Team Captain Toolkit
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You can find information here to help you along your journey as a Team Captain.
Table of Contents:
What is a Team Captain? Things you should know about your event Things you should know about the American Cancer Society Sample Team Captain Job Description How to be a Great Relay Team Captain Relay For Life Team Fundraising Guidelines Fundraising Tips - 10 Easy Ways to Raise $250 - Letter Writing - Team Fundraising - On-Site Fundraising How to Do "this" Fundraiser How to Fundraise Online ABC's of Fundraising Event and Campsite Themes On-Site Fundraisers Relay Day Supply List
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Forum Topics on RelayForLife.org
Fundraising Relay Online Fundraising Relay Videos Spanish Speaking Forum Youth Involvement
What is a Team Captain?
Team Captains and Team Members are the "foot-soldiers" in the fight against cancer. Team Captains lead their team by representing them at monthly update meetings in your community. Team Captains are the liaisons between the Event Committee and your team. Team Captains organize and delegate the team's fund-raising events throughout the year - as well as the team's participation in activities throughout the night of the event. Read More...
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Things You Should Know About Your Event
- Event Date, Time, and Location
- Event Chair Contact Information
- American Cancer Society Staff Partner Contact Information
- American Cancer Society office location
- Event Web Address
- Meeting Schedule
- Event Theme
- Bank Night Information
- What to Bring to Relay
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Things You Should Know About the American Cancer Society
- 1-800-ACS-2345 - Toll-free phone number available 24-hours/day, 365 days/year, including Holidays - with trained cancer specialists to help cancer patients, caregivers, or anyone with any type of question about cancer.
- www.cancer.org - The official website of the American Cancer Society - with cancer information at your fingertips.
- American Cancer Society Research Milestones
- Coming Soon: The History of the American Cancer Society (video)
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Sample Team Captain Job Description
A Team Captain is a position designed to support the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life by leading a team from your organization, family, friends, etc. to participate and raise funds.
A Team Captain agrees to serve in the following capacities:
- Build a team of 10-15 members
- Attend the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Kickoff
- Set a fund-raising goal for your team ($100/person is the recommended minimum)
- Recognize cancer survivors on your team and participate in the survivorship celebrations at the event
- Distribute participant collection envelopes and other American Cancer Society fundraising tools to all team members
- Coach and motivate your team to success. This includes using all available forms of internal communications to generate enthusiasm and participation for the event (i.e., email, voicemail, newsletters)
- Hold creative fundraisers to help your team raise money
- Attend American Cancer Society planned Team Captain meetings
- Recognize team members for their commitment to the fight against cancer
Click here for a printable view of this section
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How to be a Great Relay Team Captain
- Ask people you like (and who you trust) to be with you. Choose greatness!
- Have a team kickoff to recruit new members and get things going.
- Set a team fundraising goal of at least $100/person or $1000 for the team.
- Fundraising year-round will lead to more success and less burnout - Don't forget to plan some on-site fundraisers for the day of Relay - get creative with FUN-raisers that the whole team can help with & enjoy
- Select a Co-Captain to help you
- Organize your team by forming team committees
- Lay out team fund-raisers on a calendar and discuss responsibility for each - Delegate - Trust and support your team members
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
- Have regular team meetings - Copy and distribute the Relay newsletters - Do a team newsletter - Call and email with updates, good news ("Jane just got a $20 donation!"), reminders about fund-raisers, upcoming team meetings, etc.
- Attend Team Captain Meetings or send someone in your place
- Pass along information you get at team captain meetings - Keep your team informed about incentive prizes, rules, games, contests, etc.
- Make sure you turn in your registration fee and form by the deadline. Don't forget to turn in any other forms needed by the Relay Committee.
- Motivate, excite and enthuse your team
- Dedicate your team's efforts to a cancer survivor - Share information about the American Cancer Society programs and services that you receive at team captain meetings - Be their cheerleader and their biggest fan - Ask survivors that you know to come to Relay and walk in the Opening Lap - Hang Relay posters, banners, balloons in your office
- Take up the fight against cancer and volunteer to help with American Cancer Society programs and services.
