I. General Questions
How many people are racing?
As of May 9, 2008 there are 131,463 people in the Race.

What does it mean to swim 50 meters to save the oceans?
Because we cannot measure exactly how much ocean you protect with each click, Care2 measures your impact much like you would if you were swimming in a physical swimming race. Similar to walkathons sponsors pay you for each mile you walk. Care2's "Race" is the same, but you invest less sweat and don't need to find your own sponsors; Care2's sponsors pay for each click you make, which is measured as a 50 meter swim.

When did the Race for the Oceans start?
The Race for the Oceans started on July 22, 2002.

May I add a link to The Race from my website / newsletter?
Yes! We'd love to have your help! This is a race everyone wins. Click here for Race buttons and banners.

Where does the money go?
100% of the donations generated go to Oceana's ocean protection programs. Contributions are funded by sponsors who have agreed to pay to be featured on the Race for the Oceans. 100% of the net revenues are donated to Oceana. if during a period there are no paying sponsors, Care2 has guaranteed to make a donation of at least $1 for every 1000 clicks on the Oceans race. No matter what, every time you click, (up to once per day) you will be generating a donation to support ocean conservation efforts.

Are there other Races that I can support?
Yes! Care2 offers The Race for the Rain Forest, Race called Race for the Big Cats and the Climb Against Breast Cancer You can find a convenient links to all the races on the top each Race page.

Do I need to re-register for other Races?
No! You can use the same member name and password for all of Care2's Races.

What is the Race's privacy and spam policy?
When you use our online invitation form to invite a friend to enter the Race, only one email will be sent to that person. Your friend's email address will not be added to any list of any kind. If your friend decides to enter the Race, too, and clicks on the Race address in the invitation, s/he will be given the opportunity to register for the Race. If s/he opts to sign up, s/he will receive an update on the race every week, via email. This update can be disabled using the "My Reminders" link found under "Race Stats" on the left hand column menu on the Thank You Race page. If your friend does not sign up, s/he will receive no additional emails from Care2.com.

What are the prizes for the winners?
Fame and Fortune! (Well, at least some fame!) We'll announce the names of the top 100 racers on Care2.com, visited by a million people each month. (Hey, this is an altruistic race for a good cause! It's a race we all win.)

Back to Top

II. How Am I Helping?

Will I actually protect oceans?
Yes! You generate a real financial donation to save the oceans when you click the "Click to Help" button. This money goes directly to Oceana's ocean protection programs. You can click the "Click to Help" button once per day. And, remember to invite all your friends to come to the site daily to click so that your team of friends maximizes your cumulative impact.

Do I really make a difference?
Certainly! Let's say you start the Race for the Oceans on day one and tell 3 people, and they also invite 3 new people, and these 3 tell 3 more people each, who each tell 243 more people, 243 people will be Racing to Save the Oceans every day, because of YOU! So, yes! Your actions do make a difference. To truly appreciate the impact you can have, visit the leader board and click on the leader's name to see how many people s/he has involved in the Race.

How do I know how far I have swum?
After you click the "Click to Save" button, you will see a running total of the meters people have "swum" to save the oceans. Click the links found on the left hand column for more information.

Where does the money come from to protect oceans?
Our sponsors pay for it. So, please thank our sponsors for their donations by clicking on the Sponsor banners at the bottom of the Race pages and consider buying items from our sponsors. More visits by you to our sponsors' web pages results in happy sponsors who are more likely to continue supporting the Race(s), which means more ocean protection through the Race. In addition, in the event that no other sponsors are present, Care2 donates $1 per 1000 clicks to help protect the ocean, so you know that every click really does make a difference.

Where exactly is the ocean I am protecting?
Oceana protects oceans all over the world. Some programs have protected sea otters in the Pacific, sea turtles in the Atlantic, and beaches across the United States.

Back to Top

III. Logging in / Getting Credit

How can I change the settings for my email updates (reminders)?

1. Login to the Ocean Race.
2. Click on the "My Settings" link found on the left-hand side of the page under "My Race Stats".
3. Change your reminder settings.
4. Scroll down the page and click on the "Submit" button to save your settings.

