Over the next couple of months, you might notice that the Relay Library is undergoing some changes.  We are in the process of archiving all old documents and scanning them each to determine which have become obsolete or are in need of updating.

As we move through the Library, we will be updating the folders and folder structure.  If you look into a folder and see no resources within it, you should check in the "Archives" folder...as it will ultimately contain the "old Relay Library" folders as we move through them.

You can also search the Relay Library by clicking on "Advanced Search" in the purple bar at the top of RelayForLife.org...and then click on the "Relay Library" tab.  There, you can search the entire Relay Library.

A new social media application has been developed that allows you to follow Relay For Life updates, Society updates, your own Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds  - - all in one location.

If you're familiar with Tweetbox, it's a similar concept, except that the Relay For Life PAL allows you to integrate more than just Twitter.

For more information, the terms, and the installation link, go to RelayForLife.org/relay/pal .

I'm excited to share with you all some new functionality that was recently added to RelayForLife.org.  On most pages, you can click a link at the bottom of the page to open the page in .pdf (note: you need Adobe Reader to open the page in .pdf version), or you can open a "printer-friendly" version of the page.

When the pages open or print, each link on the page will have a number associated with it and the link URLs will be listed (like footnotes) at the bottom of the pdf or printed page.  This will help you to know where the images or links point to when sharing the printed or pdf versions of the pages.

Today is the last day of the "America's Giving Challenge" on Facebook.  Simply put, the charity with the most number of donations (not donation amount) by 3pm ET today will win $50,000. 

So, Relayers, what are you waiting for?  Go to http://www.causes.com/americancancersociety and make a donation (any amount will do).

At the moment I'm posting this blog, we are number 49 on the list (and need at least 14,000 more donations within the next 2.5 hours).  The great thing about Relay is that we have such a vast network of volunteers that 14,000 is actually a simple number, if every Relayer just made a $1 donation.  All it really takes is 3 minutes of your time.

Get the word out to all of your Relay communities...the clock is ticking!!

Over the summer, we have added lots of great material to RelayForLife.org, and plan to offer lots more by the time you start getting in the thick-of-things with your 2010 events.  Our latest additions to the site include the Summit materials, the official implementation of Relay TV (where you can watch Relay videos as they run, or you can watch most of them "on-demand."

We have also updated the Team Captain Toolkit and added a new resource page for Bark For Life.  We've updated the navigation at the top of the page by adding an "outside the track" section, where you can access pages related to Relay, indirectly. 

Over the holiday season, we'll be working on an upgrade to RelayForLife.org to the most stable version of our platform, which should add some new functionality and usability to the site.  Stay tuned!

So, I left the elegant ball, hit a guitar-playing live music concert, a 50's hop dance, and a Rock-Request dance - - and we're about to hit yet another fundraiser.

All of these are happening at the same time tonight in the virtual world of Second Life.  Where else can you help fund the fight against cancer by attending at least 4 fundraising events in one night...without leaving your home.  I've spoken to people who live in states across the United States and also at least two people in Canada (shoutout to Nuala and Jaelle).

In one night, Second Life volunteers have raised over $1,115  - - and are still going as I type this  blog entry. 

Our new motto - -  WE HAVE LIVES TO SAVE!!!

One of the benefits (yes BENEFITS) of my job is that I get to be the staff partner for the most special and unique Relay For Life event in the world...and the virtual world.  Yes, in case you haven't heard of it by now - - it's called the Relay For Life of Second Life.  Don't worry, if you're still confused about it, we're working on a video that will help to explain this ker-azy concept of a virtual world Relay that is going to raise more than $215,000 USD for the 2nd year in a row.

So, what am I doing tonight?  I'm attending a formal ball w/ an amazing LIVE jazz musician.  But the best thing about it is - - I'm at my house.  At my computer.  And talking to hundreds of people who are all doing the same thing as I am tonight....and all donating to the Relay For Life of Second Life.  Such a classy event with such a beautiful setting - - -all in the virtual world of Second Life.

The Terre Haute Old Navy participated in Relay this year and created a video submission into the Gap Companies' Happy Hour Contest. The Relay has the potential to earn $10,000 from Gap if they have the #1 video in the country.

We are the ONLY Relay For Life video posted, and need the support of the nationwide Relay community on this. It takes only a minute to register by creating a username, password, and submitting your email address for confirmation. You can vote once per day, per email address registered up until midnight on June 12th. The video is titled "Ter."

Click here to go to the page and vote...daily.

Tired of seeing the same old website day in and day out?

Updates will be made to RelayForLife.org during February 28 through March 1 to enhance our constituents’ user experience by making information and resources easier to find and navigate. 

A volunteer workgroup that consisted of Relay staff and volunteers from across the country with varying degrees of Internet experience have contributed input to the upgraded design. 

The Society’s Information Technology (IT) department does not anticipate the site being down during these updates, but please be aware that if RelayForLife.org is temporarily down, all Convio sites using the "RelayForLife.org" prefix will also be down. This would only occur during off-peak hours (between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. February 28 to March 1). 

Yes, it's true.  This year, for every dollar I raise, I will walk/run for 1 minute, uninterruped at Relay For Life.  And I will document my experience on video, and post to YouTube, Facebook, and RelayForLife.org.  Now, the event is 12 hours long.  That means it would take only $720 to keep me going all 12 hours.  So, we have 2 options here:

1. Anything over $720 would force me to attend a different event and finish running/walking there. 

Or

2. You can be nice to me and say, if we go over $720, then I can do 30 seconds for every dollar raised...meaning it would take $1440 to get me to 12-hours.

I think that's fair, don't you?  I mean, c'mon.  Post your vote by adding a comment to this blog.

Make a donation here.