- Have a Team Captain Wrap-Up Party
- Review the team's activities, fund-raisers, etc. to find out what worked well and what can be improved - Distribute/Announce any awards your team won - You can even have your own team awards (top fund-raiser, most laps walked, etc.) - Start planning for next year's Relay
- Have FUN!!
Click here for a printable view of this section
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Relay For Life Team Fundraising Guidelines
*Important Note: These are general guidelines. There may be specific guidelines for your local state or area. We recommend you contact your local office to ensure that you are aware of your local guidelines*
One of the most treasured assets of the American Cancer Society is the non-profit status that is granted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The American Cancer Society follows IRS rules, which states that we may not sell products for profit. Sales of products, other than IRS approved American Cancer Society Daffodil Days and Holiday Cards, could result in the loss of our non-profit status.
We've provided the guidelines below to assist you. If you have any questions, please contact your Relay For Life Team Recruitment Chair or American Cancer Society Staff Partner.
We Can't 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 wash, yard work, house cleaning, etc.)
- Activities (bowling, skate parties, trivia nights, etc.)
- Garage/Yard Sales
*The American Cancer Society has very specific guidelines about raffles. As a non-profit 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 state.
Click here for a printable view of this section
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Fundraising Tips
10 Easy Ways to Raise $250
- Donate $20 yourself and ask four friends for $20 each
- Ask 20 friends to donate $5 each
- Ask 10 friends to donate $10 each
- 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 due date to send a donation.
- Send a letter from your pet to family and friends. You might also want to send this out to your veterinarian.
- Take a walk around your neighborhood. Knock on doors and ask your neighbors for their support.
- 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 to $5 per person to dress down. You could arrange these on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Arrange with the principal of a local school for baseball cap day. Usually caps are not allowed, however, for $1, 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."
- Hold a can & bottle drive.
- Collect donations by displaying cut-out suns and moons that are available through your American Cancer Society staff partner. These can be in honor or in memory of loved ones.
Letters
Most successful teams use a combined approach of individual and team fundraising. The best way to raise money, individually, is to write letters.
- Write personal letters to your family, friends, and co-workers, and let them know how cancer has impacted your life. Share your feelings and the stories of those you know who have survived the battle, have lost the battle or are still fighting the battle against cancer.
- Make it easy for people to donate; consider including a self-addressed envelope (stamped or not) in the envelope when you mail the letter.
- Share sample letters with your team members to help them get started.
Here's a way to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time. Four to six weeks prior to your Relay, set aside about four hours one day and you can have it all done.
- Compose a one-page letter. Write your own as if you are sending it individually to a close friend. Use a computer. Copy it twice. Adjust one copy to be sent via email; the other for regular mail.
- Both versions should begin with a quick apology for the impersonal nature. Include a preface that as a friend, you thought they would be interested in this important cause.
- Send it to EVERYONE who has ever sent you something! For the emails, blind copy (bcc) them all. They don't need to know who else is receiving your note. This can result in more than 100 emails.
- Balance fact with feeling. Include what Relay is (fact); why you are involved/what it means to you (feeling); where and when your Relay is, where the money goes (facts); describe the luminaria ceremony and how to purchase one (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, recreate a receipt and a luminaria sign-up form (time-saving tip).
- Early on, make the ask. Don't limit your donors, but ask for a specific range. Ask for "$10, $20, $50 or whatever your budget will allow."
- 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.
- Write up envelopes for everyone who will not receive an email. This is a great activity to do in front of the TV.
- Copy the letters and before stuffing into the envelope, hand-write in colored ink, on the top of the letter the person's name and a quick line, "Hope you can support me." Sign it to add the personal touch.
- 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). Transmit the emails.
