Hi, i'm new to relay and i would LOVE to start a new team with my friends, but i'm only 16 and i'm not sure what i should do. I lost my uncle to bran cancer 3 years ago and his wife has a team but its a far drive for me. I've been encouraged by my aunt and cousin and some of my teachers. I just don't quite know how to get started. Any information is helpful!

Hey Nascargirl!

Sorry it took me so long to finally post. I'm Sophia, the girl TiaMouse was talking about. :]  I'm so glad to hear that you want to get involved with Relay.  It truly is a life changing expereince for so many people, especially if you or a loved one was stuck with cancer. 

 My first piece of advice for you would be to find a Relay near you, if you don't really like the one that is closest to you, pick one that you like but is a reasonable travel distace. :] It is WAY more fun if there are people you can have fun with there.

Second, recruit a team.  Although it may be rough at first, aside from getting close friends, the easiest way is to target club leaders and try to get them to bring it up at their club meetings.  Even if they don't register a whole bunch of relayers, you may be able to get them to help you fundraise of advertise.  Also try to get people who you know have been affected by cancer, try to find out how recent their experience was before you bring it up with them though, they may still be recovering from a loss/undergoing a lot of stress.  It is much easier to get people involved when they have someone to dedicate their work to.

After you recruit a good team it is very importand to let them know what they are getting themselves into.  Set an individual goal for each person.  $100 is usually a good number for highschoolers, it is a lot to work up to, but very realistic.  Most team recruitment chairs will have fun little fundraising ideas that you can do with your team.  Carwashes, bake sales, schoolwide donations, and local business sponsorships are just a few ways you can help put $$ into your team fund.  Each relay has a set of rules for minors so make sure you find out what they are just in case. The rules are very reasonable, like at my relay, it is 1 adult for every 12 kids.  It works very well if you just have people's parents drop by for a few hours and take a nap in a tent or read under a tree, afterall they are just there as a safety net anyways.  If you can, a great way to sidestep that is to just get a couple adults to join your team and act as chaperones as well.

The third and finaly piece of advice I have for you is to have fun.  After all, Relay is a celebration.  If people have fun at Relay they will comeback the next year and walk again, bringing us that much closer to a cure.

 I hope this helps you and didn't sound too overwhelming.  If it did sound like a big job, let me tell you, it really isn't.  Especially after you see the results of all your hard work.  Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions, I hope you have a great Relay.

Sophia

Hi, Nascar Girl!

I am one of the Event Co-Chairs for the Mira Mesa/Penasquitos RFL. We have a Committee member who started just as you are a couple of years ago.

 Sophia was about your age when she took on the Team Captain role for the Mt Carmel HS Key Club team. They've been a team each year since, and this year Sophia is even on our Committee as Luminaria Chair.

I'm sure she can help you and I will direct her to your post when I see her at our Kickoff/Rally event tomorrow.

Don't give up! You can make a big difference, not just with your team this year, but with all of your peers who are inspired to FIGHT BACK by their experience on your team!

You are the future of Relay For Life, so be persistent and don't give up!

We're almost in the same neighborhood (give or take an hour) so don't hesitate to send private messages if you need something, too.

When is the Riverside event?