Once Upon a Cure Relay For Life of Calhoun County East July 19-20, 2013 Calhoun County Fairgrounds 3pm - 3pm www.relayforlife.org/calhouncountyeastmi Relay For Life - Calhoun County East Facebook Group
2
Relay For Life of Calhoun County East Calendar of Events Date Event Time Location March 16 Spring Dance 7:30-Midnight Marshall Country Club March 26 Relay 101 6:30-7:30 Four Winds Christian Fellowship April 23 Team Captain Meeting 6:30-7:30 Four Winds Letter Writing Campaign request form DUE May 20 Christian Fellowship May 21 Team Captain Meeting 6:30-7:30 Four Winds Pick up Writing Campaign supplies. Sponsorship forms Christian Fellowship and t-shirt orders DUE June 11 June 25 Team Captain Meeting 6:30-7:30 Four Winds Power Point submissions, Track Sign orders, and Logistic Christian Fellowship forms DUE tonight. July 9 Team Captain Picnic 6-7:30 CC Fairgrounds Last day to turn in ACS CAN forms for the Fight Back Challenge. CAN drawing and Challenge winners announced. July 10 Survivor Dinner 4:30 registration opens Marshall United Door prize baskets turned in (optional) Methodist Church July 15 Bank Day 11am-5pm Chemical Bank Turn in money and pick up t-shirts and track signs W. Drive Branch July 19-20 Relay For Life of CCE 3pm-3pm CC Fairgrounds Purple Fairy registrations can be turned in up to the start of the contest on Relay weekend. 3
4
2013 FIGHT BACK CHALLENGE The team that brings in the MOST ACS CAN memberships will receive the ACS CAN Club banner with their team name For every ACS CAN membership form (with fee) turned in by a team captain or member they will have their name entered into a drawing for a Relay For Life duffle bag AND fleece blanket! Any $20.00 member will receive an ACS CAN shoe keychain! THANK YOU FOR SAVING LIVES!!!! 5
Awards & Recognition The American Cancer Society and our Relay For Life Steering Committee appreciate the efforts of all our Captains, Teams, and Participants. We recognize teams and individuals using both ACS award programs, such as the Individual Fundraising Club, and our own RFL team and individual awards. Our Committee will focus on improving our recognition programs to better publicly acknowledge the efforts of all our Teams, not just for fundraising, but for mission delivery and advocacy efforts, and for various Relay Day campsite and spirit efforts. AT EVERY MEETING *These items are meeting to meeting challenges to be fair to everyone. Drawing for a door prize. 1 ticket per attendee Online Champion (most money online) Participant wins prize Communication Champion (most emails sent out) Participant wins prize Team Fundraising Level signs when a team reaches a fundraising level PARTICIPANT CHALLENGE (online) By Team Meeting #2 RELAY FOR LIFE MOBILE BILLBOARD Award Announced on the website and Facebook before Relay Team Captains with 10 or more participants registered online can pick from the Relay For Life prize bin AND if they are members of our Facebook Group they will get to pick a 2 nd prize from the Relay For Life prize bin It s Paint the Town Purple week! Decorate your vehicle, home, or business and send pictures in via email or Facebook post by July 17. Southwest Michigan ACS employees will vote 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd place winners. Winners will have VIP Parking at the Relay Event for the full 24hrs. 6
American Cancer Society CANCER ACTION NETWORK CHALLENGE Announced at Team Captain Picnic The team with the MOST ACS CAN members will receive the ACS CAN club banner with their team name to be displayed at their campsite. For every ACS CAN membership a team member turns in they will have their name entered into a drawing for a fabulous Relay prizes! AT RELAY Fundraising Club Level Announcements throughout the 24hrs. If your team has reached a new Fundraising Club Level, you will be presented with your sign and/or award labels Team Awards Announced at Closing Ceremony. Vote for the winners throughout the Relay at the Information Tent. 7
Recruit a Team! Set it in motion! A Step By Step Guide for Team Captains TEAM CAPTAIN JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: Recruit 10-15 team members Encourage Each Participant to raise $100 Attend All Team Captain Meetings and invite a team member to join you if you can t make it, it is IMPERATIVE that you send someone in your place! Delegate, delegate, delegate!!! Don t burn yourself out! Ensure that everyone on your team is fundraising and aiding the team s efforts Be the biggest cheerleader for the group Send out group communications (email, phone calls, letters, etc.) keeping everyone in the loop about fundraising and Relay plans Monthly team meetings are HIGHLY recommended and beneficial Immediately following Kick Off: Set Goals for yourself and your team (utilize the Team Fundraising Goal Worksheet located in your folder) Team members Survivors Luminaria Team GOAL Find team members and select one Co-Captain to help you. Team members can be found: Your friends and family Co-workers Neighbors Place of Worship Gym If you recruit 5 people, ask each of these people to bring one friend, and you ll have a team of 10! Remember that 97% of families will be touched by cancer...nearly everyone has a reason to Relay! Organize an initial team meeting so that you can: Discuss team goals, layout expectations Distribute Relay For Life envelopes/forms/luminarias to all participants on your team. Sign the team up online and register your team members. **Plan your pre-event fundraising effort(s) Ask any businesses that you or your teammates know if they will sponsor the Relay (See sponsorship page in this packet and the brochure located in Team Captain Folder) 8
