American Cancer Society
Relay For Life of Garrard County
Fundraising Ideas,
Letters & Best Practices
Fundraising Ideas and Practices
The following ideas have been compiled from a variety of sources, mainly the
American Cancer Society website, cancer.org and the Relay For Life resource link,
RelayForLife.org. Both web sites are full of information, ideas, hints, and tips.
What follows in this guide has been edited for clarity and repetitiveness.
I hope you find this guidebook useful and urge you to discuss these topics in
meetings and adapt as needed. Keep in mind, this is just a starting point, not an
end point; you’re allowed to do more than just these things.
Noelle Blihgsne
Relay For Life of Bourbon County Kentucky
Internet Chairperson
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FOREWORD
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event and the world’s
largest community fundraising event. Relay For Life represents the determination
to “Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back”. The basic ideas are to celebrate
cancer survivors, remember those lost to the disease and fight back against cancer
until it is eliminated.
Relay For Life is a unique event, offering communities the opportunity to
participate in the fight against cancer. It’s an overnight event where teams of 8 to
15 (or more) people camp out and take turns walking around a track. Each team is
asked to have a person on the track at all times during the event.
Everyone can participate and teams can be formed from businesses, clubs,
families, friends, hospitals, schools, service and religious organizations. All of
these individuals come together for a common goal: fighting cancer until a cure is
found.
By fundraising before your event, you can reach your goal early and use your
Relay to mingle, celebrate and relax.
In the pages that follow, fundraising ideas are divided into the categories of Pre
and Post-Event, and At The Event.
Make sure that whatever you do is legal, safe and follows the American Cancer
Society’s guidelines. Above all, have fun!
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Table of Contents:
Select A Team Theme
4
Before & After Relay Activities
5
Relay For Life Fundraising Ideas; Holiday & Seasonal
8
High Dollar Potential Team Fundraisers;
Help To Reach Bronze Level…$2,500
9
Day of Relay Activities
12
Ten Best Ways To Raise $100
16
5 Easy Ways That You Can Raise $100
17
5 Ways That Lives Will Be Changed Through Your Efforts
17
Team Fundraising Guidelines for
American Cancer Society Relay For Life
18
Letter Writing: The #1 Strategy Before and AFTER Relay
20
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Select a Team Theme
It is essential that each Relay For Life team is involved in activities before your Relay event. By
working together as a team, you are able to assess team members’ strengths and weaknesses
ahead of crunch time. Just as Wal-Mart (one of our National Sponsors) would hire and train
associates well ahead of the Christmas rush to work out kinks, you need to look at your team in
the same way. Not only is it good business, it allows your team to bond over common
experiences.
Most Relay events have a friendly competition among teams for best campsite, theme, mission
messages, decorations, and more. Possibilities are endless!
CIVIC GROUPS
Fighting the Flames of Cancer; Cops Against Cancer; Scouting For A Cure; Officers Cuffing
Cancer
CONSTRUCTION
Constructing A Cure; Engineering A Cure For Cancer
COWBOY/WESTERN
Rope’n A Cure For Cancer; Corral Cancer; Cowpokes For A Cure; Rounding Up A Cure
MISSION DELIVERY
Ragin’ Antioxidants; Walking For Wellness; Sunscreen Police; Rubbing Out Skin Cancer; Kick
The Habit; Teens Against Tobacco
OUTDOORS
Climbing For A Cure; Safari For A Cure; Camping For A Cure; Weeding Out Cancer
SPORTS
Racing For A Cure; Knock Out Cancer; Putting For A Cure; Fishing For A Cure; Strike Out
Cancer; Bowling For A Cure
SCHOOL
Erasing Cancer; Kids 4 A Cure; Scholars Acing Cancer; Campus Crusade Against Cancer
TV/MOVIE
The Real Survivors; Mission: Possible; The Price Is Right; M*A*S*H* Out Cancer; The Pink
Panthers; Rebels With A Cause
JUST FOR FUN
Let’s Lick Cancer; Life Savers; Washing Away Cancer; Cancer Stampers; Luau For Life;
Alienate Cancer; Betting On A Cure; Squeezin’ Out A Cure; Make Cancer Walk The Plank;
Love, Peace and War on Cancer
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Before and/or After Relay
With a little tweaking, the following can be used for either pre or post Relay, or both.
Art Sales: Have students produce great works of art and have an art show. Parents and friends
can buy back their budding artist’s masterpieces.
Bake For a Cure’s Sake: Hold a Friday bake sale at work so employees will have treats for the
weekend. Ask for baked goods to be wrapped so they may be given as gifts. Encourage
breakfast items as well as sweets like bars and cookies.
