Get Involved in Relay for Life: How To Participate

[mrshamel3808]

I'm interested in getting involved in a Relay for Life event (there are a few near me in the next few months) but I can't find any information on how I can be involved on the websites. Do you start a team? Or do you just set-up a booth and hold a fundraiser based on the sales from the booth?

 

[Maragib]

well most teams at the event have a table/booth and they sell stuff to raise money for their team. Or some have activity booths, some offer haircuts, garage sale type stuff, all sorts of stuff. I would contact the coordinators of the event, our event here is free to enter so i imagine you could just go in and set up a tent on the track and sell PC, but I would clear it first. You could also ask for team leaders names and contact them about doing a PC fundraiser to help their team raise money for themselves. - The point of RFL and the teams is that they try to come up with ways to raise the most money, creatively or not.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

relayforlife dot orgYou can start a team by getting 8 people together and committing to raising $100 each for cancer research ... but nobody shoots you if you don't. EVERYTHING sold at the Relay, whether baskets or anything else, MUST benefit the Relay. (Not pink products for breast cancer, mind you, the Relay.) In the past, my people have had better success having a show and donating the free products to basket raffles.

 

[mrshamel3808]

Do they let you set up a booth and take orders for a fundraiser?

 

[AlowayFamily]

I am very active in RFL in my area - I am working with 3 different RFL communities. I first got into it by contacting the local chair. I found her email address on the local RFL website. Then I attend their Team Captain meetings (by invitation from the chair) and do a presentation of what the fundraiser can do for each team. I got a boost this year when an American Cancer Society employee contacted me and wanted me to attend smaller RFL Team Captain meetings in surrounding communities.

I have attached the files I distribute at the Team Captain meeting. When they book a cooking or catalog show I send them my typical packet.

I got the Tool Pool from here, and I give it out at the TC meeting to entice them into doing the show. I also attach my business card to the letter so they have it handy.

 

[tys1031]

relayforlife dot org

You can start a team by getting 8 people together and committing to raising $100 each for cancer research ... but nobody shoots you if you don't. EVERYTHING sold at the Relay, whether baskets or anything else, MUST benefit the Relay. (Not pink products for breast cancer, mind you, the Relay.)

In the past, my people have had better success having a show and donating the free products to basket raffles.

Di is right about no pink products at Relay. As crazy as it sounds (because BOTH go to ACS), Relay funds are different than the pink products funds. Relay funds supports ACS programs as a whole and the pink products are restricted to breast cancer awareness and research. Some Relay funds go to research but I would advise against putting that in your info. Make sure you get your info from either relayforlife.org or from your local ACS office. That's just so you are conveying the same information as ACS.

 

[mrshamel3808]

But don't you also make commission on Pink products? Wouldn't they factor into the commissionable sales that the donattion from PC is based on? I mean, $1 would go directly to ACS from PC but then the Relay would get a percentage of all product sales, including pink products, right?

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

You can't set up "a booth" unless you have a team raising money for the cause. Most Relays have grown so much that they barely have room for their own teams and can't accommodate "outsiders" with booth requests.If you want to donate your commission, more power to ya, but I personally would suggest a basket of items you paid for since that would raise a lot more money for cancer research.ETA ... I personally am sick of the focus on only one kind of cancer ... so many of us are veterans of Relay because we believe in curing ALL kinds of cancer, not just one!

 

[mrshamel3808]

Actually, I e-mailed the chairperson and she's sending my info along to the person in charge of booths for the event. So I'm just waiting to hear back from him. But from the sound of her email, it's a sure thing that I can participate.