SCANNABLE FORM We encourage each of your team members to register online, but if they are unable to join on the website you can use this form. You can turn the completed forms in at any event meeting. In order for participants to receive incentive prizes they must be registered online at www.relayforlife.org/ calhouncountyeastmi. SAMPLE There are 10 forms in your packet, but if you need more they can be printed off the website or they will be available at every Event Meeting. 9
Recognizing Team Members Incentive Prizes Team participants who raise $100 will receive a Relay For Life event t-shirt. Anyone who raises $250 or above is eligible to receive an incentive prize (must be registered online). See the incentive prize sheet enclosed in the Team Member Guides for more details. ONE incentive prize can be picked from the appropriate fundraising level. (In other words, Relayers cannot choose several prizes from lesser fundraising levels). Certificates will automatically be emailed to those that have raised $250.00 or more. IMPORTANT: If an individual is trying to obtain an incentive prize they must be registered online. When turning in cash & checks, please be sure to put their name on an envelope with the money and indicate how much should go towards the individual on your team. You can also utilize the Team Accounting Sheet that is located in your Team captain Kit. Ways to Recognize Your Team Members Thank you card/certificate after Relay Copies of team photos Give a Badge/Crown to wear to wrap up party Send Birthday/Holiday/Anniversary Cards Manicure/Pedicure Movie gift certificates Letter to their boss to give thanks Life Savers with a note about how they too, are a life saver Candy Grams Mints With a note that says What you did MINT a lot Cards with signatures from Survivors Wrap party celebration make appetizers and beverages. Trade pictures. Make a thank you speech. 10
Personalized Track Signs Personalized track signs are another great way to fundraise pre-relay. These signs are about 2 X 3 feet and made of corrugated plastic. The cost to have a personalized track sign is $100. You can reuse the sign each year if you wish, but you will need to renew the $100 donation each year. Teams are asked to use the signs as a fundraiser by offering them to donors as a means to honor someone who has battled cancer. Or, alternatively, if a sponsorship ask is denied at the $250 level, ask businesses if they would contribute $100 to have a sign posted at the Relay. (See below for examples of personalized signs) Teams are responsible for collecting the money earned from track sign sales and for turning in the completed order forms. Please turn in one form per sign that you are ordering. (Do not put multiple orders on one form). Be sure to indicate EXACTLY what you would like the sign to say. Keep in mind that the top half of the sign will have the Relay logo printed on it. Order forms will be available at every Team Captain meeting. Because it takes approximately 2-3 weeks to have all the signs printed and shipped, Track Sign order forms are due NO LATER than June 25. Teams will receive their signs at Bank Day. Personalized Track Sign Examples: IN HONOR OF JOHN JACENTY, JR. WE MISS YOU, PAPPA! LOVE, TEAM BOZO HI-LAND GARDEN MART A Personal Track Sign A Business Track Sign 11
Sponsorship Pursuing a corporate sponsorship is a great way to boost your team total! Plus, businesses benefit from the recognition they get having their name displayed to hundreds of Relay participants in their community. In general, sponsorship asks are more successful if they come from someone the businesses owner recognizes as a regular patron of their establishment. Think of all the places you go on a regular basis...these businesses would make great sponsors! Here are a few ideas: Local coffee shops Restaurants Grocery Store Gym Banks/Credit Unions Pharmacy Family & Friends businesses Your place of employment The Sponsorship packet outlines not only the levels of sponsorship recognition, but also information about Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society. Inside the packet is a commitment form for the sponsor to fill out. These are due June 11. The sky is the limit! Check out the schedule of important dates for the sponsorship deadline. You have a form in your packet, but they are also available online or at every Team Meeting. 12