Bead Bonanza: Take orders for personalized bracelets, key chains, necklaces, etc. for a
donation.
Bowl-A-Thon: It appeals to pre-teens as well as teens, and they even manage to involve adults.
Bowlers go out a get pledges for each pin they knock down.
Brown Bag Luncheon: Have a brown bag lunch seminar and invite someone from the ACS to
speak on cancer prevention. Ask employees to donate what they’d normally spend on going out
to lunch or charge a set fee.
Casual For Cancer: Ask your company CEO or president to let staff dress casually or wear
denim for a contribution of $5 or more.
Cancer Bake Auction: The Cancer Bake Auction began in McKenzie, TN with only baked
items but has transformed to much more. In 2005, the event raised $16,000. The event starts on
a Monday and ends on a Friday. The hours available to bid and buy are from 1-4 each day;
however the day for the organizers begins at 6 am and ends at approximately 5 pm each evening.
The goal is to have 100 items to auction each day. Each team is asked to bring 3 items per day.
They receive Relay Bucks which goes towards their RFL Spirit Award. About a month before
the event, there are also 20 volunteers who each call at least 25 people in the community to ask
them to bake something for the auction. The best people are those who make specialty items that
everyone knows about. In a small community, everyone knows who makes the best jam cake or
chocolate turtles. These are the items that will cause a bidding war.
The paper starts advertising for the auction about 6-8 weeks beforehand. Flyers are also sent out
to churches, civic groups, places of business, etc.
Every day during the auction, about four volunteers are needed at the auction site by 7 am. Make
sure the site has refrigeration, because people might bring casseroles or other items to be chilled.
They receive goods from 7:30 (to get people on their way to work) until about 12:30 pm. Two
volunteers record the items and contact info on a triplicate form, give the person a receipt, put
one copy on the item, and leave the other copy in the book. A third volunteer separates the
items. For example, if 3 dozen lemon squares are donated, they are separated in order to bring in
more money. On hand should be extra strong paper plates, saran wrap, ribbon, etc. to package
these items. A fourth volunteer sets the item on a table and logs it onto butcher paper. If an item
needs refrigeration, the name is written on a sticky note and placed on the table.
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A radio host sets up about 12:30 pm. They go live at 1 pm. In addition to the live remote, well
known volunteers help auction each item up for bid until one entire row is sold. Local pastors
are often utilized.
The butcher paper is used as a tracking mechanism for the bids on each item. There are long
sheets of butcher paper rolled out a placed on the wall behind the table with the phones. There’s
a sheet of paper for each table (one table is auctioned off at a time.) The items are listed on paper
in the order which they appear on the table. When they begin to auction items on a particular
table, they place the bid for that table on the wall. As bids come in, either by phone or in person,
the amount goes on the butcher paper. Volunteers keep track of the name/phone #. Other
volunteer runners run sticky notes to the items as bids change. The most current bid goes on the
paper. When the table closes, they will announce who has the highest bid. When that table is
cleared, the paper is taken off the wall and replaced with paper for the next table.
There are no returned plates, serving pieces, etc. Everything is up for auction.
Coin wars: Also good for big groups, the object is to only get silver coins in your collection
container. The kick is that teams are allowed to put pennies into other team’s jars. At the end of
the challenge, “points” are deducted for all pennies. The team with the most silver coins gets
bragging rights. It’s also a great way to get competitive spirit going between schools or
individual classes or grades.
Celebrity Waiter: A couple of months in advance, 20 of the communities’ citizens are chosen
to be “waiters.” They, in turn, invite 10 people to sit at their table during the event. These
people dress in costume as a “celebrity” during the dinner event. (This can allow for a broad
range of celebrities such as Elvis, NASCAR drivers, Little Bo Peep, Zorro, and Raggedy Ann
and Andy.)
Pill Bottle Challenge: This is great for a large office, school or church. Challenge everyone to
bring in a pill bottle full of change. Quarters in the average sized bottle total about $12.
Dessert Tasting Extravaganza: Announce it as Gourmet Dessert Tasting. Call it whatever you
want, but make the name as delicious as what attendees will envision. A Dessert Extravaganza
should be something where people will pay to get a taste of exotic and unique that should be
donated or made by team members. You can charge from $7.50 to $15 per plate.
Honey-Do Fundraising: Each donation ticket enters the buyer into a drawing to win a crew of
“Honey-Do-Helpers” to help with a home improvement project. Helpers could paint a room,
organize a closet or pantry, plant a garden in the spring, or help with garage or basement
cleaning, but no housework. Offer donation tickets for $5 each or five for $20.
