Bark for Life!

It's that time of year again! Spring is here and dogs are eager for their owners to take them to the park!

Let your dogs have fun and help find a cure for cancer! 

Please join us at Bark for Life

April 9, 2011

Stonewall Memorial Park

Terrace Ave, Elkton, VA

(Just of Spotswood Trail Past the Fire Department)

Bark for life is a non-competitive walk event for dogs and their owners to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. We'll be celebrating pooches everywhere for their care giving ways in which they help us everyday.

Registration is from 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 and the walk begins at 12 noon. The closing ceremony will be at 5:00 p.m.

The registration fee is $20 for the 1st dog, $15 for the 2nd dog, and the 3rd dog is FREE if you register by 3/31/11. (The registration fee will go up to $25 for the 1st dog, $15 for the second dog if you register after 3/31/11)

Sing up online at: www.RelayForLife.org/BarkHarrisonburg

There will be doggie demonstrations, contests, silent auction, and much more. Activities include Bark For Life Dog Beauty Pageant, microchipping and nail clipping, the Duke Dog, Photo contest, and Food.

There are also a few Bark For Life Rules:

• Dogs MUST be on a leash at all times (6 ft. max) and up to date on all vaccinations
• Participants are responsible for cleaning up after their dog
• We reserve the right to turn away dogs that are a threat to participants

Hope to see you there!





For more information visit: www.RelayForLife.org/BarkHarrisonburg





Out of the Box Fundraisers

With only 43 days left until Relay, it is time to start cranking out fundraisers! Here a few Out of the Box Fundraising ideas that are simple and very PROFITABLE!



Massage For A Cure

Find a massage therapist willing to donate part of his or her profit to your team, and arrange for them to come to your workplace, school, or another location and do short fifteen minute chair massages. That's a feel good fundraiser!

Guess How Many Jellybeans

This fundraiser is best suited to teams associated with workplaces or schools. Find a large glass jar, and fill it with jellybeans. (May I suggest the Relay colors of Purple and White, or your team's colors?) Sell tickets for a chance to guess how many jellybeans are in the jar. The week of Relay, count the tickets and award the winner with the jar of jellybeans!

Cigarette Vending Machine Demolition

This is a symbolic and fun way to raise funds! Search for an old cigarette vending machine - try eBay or bars in towns that recently went smoke-free. Charge people $1 to take a swing at it with a bat! (Be sure to use safety goggles and other precautions.)

Easter Egg Hunt

Most Relays happen in the summer, so fundraisers that tie into the springtime are a great way to kick off your team's funds. Organize an Easter Egg Hunt in a local park, or even in your own backyard. Charge a few dollars for each child who participates. For extra cash, you can sell coffee to mom and dad!

Chili Cook off For a Cure

Few dishes inspire such pride as chili - and chili cook-off contests are always a lot of fun! Ask contestants to donate $25 as their entry fee, and have your audience tasters donate $5 entry. Be sure to provide a prize for the ultimate chili chef! Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Happy Relaying :)

A Little Change Makes A Lot Of Cents

I just stumbled upon this idea a few days ago and thought I would share it with everyone. This is a super easy fundraiser for any Bank Relay Teams! It's as simple as putting up a flyer and collecting change :)

Bank and credit union teams can post this message at the teller line: "Donate the cents from your deposit amount to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and help fight cancer! If your check total is for $187.67, your donation is 67 cents. We might find a cure for cancer right in your pocket!"

Simple isn't it! And yes, we can find a cure for cancer just by collecting pocket change :)

Fundraising Do's and Don'ts

Fundraising DO's and DON'TS

Here's a couple of guidelines that need to be followed when Fundraising...

We Cannot Sell …                        

• Anything with American Cancer Society or Relay For Life logo and/or name on it.  (Example, items purchased from the Relay Gear catalog)
• Items that can be purchased from or returned to a store, vendor, or the internet.

But, We Can Sell …

• Homemade cookbooks (with Team Name only)
• Handmade holiday crafts
• Baked goods
• In Honor, In Memory, and In Support of Sun and Moon Donation Cards
• (See your Team Recruitment Chair or American Cancer Society Staff Partner)            
• Services (car washes, yard work, house cleaning, etc.)
• Activities (bowling, skate parties, trivia nights, etc.)
• Garage/Yard Sales 

Caution …

The American Cancer Society has very specific guidelines about raffles.  As a nonprofit organization, we must adhere to state and federal guidelines.  Check with your American Cancer Society Staff Partner regarding the prospect of holding a raffle in your division.

If you ever have any other questions regarding fundraising guidelines, please contact your ACS Staff Partner. For those of you in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, please contact Annika Dean at 434-3360 :)

Happy Relaying!

Cake Anyone?

I'd like to share a quick, simple, and PROFITABLE fundraiser that we did at our team meeting this past week. My grandmother, who is an amazing baker, made her famous Red Velvet cake for us to "auction" off at our team meeting. Before the meeting, we told the team captains and attendees to bring dollar bills to participate in the fundraiser. The object of the auction is to give the last dollar and you'll win the cake. First, we set the timer for five minutes, and we started collecting dollars. As we collected each dollar, we said, "Now it is Heather's (or whoever is gives the dollar) cake. Who wants the cake now?" And then we'd go to the next person. Whoever gives the last dollar during the time limit, wins the cake. This fundraiser was extremely successful and in five minutes, we raised $76 from one red velvet cake!

