Fundraising Friday: Just a Buck

At Relay one year, we talked about doing a fundraiser called "Just a Buck".  There are a variety of ways you can implement a "Just a Buck" fundraiser.  We'll talk about two of them in depth here.

Relay Bingo


The first idea for implementing "Just a Buck" is actually a pretty simple idea.  We call it "Relay Bingo", but it's not really "bingo" per se.  Simply print the following image on a standard 8.5"x11" sheet of paper (or get fancy if you want to).


Once you have it printed, find yourself a manila envelope.  It can be one of the larger ones or a half-size one.  You could even use a ballot box type of setup.  Write "Relay Bingo" on the envelope or box so you can put it next to your Bingo board.




Your co-workers, clients, church family, whoever your audience may be can simply throw a dollar or two into your envelope or container and sign their name in a box.

EASY $100!  Good luck!

Just a Buck


This idea for "Just a Buck" takes a little planning, but it could be a lot of fun, and depending on the type of event you choose to hit, quite lucrative.  The concept is to solicit "just a buck" from attendees at a sporting event—for example, a Brown's football game or a Phantom's hockey game.  You can even choose to work with a college game or a high school game.  The sporting season you choose is completely up to you...soccer, basketball, baseball, football, volleyball...whatever ball you prefer.

One of the first things you'll need to accomplish is to get permission from the event's organizers to place your team of volunteers at the entrances to the event with money buckets.  Always get permission first.  In this case, asking for forgiveness after the fact is not a good idea.  You also want to make sure you fully understand the conditions and any rules for your volunteers.  After all, you represent the American Cancer Society and the Relay For Life.

Next, find enough volunteers for each entrance of the venue you chose.  You want to make sure you have as many buckets walking around as you can. 

Make sure you volunteers wear Relay For Life clothing or team clothing.  Get yourselves some matching t-shirts with Relay For Life on them and possibly your team name.  Go all out!!  Relay shirts, Relay hats, Relay bling, Relay, Relay, Relay!

Contact your local American Cancer Society office (or your Team Ambassadors) to get some purple Relay For Life buckets.  Any kind of container will work, but the purple is a great attention getter.

Have fun!  The most important part of any team fundraising event like this is to have fun!  Yes, this is a serious business, but in the grand scheme of everything, the fact that Angie wore a few less pieces of purple or Carlos arrived half an hour late is really not that big.  Be glad they came.

To pump up your team, assign one or more people as cheerleaders whose only task is to take care of your volunteers.  Potty breaks, hot chocolate, jokes, hugs, dancing, mini contests—anything to keep them having a ball.

Let us know if you try either of these fundraising ideas and how it went!

Happy Fundraising!
Kari

Fundraising Friday: Home Parties

Who DOESN'T love to shop?  Well, buy things anyway.

Believe it or not, there are still Tupperware parties out there.  And the phenomenon of the Tupperware party has morphed into a party for just about everything.  Everyone has their favorite type (or types) of home party.  Why not mix your love of Relay with your love of the party?

If you know an independent consultant in a home party company, ask them if they would consider donating a portion a party's sales to your team.  Promote the heck out of the party—at church, at school, to parents on your child's sports team, to your family and friends.  If necessary, you could host the party in a larger venue, like a room at church or a school auditorium.

Have fun with it.  Below are some popular home party companies.  Do you have another favorite?




      

     

                         



Happy Fundraising!
Kari

Fundraising Friday: Host an Amazing Race Around Town

Do you love the TV show "Amazing Race"?
I do. Every time I watch it, I always think how much FUN it would be to run around the world solving problems and meeting physical challenges.

So how can we turn this into a fundraiser, you ask? It all started when I read about an Amazing Race party held by two women for a group date night. (You'll find the link to the article below.) These women have explained and created just about EVERYTHING for you, including a set of clues that should work for any town.

So HOW can we turn this into a fundraiser, you ask again? Host an Amazing Race around Boardman and surrounding areas! Now, don't get me wrong. This is one of the more involved fundraisers that require a bit of planning and prepping, but it could be oh, so fun, and it could potentially help you raise a lot (did I say A LOT) of money.

Think about it: 5 teams of 2 with a registration fee of $20 = $100 

But because it is SUCH A FUN event, you'll get a lot of interest from your church family, your own family, friends, school parents, sports teams, college kids, neighbors—anywhere you promote it. Promoting it can be as simple as creating a poster here and then putting them up all over town. (More promotion ideas listed below.)

Sooo...that could turn into 20 teams of 2 with a registration fee of $20 per team = $400

But hey, we're spending a good deal of time in planning and prepping, and we've created a FANTASTIC game that gets people out of the house, driving around town, spending time with great people (and for a GREAT cause). Let's bump that registration fee up to $30 per team. That's only $15 per person. (You spend more than that going to a movie or dinner these days.)

So NOW...we're at 20 teams of 2 with a registration fee of $30 per team = $600!! 