Banking Procedures Before Relay: Give each team member a collection envelope. Have them label the envelope with their name and the Team Name. This is imperative for your team to receive credit for its donations. Checks must be cashed within 90 days of their date, so please turn in monies regularly. A mini accounting services will be set up in the back of all Team Meetings, except at Relay101. Feel free to turn in team member s money as it comes in throughout the season. Be sure to follow the tips for handing in money as outlined below. At Bank Day: (see Calendar of Event) Please note that turning in money at Bank Day is preferred to turning in money at the event. Prior to Bank Day, Team Captains should collect all remaining envelopes from all their team members. Be sure each envelope is labeled with team name, team member name, and an indication of the total amount enclosed. After turning in your funds, you will receive your T-shirts and track signs. Bank Day is the last chance to ask any questions or gather last minute supplies, such as luminaria bags. Teams are asked to please send only ONE team representative to Bank Day. At Relay: Please use the large, purple mailbox to drop team deposits throughout the Relay Event. It will be placed at the Chemical Bank team site across from the fair office. There will be two envelopes available to use for deposit of money. One will be for raffle money only. The other envelope will be for all other monies. Please fill out envelope completely including team name, contact, cell phone number (if available) and amount of deposit. If you are turning in unused raffle tickets, please note the number of unused tickets on raffle money only envelope. Please keep raffle money separate from other fund-raising money. BE SURE TO SEAL YOUR ENVELOPES BEOFRE PLACING THEM IN THE MAILBOX! All money must be turned in before 1 p.m. on July 20 in order to be counted for the event totals at closing ceremony. Please Note! Teams and individuals can drop off money throughout the Relay event into the purple mailbox. Please do not wait to turn in all your money at 1 p.m. Thank You! After Relay: Just because the event is over, doesn t mean fundraising has to stop! Post-event is a great time to gather last minute donations using Relay Online, putting together a wrap up party, etc. If you didn t reach your team goal, don t give up...keep trying! We have until August 31 to continue to raise funds! Any monies received after 8/31 will count toward the next year s Relay. Send any funds donated AFTER Relay to: RFL Calhoun County East, American Cancer Society, 1400 West Milham Road, Portage, MI 49024. Be sure to note your team name (and, if applicable, team member name) with the enclosed money. Money Handling Tips Please print LEGIBLY on the envelope: 1. Team Member Name 2. Team Name 3. Circle total amount enclosed in envelope 4. Please exchange loose coins to bills 5. Be sure your envelopes are sealed! 6. Please turn-in ONE envelope per team member Checks should be payable to: American Cancer Society or Relay For Life 13
Donation Receipts Each Team Captain Kit will contain ten Gift Acknowledgement Receipts. Additional receipts are available at all team meetings. Receipts are to be used for CASH donations only.a check acts as a donor s receipt for tax purposes. An exception would be if there is not an address on the check. In this case, you will need to fill out a receipt. A complete name and address MUST be on the form to receive a Tax Acknowledgment in the mail. HOW TO FILL OUT THE GIFT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RECEIPT: County Calhoun Event Site Calhoun County Fairgrounds Donor Information Fill in the donor s name, address, & phone number Fill in amount received Check the box to indicate if donation was by check or cash Check the box for the type of contribution the donor made - Be sure to fill in the quantity and description if merchandise was purchased. Team Name Enter your team s name Date Received The date you received contribution Received By Enter your name White Copy American Cancer Society Yellow Donor 14
ELECTRICITY FEE Calhoun County East Relay for Life 2013 Logistics Information There is a $15 fee for those using electricity at their campsite; deadline to turn in logistic forms and electricity fee is June 25. CAMP SITES You will need to bring your own extension cords, tables, sand buckets, lighters, etc. For those new teams and those returning teams who don t want to keep the site they had last year, we will be drawing for empty sites at the picnic and you will get your campsite at that time. As we finalize the campsite maps, you will receive a copy highlighting your location for you to duplicate and hand out to your team members. This will help them find your site, the bathrooms, etc. During the event you will be responsible for your own site; please be sure to keep all trash picked up and in the garbage cans