January 2006 ACSRELAY.ORG Newsletter!

[Relay ForLife]

Happy New Year! Welcome to the January 2006 installment of the http://www.acsrelay.org newsletter!
 
This month's http://www.acsrelay.org update focuses on the following areas:

1.  Holding a Team Captain University - Jump Start Your Relays!
2.  How to Take your Kick-off and Team Captain Meetings to the Next Level
3.  Great Idea of the Month - Torch Relay!  Send the Relay Torch Around Your Community!
4.  "Sister" Relay For Life Event Program - Build a Sister Relay Relationship!!!
5.  Cancer Awareness Tip Of The Month - January Is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
6.  New Websites, Information on the Web!
6.  Other Reminders



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1. Hold a Team Captain University

Your Team Captains are the ones who really make your event a success. To make sure they understand what things they should be and could be doing, set up a training just for them.  The following document outlines how to have a Team Captain University!

http://www.acsrelay.org/Darn_Good_Ideas/10-Team_Captain_University.doc



2. How to Take your Kick-off and Team Captain Meetings to the Next Level

Now is the time of year many of you are holding your Kick-off and first team captain meetings. Here are a few ideas to breathe new life into your meetings and refresh your events at the same time.

http://www.acsrelay.org/Darn_Good_Ideas/14-Relay_Kickoff_DGIs.doc

http://www.acsrelay.org/Darn_Good_Ideas/10-Suggested_Team_Captains_Meeting_Agenda.doc



3.  Great Idea of the Month - Torch Relay!

Here is a great idea that many events do now - a Torch Relay!  This is a great survivorship idea patterned after the Olympics – basically, you have your survivors and caregivers (or if you want, other leaders of your Relay, too) first light the torch, and then take it on a parade…  Some events take a loop of your city (with news coverage following along), and then return to your Relay where the torch is kept lit all night…  It makes a lap of the track with a survivor for the survivors lap, a caregiver for the caregiver's lap, and every half hour, it is passed from one survivor to the next, to keep it going all night long to always remind us of the survivors who we Relay for and those who we remember who have lost the battle with cancer…  in the morning – a large torch at the event can be lit to commemorate the completion of  "relaying".  Check out the following document for more info.  It includes many survivorship ideas as well as the Torch Relay towards the end!:

http://www.acsrelay.org/Darn_Good_Ideas/12-Survivorship_And_How_To_Keep_Them_Involved_DGIs.doc

4.  "Sister" Relay For Life Event Program

As Relay For Life expands, there is a great opportunity to build relationship with other events around the nation or even the World!  Already, several events have developed "sister" event relationships (just like there are cities around the world that are "sister" cities)...  For example, Pittsboro, PA and Glascow, Scotland are sister events!  And we hear about more every day.  If you would like to be a sister event, e-mail rflvol...@gmail.com and we can match you up... Please specify if there is a particular location you'd prefer (if you are willing to be "sisters" with another U.S. event, or would prefer international events)... There are more and more international events every year, so we'll do our best.  Many events already e-mail and express interest!  See the following document for ideas on things you could do with a "sister" event:

http://www.acsrelay.org/Darn_Good_Ideas/08-Sister_Relay_Partnerships.doc

5.  Cancer Awareness Tip Of The Month

January is Cervical Health Awareness month. Please contact your survivors with cervical cancer and let them know you are thinking of them and excited that they are battling! Also remind your Relay committee, team captains, participants and volunteers to seek out early detection by getting a PAP smear test to prevent this and other cancers.  Contact your Mission Delivery Specialist for more information.

6.  New Websites & Relay For Life Information on the Web!

Greater Portland Relay For Life - Here's a great new updated site:

http://greaterportlandrelayforlife.org/

The drop down menus and layout are wonderful!  If you have thoughts or input, e-mail the webmaster, Clayton - there are links to e-mail him on the site!

Lebanon County Relay For Life - The Lebanon County Relay For Life has a great new theme for their event this year, Wild Wild West, and their website reflects this new event theme!  How cool is that!  Check out:

http://www.lebcorelay4life.org/

This month at http://acsrelay.blogspot.com - This month at the acsrelay.org blog, we talk about many new things, including the Torch Relay described above, new on-line reosources that are available, and more!  Visit:

http://acsrelay.blogspot.com

for more information!


7.  Other Reminders

• If you have any feedback on this monthly update, please let us know. Please send comments and suggestions to rflvol...@gmail.com.
• Remember to always check with your event committee and staff before applying an idea to make sure that there are not local/state considerations that you must take into account (sales tax rules in your state, particular things about your event or community that would make the idea inappropriate, etc.).
• Feel free to forward this on to others and have them e-mail rflvol...@gmail.com to be added to the distribution!
• Remember that if you are ever searching for an idea or information,
  please go to the search engine at http://www.acsrelay.org/ in
  order to find what you need:
  

  http://www.acsrelay.org/search.php
  

  Or, you can email rflvol...@gmail.com and we'll look into it!

And finally - THANK YOU! - Without you, the volunteers, there is no Relay!!!!!

There Is No Finish Line Until We Find A Cure!

Ramesh Moorthy
webmaster, http://www.acsrelay.org
Blogging About Relay at http://acsrelay.blogspot.com
Talking About Relay at http://www.relayamerica.com
American Cancer Society and Relay For Life Volunteer, Baltimore, MD
"There Is No Finish Line Until We Find A Cure"