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I have never been to Relay For Life before. I know you have to have a "team". What does the team do and do you make your own team? Thought about doing it this summer just curious what you have to do.
Shonna ;)
If you don't have a team of your own but would like to participate in a team event, don't hestitate to ask a team if you can join - I'm sure they'll be glad to have you!
My sister's workplace has a team every year and they let me join in with them - as a matter of fact, ours is tonight! I'm so proud to see my mom walk every year, and to be able to join her for the caretaker's lap.
My company started a team for me - we max out at 15 people and each are encouraged to raise $100.00. We will walk for 24 hours (some portion of our team will walk) & we can bring tents to sleep in. Each team can have a table to sell goods or to raise awareness - lovemnms was nice enough to pass along a great contact name to me who sent me TONS of ovac information to stock my table with -- I am excited to be getting the word out. This is my first relay - I have heard that they are very emotional but inspiring and well worth the effort. I am proud to walk for the cause. I have to delay my 5th treatment for the weekend to make sure I have the energy to do it! :)
You can personalize your page. Here is the link to mine just so you get an idea:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/kristinjaekle
The ACS sets up a form page for you and you can edit it if you want, and they have form letters to help you reach out to people. Its very user-friendly. Just know that the captains of the team are required to attend a few meetings where they help you learn about fund raising opportunities and you learn about the relay. Good luck Shonna - I say go for it!
Kristin
My requests were ignored, so I tried to change things by doing it myself. That didn't work, either, and the frustration was just too much. I still participate in Relay, but it's minimal. Most of my efforts and money go to the Ovarian Awareness Walk that we have in September. Good luck with your Relay!
Dot
Dot
OVCA isn't represented at our Relay either and my family and I have been attending for five years.
I'm trying to start my own campaign.
Our Relay is in Ohio. This is just a blurb about this years Relay so that you get an idea of what it is about.
On May 9th-10th, from 6pm to 12 noon, hundreds of people will join together to help fight cancer at The 2009 Beachwood High School Relay for Life Event. Teams of people lug their camping gear to Beachwood High School and take turns walking or running around the track. Relays are an overnight event, because cancer never sleeps. Some of those same sleep-deprived people will leave with alot less hair than they started with!
Philosophy – Why We Relay
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated.
So in the spirit of supporting those who have battled cancer, and fighting back against this terrible disease, the 2009 Beachwood Relay for Life event will also be hosting a "Locks of Love" drive. Lavish Color Salon owner Tracy Watts-Cirino has graciously offered to provide a free haircut to any person willing to cut off their own hair to help others.(Please see hair donation guidelines below). A booth will be open at the 2009 Beachwood Ohio Relay between 6pm and 9pm for this purpose. Anyone who wants to donate hair that meets the guidelines is welcome. Please let the people at the registration tables know you are there to donate hair.
During the time of hair donation Local Cleveland Bands--Savage Highway, The Climate, and Exit Cleveland, will play. A $10 donation is requested from those just coming to see the bands. A nutrition booth to teach cancer nutrition will be manned by Kristina Austin and sponsored by The Gathering Place. A Luminaria ceremony will take place with music sung by Patricia Choi and the "I light a Candle" poem. During the Luminaria ceremony inividual bags are "lit" all around the track. These bags have the names of loved ones who have passed from cancer, names of cancer survivors, and names of cancer caregivers written on them. Each and Every name on the Luminary Bags will be read and fingerspelled after the poem. It is a time of reflection, of love, and of HOPE for the future. After the luminary ceremony there will be On Stage Rock Band Competition, then Movies, a Midnight Pizza Party, Games, Theme Laps, Morning Yoga, an inspirational message of HOPE by Rabi Eddie Sukol, Donuts and Coffee, Local Performers, Awards Ceremony with Prizes, and the FIGHT BACK CEREMONY!