provided. Following the Closing Ceremony on Saturday, you will be responsible for clearing and cleaning up your site. Cars will not be allowed on the track until after the closing ceremony, as there will still be people walking. SET-UP THURSDAY 7-18-13 You may bring your campers/trailers to the fairgrounds on Thursday, July 18, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Each campsite will be numbered. On Thursday night there is no security at the Fairgrounds, so please be sure to lock your camper and put any decorations away. FRIDAY 7-19-13 You may begin setting up your sites on Friday, July 19, from 9 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. ALL VEHICLES MUST BE OFF THE TRACK BY 3:00 P.M. MISCELLANEOUS 1. All children under the age of 18 must be under the supervision of an adult and must be part of a team. There will be a curfew set prior to the event, at which time those children without an adult member of a team who will take responsibility for them, will have to leave. 2. Pets will not be allowed in the Relay area. Please let your team members know. 3. No bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, etc. will be allowed in the Relay area. 4. There will be wheelchairs available, if needed. 5. No smoking our alcohol is allowed at Relay For Life. 15
Tents: PartyTimeTentsMarshall.com Jason Devine: 269-781-5537 Teams are welcome to use their own tents or rent from any source. We are working with Party Time Tents & More this year to offer canopy rentals at a discounted price. All arrangements must be made by your team. Payment is the responsibility of your team and must be made prior to the event. All canopies will be available on a first come first serve basis. Summer is the busiest time for Party Time Tents, so please call to make arrangements as soon as possible. If renting from Party Time Tents you must give the Relay event name, Team name and Team Captain name. Party Time Tents & More is offering these special prices for the Relay For Life of Calhoun County East. They are not applicable to any other event. 10x10 tents - $50 each 20x20 tents - $90 each 20x30 tents - $100 each Banquet Tables - $5.50 each Chairs - $0.65 each Prices include delivery/set-up/tear-down. If a team orders $100.00 or more in tents/accessories Party Time Tents will provide a Disposable (Trash) Event Box with their team name/logo stuck on the side of the container. 16 Party Time Tents is not responsible for trash disposal.
WHAT HAPPENS AT RELAY... Opening Ceremony: The fun starts from the very beginning! During the Opening Ceremony, chairpersons, speakers, and community leaders set the pace for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Cancer Survivor s Victory Lap: The first official lap of Relay is the survivors victory lap. During the Victory Lap, Relayers line the track perimeter and cheer and applaud as the Survivors walk a lap together. The louder the better! Fight Back Ceremony: The Fight Back Ceremony is a short ceremony that asks every Relayer to make a commitment to continue the fight against cancer year round. Participants make pledges to live healthier lifestyles, help family members get cancer screenings, etc.. Luminaria Ceremony: Luminaria Ceremony is often said to be the most emotional part of Relay. Prior to Relay, teams are encouraged to sell luminaria bags. You can obtain as many bags as you wish to sell by asking your staff partner, Katie Nelson. These bags are then decorated in honor of a survivor, caregiver, or someone who has lost their battle with cancer. At dusk we place all of these bags around the track and candles are lit inside. Sand and candles are available at the Information Tent. The bags glow helps guide us as we continue Relaying throughout the night. A ceremony of remembrance takes place at dusk. This ceremony will include a lap of silence to reflect on the people whose names are inscribed on the glowing tributes. Luminaria is a powerful testimonial as to why we Relay For Life. Closing Ceremony: The Closing Ceremony celebrates the accomplishments, success, and efforts of the committee, team captains, participants, donors and volunteers. Awards are presented to teams and the grand total of dollars raised will be announced. Taking the final lap together is a proud moment for a community taking up the fight! 17