- Now, sit back and watch the checks roll in. And they will. One final thing; Send a brief handwritten thank-you to everyone who responds immediately upon receiving the check. So, in that spirit, good luck and for all the people who will benefit from your cancer-fighting efforts...thank you!
(Sample letters are found in the Fundraising Tips booklet - the link is at the bottom of this section)
Team Fundraising
From top teams across the country, we have learned that you can make virtually any type of fundraiser successful by applying the following strategies:
- Understand your community/target audience and try to identify something that might be of value/interest to them.
- For a country club community, champagne cruises, wine tasting, or a social event at the club might be most effective - For shift workers at a factory, a "free paid day off" chance drawing might be effective
- Publicize the fundraiser heavily - the more people who are aware, the greater the likelihood of success
- Undertake the fundraiser with great enthusiasm (it's contagious)
- Pursue fundraising activities on a year-round ongoing basis
Just a Few Examples of Team Fundraisers
- Cigarette Vending Machine Demolition - charge money for people to take a swing at it with a mallet (remove glass first)
- Company Contribution - solicit a specific donation from your organization above and beyond that raised by your team and apply the credit for incentives for all team members
- Computer Message- Ask your company computer expert to have a message "pop up" on employees' screens asking for a donation. It won't go away until they give!!
- Auction (Silent or Live) - hold the event at your business, in your neighborhood, or at church. Ask for contributions of unique items. Display the items (or descriptions) prior to the event. Hold the auction over lunch or at a convenient time.
- Bake for Cure's Sake - Hold a Friday bake sale at work so employees will have treats for the weekend. Encourage breakfast items, as well as sweets like bars and cookies.
- Car Wash- an oldie, but a goodie. This works great for high school teams.
- Matching Gifts- if your company has a matching gift program, that's an effective way to double your fundraising efforts. Check with your Human Resources department to obtain forms.
- Freddie the Flamingo - an 8-year-old boy put "Freddie Flamingos" in people's yards with a note around Freddie's neck asking for a donation for Relay For Life. In the morning, he collected the birds and the donations...more than $6,000!
- Quilt Making - do you have a team that makes quilts? Make quilt squares in honor and in memory of people with cancer. Ask for a contribution for different sizes: a 4" square for $5, an 8" square for $15, and a 12" square for $25. Display the quilt at a public location.
- Duped by Dollars- this works well at colleges or large companies. Departments/dorms set up a jar for change drop offs. The group with the most points wins a prize. Pennies are worth positive points. Sabotage the other teams by dropping silver coins and cash into their jar!
- Restaurants to the Rescue - ask a local restaurant or cafe to contribute a portion of the proceeds for a day. It could be for a certain menu item or ask the owner if a special Relay item can be on the daily special.
- Photo Contest- hold a "stumper" photo contest. Ask employees to bring a baby or childhood photo of themselves that they believe no one can identify. Ask for a donation to make a guess. Give winners a contributed prize.
- Fetch & Favor Fee- place a sign-up sheet outside your office, the teacher's lounge, or even your own kitchen. Approach business owners with this offer to run errands like fetching coffee or lunches, prescriptions, supplies, etc. Create a price list to match the errand and let them know their dollars go toward a CURE.
- Windshield Washing - Fast food restaurant teams can collect donations for washing windshields as cars pass through drive-up windows (have signs to explain what you're doing).
- Poker Plays Pay - Invite 10 people over for a round of charity poker. Send invitations explaining your Relay For Life participation and request everyone brings $25-40 mad money. If you can recruit a few friends to help you, try this on a larger scale and hold it in your church basement or local school. Provide refreshments.
- Wishing You Well - set up a "wishing well" at your local school, business, church, or store with a sign explaining that all proceeds go toward Relay For Life and a cure for cancer. Put an ad in your local paper announcing specific days for change drop-offs. Maybe the store will match the gifts. You could even have this at your tent site at the Relay.
- Top Tent- fundraising at the Relay. Decorate ballot boxes for voting and donation collection. People enter a vote for their favorite tent site with a donation. Each site collects the vote and donation toward the total vote.
