Motivating Your Participants to Fight Back 

 If someone had told me that my social life during the spring/summer would revolve around which Relay we will be attending each weekend, I would have said you were nuts. But that's my life as a Relay volunteer and I wouldn't change a minute of it. We map out the best route to visit as many as we can, trying to get there to experience as much Relay as possible. Taking in all the details and collecting ideas to use at our event or tuck away for another year. Why do we do this? Because we Relay. The "Why" is unique to each person who takes a lap around the track. Why we continue to Relay is universal - we want to help find a cure for cancer.                    [Click on Read More to continue with this post.]

An Introduction to Fight Back 

I know many of you have heard about a new ceremony which may take place at your Relay this year. Maybe you have already participated in a Fight Back ceremony and made your pledge to save a life.  You may be wondering why a new ceremony was created in the first place?  Let me give you some background. 

As most of you know, Relay For Life has always been about celebrating, remembering, and fighting back.  At every Relay, we already do a great job of celebrating survivorship and the hope that one day cancer will be eliminated.   We also do a great job of remembering loved ones we have lost to the disease.  Both of these emotionally charged elements of Relay are visually symbolized through our Survivors Lap and the Luminaria Ceremony.  Through Relay and these emotional experiences, we have built an army of people – just like you - ready to take action.  Relayers want to do more!  And while raising money through Relay is critically important, we know it is not the only way to save lives.   [Click on Read More to continue with this post.]