Try it and see how much you can raise :)

Give the Gift of HOPE and FUNDRAISE!

Hey Everyone! Sorry that it's taken me a while to post something new. I just thought that I'd get your creative juices flowing with a simple fundraising acronym for HOPE. Remember, you give cancer patients HOPE by FUNDRAISING!

H: Handyman for a Day – Shovel snow, rake leaves or mow your neighbors lawn and donate your “fee” to your Relay For Life.

O: October Festival – Celebrate autumn and the fall bounty by raising funds for Relay. Have pumpkins, straw bales, dried corn stalks, colorful gourds and bright flowers for your decor. For the main attractions you may want to consider the following activities: a dance, pumpkin carving contest, apple bobbing, face painting, petting zoo, pony rides, bake sale, and a scarecrow decorating contest. Charge an admission fee and sell other goods and services at your festival.

P: Pot Luck Lunches at the Workplace – Name every Wednesday “Relay For Life Pot Luck Day.” Team members take turns preparing foods, salads, desserts, etc. and offer to employees at the workplace at a set price or donation.

E: Envelopes at Restaurant Tables – Teams generate donations by placing a Relay For Life envelope at every table, stating “Please Support Our Relay For Life Team and the American Cancer Society.” Waitresses check envelopes after each seating.

Happy Fundraising :)

Goal Setting and Planning

Before you start fundraising, there is one key element that you cannot forget...

 GOAL SETTING!

Here are some simple steps to figure out your Fundraising Goals:

Deciding on what type of fundraiser is the first step.  Next you’ll want to set a goal for how much money you would like to raise.  When setting your goal don’t forget to take expenses into account. For example, you are hosting a neighborhood movie night and would like to raise $300.  You estimated your expenses are going to be around $50 which will cover popcorn, soda, candy and the new release movie rental.  So in order to net $300, you actually need to raise $350. You’ll also want to break down the goal to determine how many people you will need to attend in order to raise that $350.  If the Goal is $350 and you charge $10 a person to attend, 35 people are needed in attendance to raise $350.  Once you subtract out your expenses, you will have reached your $300 goal.

Hope this makes Goal Setting and Planning a bit easier :)



Why Do You Relay?

Hello Everyone! Hope the blog is helping spark some fundraising ideas that you and your team can use to raise lots of that green stuff for this awesome cause. There is one thing that I (Kelsey) would like to remind every one of. This one little thing is more important than any fundraising you can do and is the whole reason you're involved with this life saving organization. It's the reason you Relay! As you're writing letters and talking to people about Relay, don't forget to tell them your story! Every single one of us has been affected by cancer in some way, and it's time to tell the world why you Relay!

Now, don't be shy, because your story can inspire others to join the cause and find a cure for cancer! So get out there and share your story!

Fundraisers for Schools and Youth

Teachers and Parents,

Need fundraising ideas that your school or kids can get involved in? Well, we have some five INCREDIBLE and PROFITABLE fundraisers for schools and youth!

Kiss A Pig Contest: Ask the popular person in your school to do something fun if your team raises a certain amount of money.  Be creative -- for example, shave a beard or a head, dress up like a pig, kiss a pig, dunking booth, pie in the face, etc.

Penny Wars: Set up a challenge for each class to try and collect the most points (pennies). Points are given for pennies and negative points for other coins. Classes could sabotage other floors by placing other coins (not pennies) in their jars. The floor with the most positive points (pennies) wins a pizza party at the expense of the other classes. All the money in the jars is donated to the Relay.

Dance for a Cure: Proceeds of School dances go toward the Relay For Life contributions.

Add a Dollar to Sports Tickets: Sports teams can add an optional dollar to the price of a game (football, basketball, etc.) or dance tickets. Each dollar goes to Relay For Life. If students donate two dollars, they receive a sticker as thanks and to show their generosity.

                                                                    

Baby Sitting Services (Fees to go to Relay!): High school students can make themselves available for babysitting.  Advertising through the PTA, religious institutions, and community newsletters and noting that payment goes to Relay increase interest.

 

10 Easy Ways to Raise $100

To start off with, each Relay member should agree to raising AT LEAST $100! This list is a great way to get yourself and your team motivated to raise at least $100. Here are 10 SUPER EASY ways to raise $100!

1. Donate $20 yourself and ask 4 friends for $20 each.

2. Ask 20 friends for $5.00 each.

3. Ask 10 friends for $10.00 each.

4. Send a letter to family and friends, explaining what Relay is and ask for a donation.   Suggestion: Always ask for more than you expect.  Example: If you want $25, ask for $50.  Be sure to include a return by date.