- Lotta Bottles- Each team member runs a bottle drive in their area. Go door-to-door and collect bottles from your neighbors and friends. Create a flyer to give to the donors about Relay with your phone number inviting them to join in the fun and cause.
- Ask for Contributions for:
- The shirt off your back. Donors pay $ to write their names on the back of the shirt that gets worn for 24 hours - Food, any kind, any way, anywhere - Art, both professional and student - Balloons. Donations for Relay balloons can be for $2 each and make bouquets to be delivered by volunteers. - Candles - Hair cuts. Have local salons sponsor a cut-a-thon with proceeds going to Relay. - Flowers - Jewelry - Yard, porch, garage sales
- Park Cars - if your company has a parking lot near a local stadium, fairgrounds, or other mecca, let participants in the activity make a donation to park there.
- Kiss the Pig - Put a picture of 2 or 3 managers or teachers on a cutout of a pig and students/employees vote. The one with the most votes has to kiss a pig in front of everyone.
- Odd jobs for a fee- great for youth
- Auction a prime parking spot for a week
- Questions for a buck - one team raised money by having their boss charge $1 for each question.
- Recycle
- Skunk Them- One hospital group put a stuffed skunk on a co-workers desk. They needed to give a donation to be deskunked (make the skunk go away).
- Ugly bartender Contest- Get the bartenders in town to agree to be in your contest. For $1 a vote, the winner wins some type of award and becomes an honorary "server" of your team.
- Vending Machine - designate profits from one of your vending machines to the American Cancer Society. If the company that stocks the machine knows about it, they might give you a lower price on supplies - or donate a certain amount.
- A Poolside Guest Bartending Evening- set aside a Friday night from 6-9 p.m. Six bartending team members participated, each dressed in costume of choice and working an hour shift, had pre-invited friends to come out and support team fundraiser.
- Pizza Box Promotion- get a local pizza franchise to agree to tape Relay luminaria and survivors' lap forms on all of their pizza boxes. Finally - something GOOD sticking to the top of the lid!
- Gas Station Oil Change- request that a local oil change garage donate their time and material for a Saturday afternoon of oil changes. While the customer is waiting, hand out mission delivery information and collect luminaria donations.
On-site Fundraising
At Relay, teams can raise money at their campsite. The idea is to create a game or activity or have something donated and then have your team members promote your on-site activity to raise more money for your team. Be creative, use your theme. At some Relay events, these on-site activities are included in the program book, so share your ideas at a team meeting. On-site Fundraising ideas:
- Food and Drinks (have a tip jar)
- Face Painting
- Relay For Life dog tags
- Play board games - make a donation to play (great activity late at night)
- Massages
- Glow necklaces
- Baked goods
- Disposable cameras (have a local store donate the cameras)
- Have several items donated and have a silent auction
- Hawaiian leis or Mardi Gras beads
- Caricatures
- Puppet show
- Plant or craft
- Video/book/CD
- Fudge shop
- Moons and stars - hang them on a display and all around
- Ice cream
- Softball toss
- Book and videos
- Kisses - have a nice looking male/female with a tray of chocolate candy kisses
- Hole-in-One try - set up a portable putting green and if they make it, put their name in a hat. Winner gets a good prize.
- Make a Difference - dedicate a song - ask Relayers to donate $5 to have a dedication and special song from the DJ
There are more than 100 Fundraising ideas in the Fundraising Tips book
Click Here for the full Fundraising Tips Book
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How to Fundraise Online



Click here to go to the Relay Online for Teams page - where you can get all of the "how-to's" for managing your Team on your local event's website.