Oil Change Fundraiser: Request that a local oil change garage donate their time and material
for a Saturday afternoon of oil changes. 100% of the income goes to Relay. While the customer
is waiting for their car, you can sell Luminaria and food to help pass the time. Don’t forget the
cancer control information!
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Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Many local restaurants are willing to donate items so don’t
hesitate to ask. These donations will keep overhead down and profits high.
Quilt Making: Do you have a team member 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, 8” for $15 and 12” square for $25. Display the quilt at a public location such as the Chamber
of Commerce, and of course during Relay.
Restaurants To The Rescue: Ask a local restaurant or café to contribute a portion of their
proceeds for the day. It could be for a certain menu item or ask the owner if a special Relay item
can be on the daily special. Create a sign letting patrons know if they purchase this special, the
owner will donate (portion amount) to the American Cancer Society.
Sports Tournaments: Set up challenge matches between individuals or departments for
basketball, softball, wiffleball, dodgeball or any sport! Ask for a donation as an entry fee and
admission fee. Ask for contributions in exchange for refreshments at the event.
Sun and Moons Donations Cards: Engage local gas stations, banks, small businesses, and
grocery stores to sell the donation cards for $1 in exchange for a Sun/Moon to display at the
business in honor or in memory of a loved one. Ask your staff partner for the packets.
Theme Dinner: Have your team do a theme dinner. Get a hall donated and have each member
of your team prepare part of the meal. Sell tickets and get some entertainment donated.
“Topless” Carwash: Advertise a “topless” carwash. The washers aren’t topless; it’s where all
but the top of a car gets washed.
Windshield Washing: Fast food restaurant teams can collect donations for washing windshields
as cars pass through drive-up windows.
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 or your
employer can do a matching gift. Or you could even do this at your tent at Relay.
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Relay For Life Fundraising Ideas; Holiday & Seasonal
Christmas
 Create a “Tree of Hope” in your workplace, community or church by setting up a lit
Christmas tree to which cut out angels or stars can be added in memory or in honor of a
loved one for a small donation. Get Relay Suns & Moons from your staff partner,
decorate them with glitter pens, and use them to trim your tree.
 Have a “Tree of Light” ceremony in December. Offer bulbs for a minimum donation of
$10 each in honor or memory of someone touched by cancer. Then have a “lighting”
ceremony and keep the tree lit until Christmas is over. A great location would be the
front lawn of your local hospital or courthouse.
 Several teams have done Christmas Wreath sales. Order fresh Frazier Fir wreaths from
your local florist for a cost of around $8 each. Have a group place bows on each one for
a total wreath cost of under $10. Then offer the wreaths for a minimum donation of $20
to $25 in your community.
 Have Luminaries at your Church candlelight and Christmas Play Ceremonies. They add
to the beauty of the season and you can line the sidewalks, steps, parking lots, even the
front of the church inside. It is a way to remember and honor those who have been
diagnosed at this special time of year. You can use this on New Year’s Eve and
Valentine’s Day as well.
 Operate a “Some Assembly Required” service during the holidays for a donation.
Provide a service for those folks who don’t know how to put all the parts together.
Publicize through your school, church or community.
 Anderson County, Kentucky holds an annual “Hall of Trees” in mid-November. On a
Friday night, a cocktail/hors d’ oeuvres preview of the trees is held. Several special trees
are offered only during that time for a live auction. The following day, an all-day Silent
Auction is held. The sky is the limit for themes, one team had a Sock Monkey Tree,
another had a tree full of Kitchen Utensils. Wreaths are also offered, as are pictures with
Santa. In 2010, over $20,000 was raised during this two-day event. The buyer is
responsible for removing their own tree; each team donates a tree and decorates it
themselves.
 Parents Night Out/Christmas Shopping For Parents: Charge parents to babysit.
 Pictures With Santa (or Easter Bunny): Take donations for the pictures and be sure to
advertise well in advance. One team out of Topeka, KS raised $1000.
 Wrap Party: Set up a wrap station at a mall for donations at Christmas time.
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Valentine’s Day/Mother’s Day
 Get into the balloon bouquet or candy business by taking orders ahead of time for
delivery to a sweetheart on their special day. Work with local businesses ahead of time
to get your supplies donated or purchased at a reduced price. Secure a donation of
carnations, lilies, or roses from a local florist.
 One team offered to deliver breakfast to your sweetheart and turned up on doorsteps with
a basket full of breakfast goodies for this holiday. Plan ahead and publicize your activity
in the local paper and take orders ahead of time. Stockpile your baked goods by making
them ahead of time and freezing them. Add special touches by using decorative napkins
and baskets.
Mardi Gras
 Throw a Mardi Gras party. Decorate with purple, gold and green, wear beads, cook up
some Cajun cuisine and listen to Zydeco! Vote for a King and Queen of Mardi Gras and
let them rule your party.
