What Is the Purpose of Relay for Life Events After Fundraising?

[ChefBeckyD]

I just went through and read a bunch of the threads on Relay For Life....and I am more confused than ever!

I have a friend who is a "Team Captain", and she is hoping to recruit 50 team members, and raise $7500 before the event June 15 & 16. She asked me about doing a fundraiser in May for their May fundraising project (They are already doing one in April)
Here are the emails that we have had back and forth (we have a friend Michelle, who died from breast cancer in January)

Hudsonville Public Schools has been greatly affected by cancer this year. Lives of many of our staff members and students have been changed forever by this terrible disease. For this reason, we have formed a team to take part in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, which will take place on June 15 & 16, 2007 at West Ottawa High School.

I am serving as the Team Leader for this event and would love it if you would consider making a donation to our team. ....... Any amount, large or small, will have a great impact on cancer research and will serve to to remember those lost to cancer, support those fighting cancer, and rejoice with those who have fought this disease and won.

Our goal is to recruit 50 team members and raise $7500. With your help, we can far surpass this goal! Making a difference in the fight against cancer can start with you!



She sent the above email at the exact same time that I was also sending out an email about my own Online Fundraiser for HELP WHIP CANCER......

She than replied w/ this:

Hi Becky,
I love that we're working for the same great cause! Great minds think alike! Michelle would be so proud of us!

Tell me more about how it would work to work together on this. We are doing a ReLEI for Life in our buildings next week -- passing a sand bucket filled with Hawaiian Leis from building to building, and anyone who donates can wear a lei and the school that donates the most gets a Hawaiian pizza party -- so I'd love an idea to try for a May event....we have pretty strict requirements for what we can do with school email etc., so let me know how it works and I can check into it.

I have no idea how to respond to her email......what does a Relay For Life Fundrasier look like? Is all of the fundraising done before the actual event? IF so, than what is the event for? (I mean, the money's already been raised, so what is the purpose of the event?)
I would like to get back to her tomorrow at the latest.......could someone help me in my confusion?

 

[ChefNic]

From what I understand...and i've not been involved in RFL...But I thought people made donations ...and then people walked for the cause.

If you did a PC fundraiser...it would be much like a regular show..or how ever you wanted it to be...and mark HWC on P3 for the funds to be donated...Your friend would be able to get the Host Special...and you'd promote the pink products to raise extra money... And a % would go to ACS... or RFL...

I've also heard of consultants setting a table up at the RFL walk with the pink products displayed...and people come by and buy them...
Since you are close to the Team Captain...and you have a friend who lost her battle...you may even want to advertise that you will donate your commission during the RFL event -whatever sales you get there..you'll donate commission...etc...

Best of luck with it! It's awesome that you know a team leader!

 

[pamperedtara]

Home Office opinionI just talked to HO today about this, because I was working on some Relay for Life Fundraisers as well. In order for the Relay team to get credit for raising the $$ locally, the show cannot be designated as HWC fundraiser in PP and they will not receive the increased % on sales. You can do a fundraiser for them and sell the HWC products but the corporate check to them would be a max of 15%. Only fundraisers designated HWC are eligible for the 25% contribution and those contributions go directly from HO to the American Cancer Society. Any fundraisers I had done before had listed ACS as the host organization with the Relay Captain as the contact. Checks were made out to ACS, but mailed to the Team Captain. HO says if they do that the increased % will not apply. Hope this helps!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Thanks for the info ChefNic & Tara! I appreciate it!

 

[speedychef]

They do MOST of the fundraising before hand. It's kind of a little competition between the teams. They get awards and stuff. The night of, they walk all night long, they have a luminaria ceremony where they honor the memory of those lost, they have a survivor ceremony. There is also "day of" fundraising. Lots of teams have been doing it for several years and have "their thing." There is one team that sells corned beef sammies (yuck) and one sells popcorn at ours. The event is more for awareness and publicity for the cause.

Here's the info I gave the 3 teams I'm working with...

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Kim - thanks for the great info! I love the way you have prizes set up!

 

[ChefinHarmony]

Watch the "Organization" name in May!!I have been doing RFL fundraisers (two teams so far) and one is doing it in May. As mentioned above, be careful on the "Organization" name in May.

For my other Relay Fundraisers (non-May shows), we put "American Cancer Society" as the Organization. The checks were sent to the Host who was also the Team Leader. She then turns it into the AMC and her team will get the credit for Relay. They raised $300 (15% from PC, 10% from me) and plan to put it towards the team amount required.

Now for May shows.... we (my recruiter & I) are going to put "RFL - American Cancer Society" as the Organiztion name. If you just put "American Cancer Society" the Host will NOT get the check mailed to her - Pampered Chef will keep the money and donate it directly to Amercian Cancer Society. That happened last year to a Fundraiser show my Recruiter did and it was a HUGE pain to have it changed by HO so the Relay team could get the credit. So, she double checked this year with HO. You need to change the Organization name in some way so it kicks out of the system, put "Relay" or the Team name in there somewhere.

Yes, you don't get as much commission - I'm only keeping 7% of the 17% I make. But let me tell you, the incentive points are AWESOME from Fundraisers! I have almost hit Level 1 already! And I have 3 more Fundraisers coming up in April & May. My average Fundraiser has been $1000!

Go for it! And Have fun!!
Joanne

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Joanne,
Thanks so much for that heads-up! You probably saved me from a big head-ache!

 

[Sallie_M]

Thanks for the info, Joanne and Kim.

And, if you have never gone to a Relay for Life, make this the year to check out what you are helping raise funds for! (bad grammar, I know!)

I always invite other survivors by telling them this is the most fun thing about being a survivor

Other than still being alive, of course

Sallie
Phil. 1:21

 

[ChefNic]

There are a lot of Relay for Life things being sent home with my kids from school...emails too... So I replied with one email to my daughter's 6th grade teacher just letting her know about PC HWC...NO reply...
Same with my younger daughter's 2nd grade teacher...They asked us to donate money for the kids to walk last week...I put $3 in and printed off the Host and Guest Specials...Not a word.

To me ... just a simple..."Oh, no thanks..." would be appreciated!
Oh well!