5. Send a letter from your pet to family and friends.  You might also want to send this out to your veterinarian. 

6. Take a walk around your neighborhood.  Knock on doors and ask your neighbors for their support.

7. Arrange a dress down day at work.  Anyone dressing down will have to pay.  Be sure you have a sign that says, “Please excuse our appearance today, we are dressing down to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life”.  You could charge anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 per person to dress down.   You could arrange these on a weekly or monthly basis.

8. Arrange with the principal of a local school for baseball cap day.  Usually caps are not allowed, however, for $1.00, once a month a student could wear a baseball cap in class.  Be sure to have a sign ready that says, “Caps for a Cure, you will see students today sporting baseball caps as a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life ”.

9. Hold a can and bottle drive.

10. Sell Relay For Life sun and moons.  Available through your American Cancer Society staff partner.



Relay for Life "Cure Bands"

Looking for a fundraiser that is perfect for younger children as well as young adults? Well, we have found the perfect fundraiser for this age group! Introducing, Relay for Life "Cure Bands"!

Following the silly band craze, a vendor is offering “Cure Bands” which can be purchased by teams and individuals to use as a fundraiser. Not only do “Cure Bands” help spread awareness about Relay For Life, they make a great, inexpensive personal fundraising tool (only $2.00 per package)!

To learn more about “Cure Bands” visit PeterKlein’s
website at http://www.purplenation.com/

Login: saacs

Password: pkpromo

Short Version of the ABC's of Fundraising

An incredible link/resource for finding fundraising ideas is the ABC's of Fundraising (which is found under the links on the right side). This link has more fundraising ideas than you could ever think of! Most of these are simple and very profitable, which is exactly what we're looking for :) Here's a few examples of fundraisers that come from the letters R E L A Y:

R- Romance – Cater a romantic dinner for two, highest donation wins the dinner.

E- Envelopes at Restaurant Tables – Teams generate donations by placing a Relay For Life envelope at every table, stating “Please Support Our Relay For Life Team and the American Cancer Society.” Waitresses check envelopes after each seating.

L- Lawn Service – While you are mowing your lawn, mow someone else’s too.

A- Ask everyone you meet – Even if you have sent out letters, be sure to carry a donation collection envelope with you so that when you talk to people about Relay, you can ask them to donate right then. Take the donation collection envelope with you to meetings. When you carry a donation collection envelope with you, indicate your own contribution at the top. Make sure the top few donations on form are significant. Other people are apt to follow suit; conversely, if you start with a $2 contribution, others may follow suit with $2. Don’t prejudge whether people will give. Let them say no or ignore your letter rather than not ask.

Y- Yard Sale – Hold the ultimate Yard Sale.

So, what are you waiting for? Go check out the ABC's of Fundraising!

 http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11SA?pg=informational&fr_id=33136&type=fr_informational&sid=112883


Snow Day Fundraisers

Don't let the snow stop you from fundraising! There are plenty of "Snow Day" fundraisers that you can do right from the comfort of your own home and neighborhood. Here are 5 great ideas that anyone can do :)

• Shovel/Plow a neighbors driveway/walkway for a donation to RFL.
• Since the kids are out of school, parents are frantically looking for babysitters! If you are asked to babysit, use the money you earn as a donation to RFL.
• Start on any crafts that your team can use as fundraisers. Snow days are the best days to work on crafts such as scarves, wire angels, quilts, and any other item that you or your team can sell.
• Ask a local gas station if you can stand out at the pumps and pump gas for donations.
• While sipping on your hot chocolate in your nice warm home, start writing letters to friends, relatives, coworkers, and others you may know, asking for a donation to RFL. Here are some tips when writing your letters:

1. Compose a one-page letter. Write your own as if you are sending it to a close friend.
2. Balance fact with feeling. Include what Relay is (fact); why you are involved and what it means to you (feeling); where and when your Relay is and where the money goes (facts). Describe the Luminaria Ceremony and how to purchase a luminaria (feeling); remind them to seek a company gift-match if offered (fact); and, on the back of the letter or at the bottom of your email, re-create a luminaria sign-up form (time saving tip).
3. Early on, decide what to ask. Don’t limit your donors, but ask for a specific range.  Ask for, “$10, $20, $50 or whatever your budget will allow.”
4. Give a 10-day deadline for response. People respond when there is a sense of urgency. Tell them to write the check to the American Cancer Society and send it to your address.
5. Copy the letters, and before stuffing them into envelopes, use colored ink to write the person’s name on top and a quick line,“Hope you can support me.” Sign it to add the personal touch.
6. Mail the letters. Yes, you will be out-of pocket the postage and copying costs, but they are minor compared to the return and, of course, the cause.

Remember, cancer doesn't take a break on Snow Days and neither should you! Make the most out of your Snow Day!

Let the Fundraising Begin!

Welcome to the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Relay for Life Fundraising Blog! We (Kelsey & Heather) have created this blog as an easy resource that you and your team can use throughout the year regarding fundraising ideas. As we come across fundraising ideas we will post them for you to read and share with your team. Also, please write comments on our posts with ideas of your own! All fundraising ideas are welcome! Be sure to also check out the links we have posted on the right side of the blog. These are links to other blogs and web pages that have helpful relay and fundraising information.

Happy Relaying :)