St. Patrick’s Day
 Combine your wearing of the green with a green bagel sale, green cookies, green cakes or
anything else green that attracts attention.
Fall Fun
 Work with local farmer’s markets or food vendors with fall treats—apples, apple cider,
caramel apples, pumpkins, Indian corn. How about “Cancer is For The Birds,” and offer
bird feeders, winter bird food, suet and bird seed to help birds get through the winter.
 Hold a Halloween pumpkin carving contest. Find a local business or farm willing to
donate pumpkins for your team. For a donation, give pumpkins to your coworkers,
friends and family members who enter the contest. Entrants carve pumpkins and enter
individually. Ask for a $5 donation to enter and a $1 donation to cast a vote.
Spring Fun
 Thoughts turn to flowers and gardening in the spring so have a plant or herb show, get
donations of annuals and perennials and ask people to “spring for a cure.” Offer your
services for spring yard cleanups
 As a company fundraiser, ask a florist to donate one bouquet of flowers for January,
February and March. Then have employees make donations for a chance to win some
“springtime” for their desk.
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High Dollar Potential Team Fundraisers;
Help To Reach Bronze Level…$2,500
Combo Lunch Fundraiser With Bake/Craft Sale: Great for large offices with 150+
employees. Charge $10 a plate. The company for this particular Relay Team donated the lunch
to the effort and all employees were asked to contribute bake or craft sale items to the cause.
Virtually no cost fundraiser.
Corn Hole Tournament:
Round Robin Format
$20 per team, limit to first 60 teams
Freddy Flamingo and Variations:
Freddy Flamingo: Populate yards with a flock of pink plastic flamingos
Tired of Cancer: Use tires
You’ve Been Grinched: Place the Grinch in a purple Relay outfit in yards around the
Holidays.
Scare Away Cancer: Scarecrows. Or Ghosts.
Bumble Bee Swarm: Use irrigation or power line flags so that you can stake a yard
without making large holes. As well as the bees, you could make a large hive that bears the
Team Name, reason for the swarm and the contact phone number for swarm removal.
Purple Toilet: This was an ad in a local paper: Beware of the purple toilet. If a purple
toilet appears in your business or home, a donation will be required to have the “eyesore”
removed. We all know of someone or will be affected at one time in our lives by this terrible
disease. Together, we can find a cure. A letter came with the toilet: “Congratulations! If you
are reading this note, you have received your new fashionable yard ornament. To have this new
fashionable yard ornament removed, we are asking you to make a pledge to the “Flushing out
cancer fundraiser.” Within the next 24 hours, contact (name & phone number of contacts). They
will arrange for the collection of your donation and removal of your ornament. If you would like
to see this ornament in front of someone else’s establishment, please inform us. Thank you for
your cooperation in this fundraiser!”
Dinners: Hold a dance and spaghetti dinner to raise money for Relay. Include Karaoke too! Or
make it a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday morning and invite a local children’s choir to entertain
your guests.
Dinner Is Done:
Team prepares casseroles in aluminum pans with foil lids.
Casseroles are pre-sold and picked up at a nearby school. Store items in school freezer.
Have a variety: Meat, Veggie, Mexican, Italian, desserts, fruit, etc.
Fashion Show: Include a local boutique’s new fashion line and charge admission with proceeds
going to Relay.
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Freezin’ For A Reason: Teams hold a four person cold-weather scramble; each team member
gets one golf ball to share and they play 18 holes with one club. Entry fees are what the market
will bear.
Holiday Home Tours: Charge admission and include hors d’ oeuvres.
Medical Practices: A group medical practice in Hilo, Hawaii solicits their patients and families
(they have the waiting room and exam rooms all Relay-decorated, so conversations are easy.)
They all say that they will match donations made by the patients and families. This team raises
$20,000 + every year.
Mother/Daughter Banquets: Make it extra special by doing this close to Mother’s Day and
having a group of dads cater the meal.
Murder Mystery Dinners: Great fundraiser for a youth/church team combination. The youth
can do a play that they’ve done at school and the church can cater the meal.
Neighborhood Block Party: Have a block party, sell food and charge admission.
Party With a Purpose: Have a party with a purpose. Invite close friends to dinner or brunch
and ask for a donation. Ask guests to match their donation to the amount they spent last
Saturday night. Dinner and a movie? $60. Cocktails and dancing? $30. Pizza and a video?
$20.
Pet Sitting: Teenagers can advertise and charge to take care of pets while owners are on
vacation or at work.