Luminaria Bags & Ceremony The Luminaria Ceremony is a huge part of Relay! It is, in fact, the biggest reason many people take part in the event. To light a candle in honor of someone you love, to say a few words, and to see an entire park lit up with the candlelight of a thousand memories...that is a sight to behold! BUT, in order to get those 1000 flickering flames, we must sell the luminaria bags and decorate them. What to do with luminaria bags Luminaria bags will be available in your Team Captain Kits and at all Team Meetings. Take as many as you need. The bags are intended to be used as a fundraiser. The official price is $10. However, we do not keep formal accounting of the number of bags you take versus the amount of money you hand in.so use your discretion. Tailor your price to the audience you are asking to donate. A group of elementary school kids?...the bag costs $1. A group of well-to-do surgeons?...the bag costs $25! Once people have purchased a luminaria bag, instruct them to decorate it in honor of a survivor or caregiver. Decorations can be as simple as a name written in pencil to frills such as lace, glitter, and cut outs. As an alternative, some teams ask for a donation and volunteer to decorate bags with the names of people the donor specifies. This saves busy donors time and gives the Relayer a reason to invite their donors to Relay! (To see their bags, of course!). Team Members are responsible for collecting any bags they ve passed out prior to Relay. Bring all your bags to Relay Day. While at Relay, it is important to store your bags in a place where they will remain safe and dry should a mid-day sprinkle occur. In early evening, teams will be instructed to place the bags around the track and begin filling them with the sand and candles. Sand and candles can be picked up at the Information Tent throughout Friday afternoon and evening. While we realize you would like your bags near your campsite, please remember that we want to encircle the entire walking path with bags...so please space your bags as appropriate. The bags will remain lit throughout the night. In the morning, if you wish to keep your bags, please remove them from the walking path at daylight. Place the used sand and candle in the designated area. Any remaining luminaries will be subject to a group clean up (all teams are asked to help!) shortly after Closing Ceremony. 18
CELEBRATE REMEMBER FIGHT BACK Organization 2013 SURVIVOR EVENTS SURVIVOR DINNER -Wednesday, July 10, 2013. United Methodist Church. 4:30 pm registration, 5:30 pm dinner. Survivor may bring one guest and reservations are required. A child survivor may bring both parents. SURVIVOR VICTORY LAP- Friday, July 19, 2013 6:00pm. Calhoun County Fairgrounds. No reservation is required, although it is recommended if survivor t-shirts, medallions /pins are desired. Light refreshments will be available at the Survivor Welcome tent for survivors and their caregiver. SURVIVOR BREAKFAST - Saturday, July 20, 2013 8:00-10:00am. Calhoun County Fairgrounds. Schuler s Restaurant and Pub is once again generously providing a full breakfast for our survivors and their family/caregivers. Reservations are greatly appreciated to assist Schuler s staff in preparing enough food. ***IMPORTANT CHANGES TO EVENT INVITE PROCESS!!*** While the 2013 Survivor events are consistent with previous years, the invite process was changed last year and we will again use this new process. We have discontinued the mailing of invites but will be placing invite ads in the Marshall Advisor, Albion Recorder and the Homer Index. We will also provide team captains with printed invitations to hand out personally and we will be placing invites in the oncology department and a few other key locations in Marshall, Albion and Homer. Invites and RSVP forms will also be available on the ACS website. Survivors will still need to RSVP! If you have any questions, PLEASE contact: Deb Miller, Survivor events chair 269-719-5840 DMCeventsandbeyond@yahoo.com 19
CELEBRATE REMEMBER FIGHT BACK 2013 SURVIVOR EVENTS 5 Easy Ways to Honor Area Survivors How Teams Can Help Organizati INVITES: SPREAD THE NEWS!!!!!!! A list of all survivor events is provided on the cover page. We need your help to reach ALL area cancer survivors Remind survivors to look for invites/ads in the Marshall, Albion, and Homer papers. Hand deliver an invitation (to be distributed at Team Captain meetings) Remind survivors and then remind then again to RSVP!!!! DOOR PRIZES: Teams are invited to create and donate a door prize basket (value approximately $20.00) Door prize gift tags will be provided at Team Captain meetings We have some baskets available for your use or you may use your own Teams are asked to deliver to United Methodist Church on July 10 or make other arrangements. SURVIVOR DINNER VOLUNTEERS: We are looking for volunteers to help with the dinner. Areas include: Set up (noon-2:00pm, 2:00-4:00pm) Greeters (4:00-5:30pm) Food servers Clean up VICTORY LAP SUPPORT: Team captains are encouraged to rally their team members to line the track and CELEBRATE our survivors as they take their Victory Lap. We are also looking for help at the Survivor Welcome tent including: Set up (2:00pm-3:30pm) Greeters (3:30pm-6:00pm) SURVIVOR BREAKFAST VOLUNTEERS: We are looking for volunteers to help with the breakfast. Areas include: Set up (6am) Greeters (7:45am-10:00am) Clean up 20 More information will be provided at future team captain meetings. If you have questions, or would like to volunteer for survivor events, please contact Deb Miller, Survivor Event Chair, at 269-719-5840 or via email to DMCeventsandbeyond@yahoo.com.