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ABC's of Fundraising
This document contains Fundraising Ideas with descriptions. The fundraisers are alphabetized from A-Z. Here are some examples:
Art Sales "Boss for the Day" Change Jar Dinner Envelopes at Restaurant Tables Flowers or Plants Gift Wrapping Human Jukebox Ice Cream Social Jail & Bail Kiss the Pig Lawn Service Matching Funds Name Bead Bonanza October Festival Pet Service Quarter Canister Campaign Romance Smile Day Give Away Turkey Drawing Unique Boutique Vacation Day Wine Tasting X-Mas Tidings Yard Sale Zzzzz
Click here to view the whole document
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Event and Campsite Themes
Usually, there is an overall theme for your Relay For Life event, and teams are encouraged to create a "team theme" based on the event's overall theme. Here are some universal theme ideas that can be tailored or used in many different ways.
- Holiday Theme: "If we wook a holiday...some time to celebrate."
- Celebrate Hope
- Cirque du Relay
- Relay Around the Clock
- Marga-Relayville
- HOTTT: Helping Others Through Tough Times
- Kicking Cancer to the Curb
- Olympics (carry a torch for your laps, wear togas, paint hula hoops to form the 5 rings)
- Racing for a Cure - Racecar theme. Build a track around your campsite
- Fishing for a Cure - have a boat, fishing rods, fish, etc. hanging from your tent
- Gilligan's Island - palm tree decorations. Don't be lost a C (cancer)
- Woodstock - peace signs, braided hair, tie-dyed shirts
- Scrubbing out a Cure - hang clothes on a clothes line. Have washboards and buckets
- Take a bite out of cancer - Decorate tents with big mouths
- Western Theme - dress like cowboys
- Noah's Ark - have animals paired up. Make the tent look like an ark.
- Farm Theme - Hay bales, mini tractor, pretend animals
- Raising Money For Cancer - money trees with fake money.
- Chrismas Theme - Dress like elves, decorate tent like a Christmas tree, hang stockings.
- Realtors - Build a house around your tent. Bring a real door, landscaping, etc.
- Living Dolls - Make your tent into a doll house.
- Cancer Crushers - Have big feet everywhere with crushed cans.
- Rocking to the Oldies - Decorate like Al's Diner from Happy Days. Team members dress the part.
- Aloha Theme - palm trees, swimming pool.
- Hunting for a Cure - decorate tent in camouflage. Team members wear fatigues.
- Lettuce Make a Differnece - Dress up as carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, or celery and mix it up as a salad.
- Luau For Life
- The Wild Walkers - bikers theme
- Reeling for the cure - fishing theme
- Beach Bums
- ICEolate Cancer - make your campsite look like it's in the North Pole
- Put a Chill on Cancer - Transform your tent into an igloo and bring lots of healthy frozen treats.
- Foreign Country - Dress in the traditional costumes of the country of your choice, serve appropriate national cuisine. Make your tent into a famous building from that country (i.e. The Eiffel Tower, The Coliseum).
- Favorite Movie - Recreate characters, sets, and your favorite scenes. Bring the movie soundtrack along to add the mood.
- Cancer Crusaders - Make your tent into a castle, everyone dresses as knights.
- Lifesavers - like the candy
- M&M's - Mad and Mashing out Cancer
- Golfers - Tee'd off at cancer
- Carnival For A Cure - Have all your teams have a carnival/circus theme
- Happily Ever After - Use fairytale themes and make your event slogan "Making the Fairytale of a
Cure come true."
- Night at the Movies - use the list of movie themes below:
- King Kong - Star Wars - Lord of the Rings - Harry Potter
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Major League teams (entire event could do this w/ each team as a different Major League team).
- Sitcoms/Comedy For A Cure
- Moo-ving For a Cure - have a cow on a banner, dress as cows, whatever fun cow related themes you can think of! Then, Moo-ve cancer out!
- Cartooning For A Cure - can also work for the whole Relay event. Also known as "Toon Out Cancer."
Click here for a printable view of this section (with more theme ideas)
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On-site Fundraisers
Your team should aim to raise most of your goal prior to the event. You are encouraged to do on-site fundraising at Relay For Life, but it shouldn't take the place of pre-event efforts. Here are some ideas of fundraisers that your team can do during your Relay For Life event.