Salon Tip-A-Thon: Salons conducted an ongoing Tip-A-Thon from mid-March through the
end of July. Stylists from the salon each decorated their station with Relay info. A tip jar
decorated in Relay style was placed at each station. Stylists visit with each client (captive
audience) about Relay and the importance of the cause. They asked clients to leave a donation in
the jar.
One Oregon Salon raised $20,000 this way.
Talent Show: Charge admission for a “Talent Show”. One team of high schoolers went out in
the audience during intermission and asks people to “vote” on talent with money. They raised
several thousand dollars this way.
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Day of Relay Actitivties
To add to the fun, each team should claim an activity as their own. It makes the job of the
Entertainment Chair easier and can allow for friendly competition and all-night activities.
Amazing Race: Create a mini-obstacle course. Make things harder by tying together 5 people.
The winning team has to have all 5 people cross the finish line together.
Basketball Free Throws: Using two portable hoops set up at different heights, people shoot
foul shots, for a set amount of time (say 1 minute). Highest scorers get their name written on a
dry erase board for bragging rights. It stays up only until somebody beats their score. Grand
prize? Bragging rights. Charge $1 for 1 minute. Get glow in the dark b-balls from Kmart and
you can play well into the night.
Blind-folded Musical Chairs: Just as in the original version, find a seat when the music stops,
the difference is you aren’t allowed to touch the chairs. You are allowed to have directions
shouted out to you.
Cakewalk: Have each team bring a cake to the opening ceremonies at 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 $5 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 square wins a cake.
Cardboard Box Laps: Give each team a cardboard box to decorate and have a race.
Car Wash: Get your teams together for a car wash at Relay. Great idea for high school teams.
Cheese Ball Toss: Using teams of two, one person places whipped topping all over their face;
the other person throws cheese balls at them. The team with the most cheese balls on them at the
end of a time limit wins. This can be done with peanut butter and marshmallows as well.
Coffee Stop at Relay: Offer different flavors of coffee for a donation. Get the coffee donated if
possible, or let a team do the fundraiser.
Country Line Dancing: Get somebody to lead Line Dancing in the middle of the night. Or,
don’t just stick to country music; use any music or song that inspires Line Dancing, such as the
Electric Slide.
Dance Lap: Get people dancing around the track-give them dance cards- when they dance with
somebody, get them to sign their dance card and write down an interesting fact. Everyone brings
their card to the MC at the end of an hour and the person with the most dance partners wins a lap
prize.
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Dance Lessons: Have dance lessons at your campsite for a donation. Swing, salsa, ballroom,
disco and more!
Decoration Station: Sell foam stick-ons (hearts and flowers to decorate Luminaria bags. 10
pieces for $1.
Dedicate a song: Have Relayers pay $1 to have a special song played during Relay. Someone
else can bid more to cancel it. Bid more still to stop replays for rest of Relay. To return song to
playlist out bid the previous bidder.
Dress Up Hot Potato Game: Collect several articles of embarrassing clothing (full length slip,
large bra, striped shorts, tube socks, white shoes, etc.) Place each item in individual grocery bags
so nobody can see what’s in them. While music is playing, the bags get tossed around a circle.
When the music stops, whoever has a bag in their hand has to put on the clothes. At the end, do
a lap to show off the new outfits.
Face Painting: Offer face painting for a donation. It’s a great hit with kids.
Find Your Sole-Mate: People are given one shoe and they have to find the person with the
matching one. When they find each other, they run to the microphone. Inside each shoe is part
of a cancer fact. The duo reads the fact and wins.
Fishing For a Cure: Set up a booth that looks like a pond with poles, etc. and prizes floating in
it. Charge $1 to fish for a prize.
Food Cook-off Challenge: Hold a Chili or BBQ cook-off challenge onsite at the event. Charge
teams an entry fee and make sure you have judges to judge the contest. Try using survivors as
judges.
Food Sale: Have a team cook breakfast: Pancakes, Waffles, Eggs and Bacon.
General Store: Have extra campsite supplies available for a donation for people who forgot
necessities: toothbrushes, toothpaste, extra socks, flashlight, bug spray, sunscreen, baby wipes.
Hair and T-Shirt Shoulder Ties: $1 each.
Hole In One: Set up a portable putting green and for a donation, let people try and putt the ball
in. Put everyone’s name in a hat that actually makes it. Draw for a Relay Prize.
Hollywood Snapshot: Get a cardboard cut-out of a famous person and get your picture taken
for a donation. Or, just create a funny cut-out such as a couple wearing Roman togas and
wearing a Relay sash.
Hula Hoop Relay: Have two lines of people (about 5-10 per team) weave the hula hoop
between them with their hands joined.