Relay for Life Power Point Presentation / Due Date June 25,2013 Team Name: Team Captain: Phone Number or Email: In Memory (new names only): 21 If you have any questions please call Joanne Osborn at 269-832-1950 or at josborn@olivetcollege.edu
Relay for Life Power Point Presentation / Due Date June 25,2013 Team Name: Team Captain: Phone Number or Email: In Honor: 22 If you have any questions please call Joanne Osborn at 269-832-1950 or at josborn@olivetcollege.edu
Junior Competition up to 12 years of age Senior Competition age 13 and up Pageant time to be determined-will be announced at June s Team Meeting Audience voting: Audience donations determine winner Donations may also be collected before pageant and prior to Relay weekend PAGEANT RULES: Each team must dress their Fairy with the purple theme and decorate a bucket, can, basket, etc. for donations. Candidates must pledge to walk around the fairgrounds with enthusiasm throughout the Relay, in full garb! Potential Purple Fairies will demonstrate some kind of talent on Center Stage - time to be determined - (sing, dance, twirl baton, play the ukulele, etc.) and collect donations from the audience. Donations may be collected before, during and after the performance time. Purple Fairy donations must be counted and turned in to the Pageant Chair by NOON on Saturday at the Seeds of Hope Campsite. The TWO new Purple Fairies will reign over the Calhoun County East Relay for one year and accept the following responsibilities that come with the title. 2013 Purple Fairy Pageant Attend Relay For Life Events Be available for Celebrity Photo Ops Attend the 2014 Kick Off Celebration Promote the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life Contest held throughout Relay and concludes during Closing Ceremonies Please consider participating in this fun event. All proceeds will benefit your team totals. Purple Fairy Pageant 2013 Registration Form Name: Birthdate: Parent/Guardian (if under 18): Relay For Life Team Name: Mailing Address: City/State/Zip: Signature: (parent/guardian if minor) Phone: Email: Date: Form can be turned in up to the start of the contest on Relay weekend. For more info, please contact Barb at 269.832.1947 or bco5995@yahoo.com 23
24
Logistics & Special Needs Return completed form with electricity fee to Larry Maynard by June 25. Any questions, please call Larry Maynard at 517.629.6090. TEAM: CAPTAIN: PHONE: Team sites will be assigned July 9 at the Team Captain s Picnic, held at the fairgrounds. TENT or CAMPER SIZE: We would like to hook up electricity: yes or no (Cost for electricity is $15 per site; payable to CCAIS) List Special Needs: 25
26
Relay For Life Calhoun County East Team T-Shirt Order **Please remember to only order one t-shirt per team member who has raised/will raise at least $100! Team Name: Team Captain: Child Sizes WE DO NOT NEED ANY SHIRTS Captain Shirt Size* Small qty s Co-Captain Size* (if applicable) Medium qty s Large qty s Adult Sizes Small qty s Medium qty s Large qty s X-Large qty s 2X qty s 3X qty s 4X qty s Shirts will be ordered based on this form. We will not use online reports. We ask that each team, whether you are ordering shirts or not, turn in this form. * This is only for the captain s t-shirt(s). If the Captain/Co-Captain raised $100 they will need to include their size(s) in the left column as well. Total Number of T-shirts Ordering DUE BY Team Captain Meeting #2 OR email order to Larry Maynard at djmaynard55@hotmail.com by June 11. 27
28
29
30
FAQs Why do I need to attend Team Meetings? At our meetings, teams share ideas about their team, and fundraising efforts to date and what they will do for on-site fundraising. Also the committee will share information about things happening at the Relay (the Survivor Reception, special theme laps, campsite locations and what activities and live entertainment will take place to name just a few things). Teams will also learn more about the American Cancer Society and the programs, services and research donor dollars help provide. This is also the best time to pick up extra supplies provided by ACS to help your team succeed. My team is pretty small should I just give up until next year? Absolutely not! All donations are appreciated and they all help in the fight against cancer! It s true that not all teams have 10 or more people and that s okay! Usually after teams come to Relay for the first time they