’ will also feature in the press and media in the form of stories and photographs, logos on clothing worn on the journeys and during presentations and in internet articles.
  
  
• A point to consider: Newspaper and Internet articles & photographs and electronic media tapes live forever – they are revived every time there is a new angle on an old story! Jay & Ray regularly have new angles on their adventures - A sponsors dream come true!
  
  
• Ray & Jay are exploring having a satellite telephone link up with Radio and / or breakfast TV / News stations so that they can broadcast their progress during each climb.
  
  
• Lynne is in the process of developing, compiling and writing a book on Ray’s progress ‘from initial bruise and hospital cries and Ray & Jay's mountain blues and summit highs.’ This book will advertise the sponsors support for Ray & Jay well into the future.