- Balloon Pop - Team members collect prizes as well as donate their own goods or services as prizes. Before filling each balloon with helium, put a note inside with the name of the prize. People donate $1.00 to buy a balloon and pop it to find out what they win.
- Caricatures - Offer caricatures at your campsite for a donation. It's sure to be a hit!
- Bowling Chance - A $1.00 donation gives you the chance to throw 2 balls (toy bowling set). If you strike, your name is entered into the drawing two times. If you spare with your second ball, your name is entered into the drawing once. the team solicits a nice prize for the drawing.
- Cakewalk - Have each team bring a cake to the opening ceremonies at the Relay. Schedule the cakewalk at the peak time of Relay when several hundred people will be in attendance, and ask for a minimum donation of five dollars to participate. Place numbered squares around the center of the track or on the stage, and have people follow the numbers. When the music stops, so do the people (like musical chairs). A number is drawn and the person on that space will win a cake!
- Dance Lessons - Have dance lessons at your campsite for a donation. Swing, salsa, ballroom, disco and more!
- Dunk Tanks, Inflatable Bounce Houses, and Climbing Walls - Utilizing these activities as on-site as fundraisers is permissible, as long as you make sure the operator is properly licensed and insured.
- Face Painting - Set up a booth at Relay and offer face painting for a donation.
- Food Sale - Sell healthy treats and snacks, home baked cookies, sandwiches, popcorn… the sky’s the limit!
- Fortune Telling - Look into a crystal ball… and tell participants their fortune for a donation!
- General Store - Have extra campsite supplies available for a donation for people who did not come prepared or forgot something (toothbrushes/toothpaste, extra socks, toilet paper, flashlight, bug spray, sunscreen, baby wipes).
- Hollywood Snapshot - Get a cardboard cut-out of a famous person and have your picture taken for a donation.
- Jail & Bail - A former American Cancer Society fundraiser. For a donation, participants can be arrested. For an additional donation, they can post their own bail.
- Mexican Cantina - Decorate your campsite in theme, have non-alcoholic Margaritas, Relay tattoos, chips and guacamole. Fiesta!
- Glow Gear - When the sun goes down sell stuff that glows in the dark.
- Midway Games - Bring the fair atmosphere to Relay! Host games at your campsite that encourage fun competition.
- Popsicle Sale - Get a local grocery store to donate the Popsicles/frozen treats and sell them at Relay for a suggested donation.
- Silent Auction - Have each team donate an item to be bid on in a silent auction. Money raised from that item will go toward the team’s total. This encourages teams to donate nice items.
- Video Sale - How many times can you watch Forrest Gump? Sell those old movies at Relay!
- Wedding Chapel - Charge a donation to “marry” people or renew their vows. Have wedding cake, wedding photos, wedding bands, and a ride around the track in a golf cart with cans on it. Each activity can require a donation or be done as a package deal. Use a stand up cutout of a tux and wedding dress for heads to take a photo. All for fun!
Please note: this would, of course, not be a legally binding activity!
Click here for a printable view of this section
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Relay Day Supply List
Be sure to come to Relay prepared! Here's a quick list of things that all Teams should be sure to have handy for Relay For Life...
- Tent(s) for your campsite
- Proper clothing (extra clothing) for weather
- Ponchos - jackets, sweats, coats - t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops
- Pillows & sleeping bags
- Campsite decorations
- Team Banner (if your event has a Banner competition)
- Costumes
- Supplies needed for your On-Site Fundraiser
- Wagon or Dolly (something to help you haul all of your supplies to and from your campsite.
- Money!!
- Walking/Running shoes
- Folding Chairs/Tables
- Stick Lighters (to help light luminaria bags)
- Scissors/pocketknife/hammer/tools for random tasks
- Campsite Map (provided by committee)
- Activity Schedule
- Your Team!
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