get the idea and come up with more ideas for the next year! My aunt s a cancer survivor but not able to be part of my team should she still come? YES! A big part of Relay For Life is our celebration of cancer survivorship! We invite all Survivors to take part in the Cancer Survivor s Victory Lap around the track! Caregivers are welcome to join them in this prestigious walk too! How can I get an invitation sent to a cancer survivor? The committee will not be mailing out invitations to survivors. Invitations will also be available at Team Meetings for you to hand to any cancer survivor you d like to invite. Be sure to have your Survivors RSVP! (see Survivor Activities information on page 17) What if a cancer survivor did not get an invitation? Can they still come to the Relay and get a t-shirt? YES! They can register at the event and still get their shirt/medallion/pin. (while supplies last). What are the white bags (luminarias) for again? Luminarias are a way to continue the fight against cancer. ACS will provide them free of charge to teams who would like to use them as a fundraiser. Luminarias are traditionally sold for a donation of $10 each, but the teams are encouraged to use their discretion on price. The bags are decorated to honor someone who has battled cancer. What do I do with the luminaria bags I have sold? Hang on to them and bring to the event. Sand and candles are available at the Information Tent. Teams set the bags out 1ft apart to help line the track. What do I do during the Luminaria Ceremony? Gather with your team members at the ceremony area. We will have a short ceremony. We ask participants to remain attentive during this important ceremony. At the close of the ceremony we will have a silent lap. We ask participants to be courteous and respectful of this. A little while after the silent lap we will return to our celebratory spirit! How do I know where my team will camp at Relay? Campsites are given out at the Team Picnic on July 9 (see calendar of events). Depending on your location campers are allowed. See logistic information on page 14. 31
I don't think we will have a team to walk all night, can we still participate? Absolutely! Relay is free and open to the public. You are welcome to come and check out Relay For Life and frankly - we hope you ll participate in the teams fundraising efforts to help support the event. Often when people do this they get caught up in the excitement and return the next year with a team! You are also more than welcome to join the Calhoun County East Community Team. Is there first aid on site? We will have a simple first aid kit at the Information Tent. The local fire and police depts. are well aware of the event and will be just a call away for us. When do I turn in the money we raise? You can turn money in at the beginning of any of the Team Meetings, Bank Day, and at the event in the purple mailbox (see Banking Procedures on page 12). Any money raised after the event can be turned in at our Wrap Up Celebration or sent into the American Cancer Society at: American Cancer Society, Calhoun County East 1400 W. Milham Portage, MI 49024 (be sure your team name is on anything that you turn in or mail) I know that those who raise at least $100 will get a free Relay For Life t-shirt. I have team member who only raised $50 by Bank Night. Can she still get a t-shirt? Yes! You may turn in the other $50 she raised at Relay Will I learn about cancer at the Relay For Life? YES! As part of our mission we want to educate everyone about cancer prevention. All around the track (and hopefully at your campsite) you will see cancer fact signs and there will be interactive activities for everyone to enjoy! My brother and sister-in-law are coming in from out of town but aren t on my team can they still come? Yes. Relay is free to attend and open to the public. Do we have to decorate our campsite? No. Although we love to see lots of participation and there is an award for best decorated tent site, our main goal is to fundraise AND Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back together as a community. What is an Endurance Walker? Endurance Walker fill our a registration form to commit to walking a certain amount of hours (8, 12, 16, 18, 24). They will be recognized at the beginning of the event and at the end. Please contact your Team D Mentor if you have an Endurance Walker on your team. 32
NOTES 33
34