I am a member of Care2.com. Do I have to sign-up for the race?
No. Care2 members are already pre-registered for all Races. Simply use your normal Care2 login name and password to sign-in to the Race.

How can I change the email address for my Race account?

1. Login to the Oceans Race.
2. Click on the "My Settings" link found on the left-hand side of the page under "Race Stats."
3. Enter your current email address in the field provided. (Note: this will be the address that receives all reminders and updates for your race account).
4. Be sure to scroll down the page and click on the "Submit" button to save your settings.

Why can't I log in?
The most likely reason is that your web browser is not accepting cookies. If you enable your cookies and log-in again, it should work. For more help, click here.

If I do not log-in, am I still helping save oceans?
Yes! A donation will be made each time you click the button, up to once per day. However, neither you nor the friends you invite will "get credit" toward the Race if you or they are not logged-in. This means that your clicks will not count towards your friend's Race stats.

I am not getting credit for some of my friends who are visiting. Why?
Your friend must visit the Race through a link containing your unique tracking code. Once they reach the Race and click on the "Click to Save" button, your friend must also sign up for a race account. For you to continue getting credit for Friends' visits, your friends must login to the Race when visiting. Otherwise, we have no way of knowing who your friend is and who should get credit for her/his visits. You will not receive credit for friends who have already visited the site before going through your invitation.

Do I receive credit for friends I email without going through the Race's online invitation form?
Yes, if you include your unique tracking code in the emails you send without going through our online invitation form. If you use our online invitation form, we will automatically include a unique tracking code for you.

What happens if I use the online invitation form with the wrong email address for a friend?
It will bounce back to you. Then you make the corrections and forward it. Our system will have already registered the unique invitation code for you.

I made a Care2 t-shirt or other branded product purchase to help save more. Why did my personal race stats not increase?
With your purchase, we or a partner merchant donates a percentage of the revenues to help the oceans. Your purchase counts only toward the total race stats, not your personal stats.

I've visited more frequently than some race leaders. Why am I not in the top 100?
You get credit not just for your visits, but also for your friends' visits, and your friends' friends, etc. So, some of the leaders have had friends who have visited many times. To truly appreciate the impact Race leaders have, visit the leader board and click on a leader's name to see how many people s/he has involved in the Race.

Can I sign-up for multiple accounts to improve my race standings?
No! To be fair to our advertising sponsors, we ask that you sign-up for only one account. We reserve the right to terminate any account that appears to be abusing the integrity of the Race. We appreciate efforts to save more ocean, but please consider the privacy and rights of all parties involved before doing anything too "creative".

Why can I only receive statistics for "six levels" of people?
That number was chosen because it enables people to understand the wider impact they have in the world. You influence your friends, who influence their friends, etc. Check out the leader board to see how influential some Racers have been thus far.

Back to Top

IV. Sponsorship Information
Where does the money come from to protect the oceans?
Our sponsors pay for it. So, please thank our sponsors for their donations by clicking on the Sponsor banners at the bottom of the Race pages and consider buying items from our sponsors. More visits by you to our sponsors' web pages results in happy sponsors who are more likely to continue supporting the Race(s), which means more ocean protected through the Race.

Does all the money raised go directly to supporting the oceans, or, will Care2 and its sponsors make some profit, too?
100% of the donations generated go to Oceana's ocean protection programs. Contributions are funded by sponsors who have agreed to pay to be featured on the Race for the Oceans. 100% of the net revenues are donated to Oceana. if during a period there are no paying sponsors, Care2 has guaranteed to make a donation of at least $1 for every 1000 clicks on the Oceans race. No matter what, every time you click, (up to once per day) you will be generating a donation to support ocean conservation efforts.

How much does it cost to be a sponsor?
Cost of sponsorship is $2 per 1,000 unique visitors per day. The minimum donation is $1000. Click here to be a sponsor. To donate less than $1000, click here to donate to Oceana directly.

I have other questions!
Please contact us using our Help Form

Back to Top

V. Link To Us

To choose a Race for the Oceans banner and learn how to link to our site, click here Otherwise, if you already understand how to link to us: Simply download one of these buttons, save it on your computer, load it on your server, and link to the race.
    

Thank you for participating!!