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Hula Hoop Ring Toss: Using some sort of cut-out, made from plywood, a large stuffed animal
or even cardboard boxes decorated like your favorite animal, use your hula hoop as a ring toss.
We saw this done with a giant Longhorn skull cutout (from plywood), and the object was to hook
the “ring” on one of the horns. The job was made much harder by having to hold the ring
vertically instead of horizontally.
Inflatable Items Race: Using a large inflatable item (the kind you’d find in a swimming pool),
contestants run around the track. In the example given, whales were used and “rode like
horses”, adding to the difficulty level.
Jail and Bail: This activity can be lots of fun and is open to so many different themes. In
Frankfort, KY, an area church has a Mayberry theme. They have a shady area (canopy) for
prisoners and use a tall chain link kennel enclosure for the jail. For $5, they make an arrest with
a description provided by the person issuing the “warrant”. A reason is given for the arrest, such
as “failure to show proper Relay spirit”. Upon arrival at the jail, the prisoner gets a picture taken
with a card showing the date, standing with the sheriff and deputy, given a cookie and a bottle of
water. The cookies were baked from dough bought for school fundraisers. If you can get an
office supply store to donate the printer ink and paper, it can be a low-cost and fun way to raise
money. The fee to get out of jail was also $5.
Jelly Bean Race: A team event that has one person use a spoon to carry one jelly bean to the
finish line, drop it in a bucket, go back and hand off the spoon to the next team member. The
team with the most beans in a bucket when time is called, wins.
Lap Poker: Two volunteers stand on the track at the starting line with decks of cards.
Participants make a total of five laps. For each lap made, they receive a card and the best hand
wins.
Limbo Lap: Place limbo poles at different points of the track that get progressively lower, see
who makes it furthest around the track.
Mexican Cantina: Decorate your campsite in theme, have non-alcoholic Margaritas, Relay
Tattoos, chips and guacamole or salsa. Fiesta.
Midnight Pizza Party/Team Meeting: Hold a team meeting at midnight and serve pizza.
Midway Games: Bring the fair atmosphere to Relay! Host games at your campsite that
encourage fun competition.
Movie Tent: Charge a donation to watch a movie on a big screen with popcorn, candy and
drinks.
Musical Chairs Scavenger Hunt: Your MC or DJ calls out an item to be found and players
must get this item from anyone BUT a team member. The trick is to get back to the chairs
before they are full. One chair is taken away in each round. Turn it into a true Relay game by
looking for mission-oriented activities; sunscreen, hat, healthy food.
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Musical Pizza Boxes: Using empty pizza boxes after your midnight feeding, arrange the boxes
in a circle. Play music as participants walk in a circle. When the music stops, they must be on a
box. Take one box out of each round until you have a winner.
Pajama Fashion Show: Best or most outrageous outfit wins.
Relay Design Star: Using only colored duct tape and newspapers, design an outfit. Let the
crowd vote on winners.
Relay Idol: Karaoke is always a big hit. The Gwinnett County, GA Chamber of Commerce
uses a donated professional Karaoke machine and uses portable microphones that allow for
“backup singers”. They charge $2 a person, per song. Or, use a wristband that allows a person
unlimited songs all night. Be sure to stipulate that if there are people waiting to sing, the
wristband holder has to “honor the spirit of Relay”. Alternatively, make this a separate event
with an actual weekly or 1 day Idol competition. Charge an entry fee and the grand prize can be
recording time at a local studio.
Relay Scrabble: As a late night track activity to promote walking, handmade Scrabble tiles are
given out. At the appointed time, contestants line up on the track and pick up their first tile after
their first lap. Highest word value wins. It could also be done as a team activity, allowing team
members to share tiles to make words leaving time for several games to be played.
Scavenger Hunt: Hold a scavenger hunt with a new item each hour and a great prize in the
morning. Get your prize donated and you’ve got a few laps that can get the crowd involved for
no cost.
Scrapbooking Crop Party: Charge a fee to come to the party and everyone can work and build
their RFL scrapbook at the event.
Stick Horse Race: Using stick horses have each team decorate their own horses. Charge an
entry fee that will go into a pot for the winner of the final heat. Using a large fuzzy die, each
horse rider rolls to see how many steps to take for their turn. Use 4 heats, have the winner of
each heat compete against each other. Winner takes all!
Wet T-Shirt Contest: Using t-shirts from previous years, place them in a kiddie pool or large
water bucket. The winner is the person with the most shirts on in two minutes. In the example
provided, several shirts were loosely sewed shut at the neck, arm or waist.
Wet-T-Shirt Contest Alternate: Freeze your shirts. Ahead of your Relay, wet your shirts and
freeze them. Tie a few knots, not too tight, bind them with rubber bands, soak them and put
them in a freezer for a week. Contestants race around the track trying to thaw the shirts. The
winner is the first to cross the finish line with their shirt on.
