Agendas

From Alan Nov. 15 Brainstorming:

Stroke Smart Distribution of Materials-- a way to gamify it?

As for community service, Stroke Smart could be a perfect fit. One in six people will experience a stroke, yet only about 10% receive timely, lifesaving treatment — meaning many suffer lifelong, and often avoidable, disability or death. Together, we can help change that.

Here’s a simple vision:

• We host a Stroke Smart community event during May (National Stroke Awareness Month).

• Participants gather for a short, upbeat training — 20 to 30 minutes on recognizing stroke signs and taking fast action.

• Then, in teams of two or three, we head into the community for an hour or two to share posters and wallet cards at local stores, cafés, and community spaces.

• We could make it social and fun — with snacks, prizes, and a sense of mission. Whoever reaches the most places wins a small prize, but everyone wins by helping save lives.

Ideas for Amazing Race-- Alan and Maggie are in VERY initial stages of brainstorming. But rather than a scoring system based on points, to be a RACE we might award based on "check-in times" or something like that. Especially if we make it a daylong multi-focus event that starts with breakfast, adds an Alexandria scavenger hunt, and at which a Stroke Smart distribution is only a two hour portion of the day.  Alexandria gives us the chance to add a lot of "Amazing Race" elements that make me and others such a fan of the show.

Top Options

• Old Town Alexandria

  • Extremely walkable, high density of retail + food + personal services

  • Easy parking (garages + street)

  • You know the area well, which reduces planning overhead

• Dupont Circle (DC)

  • High density, very walkable, eclectic mix

  • Lots of local businesses

• Takoma Park

  • Very receptive demographic

  • Many small businesses; parking is easier than most DC areas

Secondary Options

• Georgetown (high density, harder parking)

• Capitol Hill / Eastern Market (good foot traffic, mostly independents)

Avoid:

• Malls (e.g., Tysons) — too many chain stores requiring corporate approval

• Sparse suburban strips — slow, low payoff

2. Use 2–3 Person Teams for Maximum Effectiveness

Your idea is perfect: pairs or trios are social, energizing, and efficient.

They can be divided either by:

A. Business Type

• Team A: Restaurants, cafés, bars

• Team B: Salons, barbers, nail studios, wellness

• Team C: Retail (bookstores, gift shops, apparel, pet stores, etc.)

OR

B. Geographic Zones

This might be even better for Old Town or Dupont.

Example for Old Town:

• Team 1: King St. 0–300 block

• Team 2: King St. 300–600 block

• Team 3: Side streets around 100–400 blocks

• Team 4: Waterfront zone

• Team 5: Washington St. corridor

Either structure ensures no overlap and predictable coverage.

3. Create a Two-Hour “Blitz Window”

People do better with:

• Short, defined tasks

• Clear start and end

• A shared goal

• A social gathering at the end

A 2-hour mission is perfect.

Structure:

1. 10–15 minutes: Briefing, materials handout, assignments

2. 90–120 minutes: Neighborhood outreach

3. 45–60 minutes: Regroup, lunch/dinner, share results, celebrate

Lunch or dinner adds the social glue, and the recap delivers quick satisfaction.

4. Measurement + Friendly Competition = Motivation

Simple scoring works best.
You nailed the core metric:

Count any location that says yes to anything—

• A poster in a bathroom

• A stack of cards at the counter

• A magnet on the fridge

• A training sheet by the register

Every “yes” counts as one point.
Teams can also submit cool stories, photos, or “unexpected wins.”

Maybe hand out a playful prize:

• “Most Locations Reached”

• “Best Unexpected Placement”

• “Most Creative Ask”

• “Most Yes’s from a Single Block”

This creates momentum for future blitzes.

5. Manager Approval Issues: Handle Lightly

You already outlined perfect strategies:

Option 1: Leave it and hope for approval

Low effort, fast, good for blitzing.
Risk: it might get tossed—but it costs you nothing.

Option 2: Follow-up ask

Better ROI, shows commitment.
Assign this only to teams who want to do the “extra mile” version.

Offer volunteers both styles so nobody feels pressured.

6. Ideal Starting Point + Logistics

If the session is in Alexandria:

Starting Location Options:

• Torpedo Factory

• Old Town Alexandria Library (meeting room)

• Waterfront cafés (e.g., Vola’s, Chadwicks)

DC equivalents:

• Dupont Circle Starbucks or Kramerbooks area

• Takoma Park Library or Busboys & Poets

Hand out:

• Posters

• Cards

• Magnets

• Quick scripts (10–20 seconds)

• A simple score sheet or QR-based reporting form

7. Why This Works

It:

• Gives volunteers quick success

• Creates shared stories

• Produces clear measurable results

• Helps people feel mission-driven but not burdened

• Builds a repeatable model for future neighborhoods

• Expands Stroke Smart in a low-cost, high-impact way