No matter who you are, there’s a place for you at the Beachwood Relay. As a survivor we have a free t-shirt for you, the honor of walking the first lap of the relay, and a survivor dinner. (I have reservation paperwork, so if you are a survivor of cancer and would like to come, contact me so I can get you registered to attend, free of course). As a participant you can walk, run, donate hair, come out to see the bands, form a team, or dedicate a luminaria. For Deaf and HOH we will have interpreters available for the Saturday evening ceremonies (still working on volunteers for Sunday morning). For more information please contact American Cancer Society Relay For Life at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit http://www.cancer.org/.
Location: 25100 Fairmount Ave, Beachwood, OH 44122
At our relay each team chooses something educational to teach about cancer. This year we are doing seasons of hope, so our team chose summer, skin cancer, prevention, and treatment. ACS always wants you to find as many possible resources to teach from, so we get pamphlets from other organizations (in addition to from ACS). It should be up to each team to choose what they want to present (but all should be about cancer education).
Sincerely,
Denise
I have to admit that I am not entirely happy with the Relay for Life that I attend. (I am also on a team.) They have NO information on ovarian cancer. Our team provides some, but Relay for Life (AKA American Cancer Society) provides none. I have tried to change this, but I don't expect to see any difference when I attend our Relay at the end of April. They concentrate on the big ones - lung, colorectal, and breast. Because I haven't been able to make any headway on this, I now concentrate my efforts on our Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Awareness Walk (and Run!) in September.
Dot/Joan
Thanks for the info..will check it out
Hi, Shonna. I'm guessing there is variation among the many Relay for Life celebrations. For the one I attend, you could participate without joining a team. See if you can find their Website and check the schedule. At ours, you attend the opening ceremony, introduce yourself as a survivor (everyone takes a quick turn at the microphone), then walk around the track in the survivors' lap. We also have a luminary ceremony after dark. You could walk around the track (running track at a high school) and visit all the teams and groups that are set up. Some have fundraisers selling food or other items. Some have information. Some have screening tests. All are fun! There's a constant stream of activities, from dance lessons to performances by local groups to silly contests. So, you could have a great time at our Relay for Life without joining a team. This would give you an idea of what it's like, and then next year maybe you would like to start or join a team. Or go for it and do that this year. I'm sure there's a team that would love to have you!
Joan/Dot
Hi!
In my area of PA, the Relay for Life is held at a local park. My family has been involved for three years. One time my daughter and son were on a team, and my husband and I were chaperones.
Another year my daughter was a team captain and we were chaperones again. She gathered 10-15 members, and found a company sponsor. Each member had to raise or donate $50 or more. The goal is to have a member continuously walking the (field) track for 16 hrs. Usually the person walking will have a bright bandana and hand it off to another person after 1-2 times around the track.
It's great fun! Bands, tug-of wars with pudding in the center, locks for love donations etc. and a big cook plus pizza were donated all night long. The teens loved it. When it’s dark all of the illumination bags are lit to memorialize or honor people touched by cancer.
There are two massive tents to "crash"-one for boys, the other for girls. Bringing personal tents are permitted but must have a chaperone. Boys/girls are still not permitted together.
Last year I was in the hospital having my cancer surgery when my kids joined the relay again. It was a bittersweet moment and I was happy to hear they participated while I was in the hospital.
The most touching part was after my 8 treatments were over. My 17 yr. old daughter presented me with a survivor’s t-shirt. She said she got it at the relay and saved it for me until my treatments were done.
I would recommend joining a team or at least visit a relay. The park where we have ours is closed to non-participants at 9pm and patrolled by the police.
Hello Shonna:
I've had a team now for 4 years. You do make your own team, or you can join someone else's. In my
area , it consists of 10-15 members per team.
We have bake sales, yard sales, dinners, etc. to
raise money for the American Cancer Society. I find
it fun, and have got to meet many new people because of it. They other teams have bingo tournaments (bingo is big around here) You can go online too to find different fund raisers. Hope this helps.
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