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Ten Best Ways To Raise $100
1. Donate $20 yourself and ask 4 friends for $20 each.
2. Ask 20 friends for $5 each.
3. Ask 10 friends for $10.00 each.
4. 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 return by date.
5. Send a letter from your pet to family and friends. You might also want to send this out to
your veterinarian.
6. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Knock on doors and ask your neighbors for their
support.
7. 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
$1.00 to $5.00 per person to dress down. You could arrange these on a weekly or
monthly basis.
8. Arrange with the principal of a local school for baseball cap day. Usually caps are not
allowed, however, for $1.00, 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.”
9. Hold a can and bottle drive.
10. Sell Relay For Life Suns and Moons. Available through your American Cancer Society
Staff Partner.
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5 Easy Ways That You Can Raise $100
1. Soup and Salad Lunch at the office.
2. Send 10 Emails or Facebook Requests to friends/family/former classmates.
3. Host a dress-down day at work
4. Include a request for donation or Luminaria form in your Christmas cards. Preface
your request with the meaning of Relay.
5. Super-bowl Pizza Party. Too late for F-ball? Try NASCAR or NCAA March
Madness. Or, just for the heck of it, have a movie night at your house.
5 Ways That Lives Will Be Changed Through Your Efforts
1. Hope Lodge: There are families resting comfortably at Hope Lodge Lexington
without spending a single dime in lodging costs while supporting a loved one through
their cancer treatment.
2. Lifesaving Research: The American Cancer Society is the single largest non-profit
funder of life-saving cancer research in the world.
3. College Scholarships for Childhood Cancer Survivors: Contact your ACS staff
partner if your child qualifies.
4. Wigs, prostheses, support programs for cancer patients.
5. www.cancer.org., 1.800.ACS.2345: There are patients and concerned family
members getting answers and information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
through our website and toll-free number.
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Team Fundraising Guidelines for
American Cancer Society Relay For Life
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization
dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and
diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.
Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm in conducting a fundraiser to benefit the American
Cancer Society (ACS). Your efforts help us to accomplish our mission. Please adhere to the
following guidelines. It is the responsibility of the Relay Team Captain to share this information
with all team members.
1. When holding a fundraiser where expenses are incurred, teams must plan for the
following:
 How will expenses be paid and where will funds for those expenses come from?
 Is the revenue worth the effort of volunteer time?
2. Any expenses incurred during a team fundraiser are the sole responsibility of the
individuals contracting for the goods and services.
3. All checks made payable to the American Cancer Society can be given to your Relay
Staff partner or Accounting Chair. Expenses cannot be reimbursed under any
circumstances.
4. No bank accounts can be opened under the American Cancer Society name.
5. If your team fundraiser is conducted and promoted in support of the American Cancer
Society, all proceeds must go to the American Cancer Society. The sponsor or any
individuals involved with the event may take no fees, commissions or salary.
6. Relay fundraising teams are not allowed to use the ACS’ Sales Tax-Exempt or Federal
Employer Identification numbers when directly purchasing materials or supplies for their
fundraisers from suppliers/vendors. Federal tax laws specify that groups raising funds
independently to later provide financial support to the American Cancer Society are
prohibited from claiming exemption from state and any other applicable taxes on such
purchases.
7. If the American Cancer Society name and/or logo are used on any promotional materials,
(print or broadcast), sponsor must contact the ACS Office and Staff Partner for approval.
Appropriate wording for any promotion is as follows:
a. “ A portion of the proceeds from (event name) will go to benefit the American
Cancer Society.”
8. The American Cancer Society name and logo may not be used in any way that may
appear as a trademark or endorsement of the sponsor’s product(s).
9. The American Cancer Society will provide acknowledgement letters for items donated to
the event. However, you are responsible for forwarding the donor’s name, address,
phone number and the description of the gift to the American Cancer Society within two
weeks after your project. The acknowledgement from the American Cancer Society will
state the description, not the value of the donated item.
10. The American Cancer Society reserves the right to request you not approach a particular
donor, business, or organization for the purpose of underwriting or contributing to your
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project due to potential conflicts of interest that may arise under other income
development initiatives and your plans.
11. The American Cancer Society cannot be responsible for insurance coverage liability or
liquor licensing for any outside sponsored event. This will be the responsibility of the
sponsor, as required by the insurance carrier of the American Cancer Society due to the
fact that the Society does not have control of the activities.