Taking some time and focus to put together a fundraiser such as this can help you eliminate some of the not-so-successful fundraisers you try throughout the year or at the event. We've all had them. Those great ideas (in theory) that leave you wondering why you even bothered and why you wasted four hours out of a precious Saturday.  When fundraising, it really is beneficial to step back and make sure you're getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Links to resources:
Learn more about The Amazing Race:
http://amazingrace.wikia.com/wiki/The_Amazing_Race

Complete details and printables for creating an Amazing Race around town:
http://www.thedatingdivas.com/adventurous-amore/the-ultimate-amazing-race-group-date-night/

Another Amazing Race party example:
http://www.chicaandjo.com/2010/07/05/amazing-race-party/
(Note:  The printables linked within this article aren't free.  Just use the ones from the Dating Divas link instead.  You're welcome.)

Happy Fundraising!!
Kari

Coping with Cancer

I Can Cope® is an educational program for people facing cancer - either personally or as a friend or family caregiver.  Living with cancer is one of the greatest challenges a person can face in the course of a lifetime.  I Can Cope offers help in the form of reliable information, peer support and practical coping skills - so that you can meet this challenge.

Knowledge is power, and the more you know about what is happening during cancer treatment, the better equipped you will be to handle each step of the journey.  And, of course, there is great comfort in the simple knowledge that you are not alone.

I Can Cope classes are also online and taught by doctors, nurses, social workers and other health care professionals or community representatives.  The sessions help dispel myths by presenting straightforward facts and answers to your cancer-related questions.



There are several I Can Cope modules to choose from.  They include the following topics:
(If any module links are broken, please visit www.cancer.org and search for "I Can Cope".)
This is just a representative list of the classes available with I Can Cope.  Click here for more information on I Can Cope training classes available and to find support programs and services in your area.

For more information about I Can Cope, or to find out how you can volunteer, you can also contact your local American Cancer Society at 1.800.227.2345 anytime day or night, or visit www.cancer.org.

Other resources:

Would You Drive a Mile to Save a Life?

Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery is a service program offered by the American Cancer Society that strives to improve the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer care.  The program does this by providing patients with transportation to their treatments and medical appointments and home again.  Volunteer drivers donate their time and resources to help ensure that people with cancer get the lifesaving treatments they need.

Lack of transportation sometimes leaves people with cancer with few options for completing their treatment schedules.  Many people need daily or weekly treatments over a period of months and simply have no way to get there.  Although family and friends may be able to help, there are many times when they're not available.  Road to Recovery provides transportation options for people in this situation.  Road to Recovery is a free service.  People with cancer do not need a physician's referral, but advance notice is required.

For more information about the Road to Recovery program, or to find out how you can volunteer to be a Road to Recovery driver, call 1.800.227.2345 anytime day or night, or visit www.cancer.org.

Transportation Assistance

The Transportation Assistance Program is designed to help with the financial costs of transportation for cancer patients who are in active treatment.  For more information and eligibility guidelines, call 1.800.227.2345.

Download these documents to share:
"Would you drive a mile?" Tear Off
"Road to Recovery" Brochure
"Road to Recovery" Flyer


Commit to a Healthy New You

As we blaze into the new year, our resolutions are generally along these lines:
  • I'm going to work out EVERY DAY!
  • For TWO HOURS!
  • I renounce junk food!
  • No more carbs! EVER!
You get the idea. Honestly, I think we have just set ourselves up for failure before we even started. Everyone knows (whether consciously or not) that if you set yourself "bite-sized" goals (pun loosely intended), you're more likely to succeed. So scrap the whole unrealistic New Year's Resolution. Ease up on the grandiose gestures. Sheesh.


Have you ever watched "Wall-E"—the Disney/Pixar film set in the future with humankind so out of shape, lazy and obese that they ride around on scooters with a video screen in front of them? Yeah...if you haven't, you need to. Every day, I see this movie coming true in more ways than one.

Here's the important bit:

© All rights belong to Disney PIXAR.

The great news? We have control over the most important change we can make to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. As a matter of fact, these diseases are largely preventable through healthy lifestyle choices. You can take small lifestyle steps each and every day that could reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. It will also help you feel better, look better and have the energy you need to experience life.

You just need to be committed to being healthy. EVERY. DAY. Read this article for more in-depth discussion on some small changes you can do to start getting healthy.

Maintain a healthy weight throughout your life.

  • Balance calorie intake (your fuel) with physical activity (the movement that burns the fuel)
  • Avoid excessive weight gain throughout your life
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight if currently overweight or obese

Adopt a physically active lifestyle.

  • Adults: Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, above your usual activities, on five or more days of the week; 45 to 60 minutes of intentional physical activity are preferable. Basically, try to break a sweat every day.
  • Children and adolescents: Engage in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least five days a week.

Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.

  • Choose foods and drinks in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Eat five or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
  • Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains. (Try looking for "100% whole wheat" or "stone ground" or "whole grain" as the first ingredient.)
  • Limit intake of processed and red meats.

Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages.

  • Drink no more than one drink per day for women or two per day for men.

Are you living smart?

Take this nutrition and activity quiz:
http://www.cancer.org/healthy/toolsandcalculators/quizzes/app/nutrition-activity-quiz

Good luck! Here's to a happier and healthier you by 2015!

Kari

Other great resources:
Eat This, Not That books
Changing your habits
Portion Size Plate Tool from WebMD
One Pound of Fat Versus One Pound of Muscle - Clearing up the Misconceptions