12. Due to the complexity of legal requirements—governed by a variety of state and federal
laws---we highly discourage raffle fundraising. A raffle permit should NEVER be
taken out in the American Cancer Society’s name. Drawings—where tickets are sold at
a single site on one day---are regulated differently than raffles and are often permitted.
Please check with your staff partner since laws vary by state and sometimes by city and
town.
13. Potentially dangerous activities such as skydiving, fireworks, hot air balloon rides,
motorcycle poker runs/bus trips (whether offer on the spot as an opportunity drawing to
win) are not permitted due to the unacceptable level of risk. Please consult with your
staff partner if you think that a proposed activity might fit into this category of nonpermitted activities.
14. The American Cancer Society is a public charity that cannot support or oppose political
candidates or parties. The ACS can invite current legislators to attend ACS-sponsored
fundraising events. However, you should emphasize to the legislator in writing that ACS
is a non-profit, charitable organization that may not engage in political activity, and
request that they refrain from any campaigning at the event. Violation of this prohibition
can result in revocation of ACS’ tax-exempt status. Giving a specific candidate
complimentary passes to an event that others must pay to attend is prohibited.
15. The American Cancer Society reserves the right to refuse involvement in your project at
will. Additionally, the American Cancer Society reserves the right to terminate
partnership with your business/organization and/or you at will.
16. The American Cancer Society requests that teams carefully consider their fundraising
efforts. During the planning of any event, ask these questions:
 Is it ethical?
 Is it potentially offensive to any group?
 What is the financial risk/outcome?
 Do we have unanswered questions or any doubt? If so, call your American
Cancer Society office.
The American Cancer Society appreciates the hard work and effort put into raising dollars for
our mission. However, the name and reputation of the American Cancer Society is more
important than any funds raised.
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Letter Writing: The #1 Strategy Before and AFTER Relay
Letter writing to friends, family, business associates and others still remains one of the most
effective ways to reach out to people and solicit donations. These days, so much of our
communication is not written, that when we receive a letter in the mail, we take notice! In these
next few pages, we have provided some sample options for different scenarios that may occur in
your community; feel free to modify these to fit your needs.


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
Give a 10-day deadline for the 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 cancerfighting efforts…thank you!
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Suggested Rainy Relay Letter
Rain dampens Track, but not Spirit of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life!
Dear Friend,
The weather didn’t hold out for our American Cancer Society Relay For Life, but our dedication
to fighting cancer is still as strong as ever! We have $22,000 to go to reach our goal, and we are
excited that individuals and teams are stepping forward with donations that are helping us get
there.
If you didn’t make it to Relay, or if the rain sent you packing, we wanted you to know that we
are still accepting donations, which will be put toward your team total and the Relay For Life.
Don’t forget you can also donate online at our event website:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11MS?pg=entry&fr_id=29066
We sincerely thank all cancer survivors, team captains, team members, donors and sponsors for
their support during this soggy season.
Thanks to you, we are making great progress in the fight against cancer through research,
education, advocacy and service, and your dollars are directly helping us to save lives, reduce
cancer incidence, and improve quality of life.
Donations to help reach our goal can be sent to __________ at ________________.
If you have any questions, please contact _______________ at ________________.
Sincerely,
John
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Ghost Event
A ghost event is an event that is planned but does not occur- intentionally. It is a humorous form
of letter writing. It can be edited with a summer theme (i.e. “Beat The Heat and Stay in the
Shade”) or any creative theme you can think of.
Read the invitation below to get a better understanding of a ghost event. You creative
scrapbookers and invitation makers out there can have a field day with this one! Send to your
entire Christmas card list.
Team Hope of the American Cancer Society’s
Relay For Life of Bourbon County
Cordially invites you to their first annual NON-EVENT, event
We will not be at the event. We do not wish to look for parking, and drink beverages out of
plastic glasses. We invite you to join us in staying home. You will not have to mingle with
people you barely recognize. You will not have to eat soggy hors d’oeuvres,
buy a fancy outfit to appear in, or travel home after dark.
PLEASE JOIN US IN STAYING HOME
TIME: 6-10:30
DATE: You pick it
COST: $59.95
Send our team $50 to continue the fight against cancer
And keep $9.95 to buy a beverage of your choice
To share with a loved one.
We look forward to NOT seeing you.
RSVP by August 1st using the enclosed card.
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Letter Sample 1
Canine Fundraising Letter
Adopt As You See Fit
Dear Friend,
Greetings, salutations, and a wag of my tail from Paris, Kentucky! I am writing to you
today because I know that my master needs my help. As you probably know, Robert
has always managed to get himself in some real jams. Well, this is no exception. In my
three short years with him he has managed to come up with some “doozies.” Do you
know what he has done this time? He has promised to raise at least $100 in
sponsorship for the upcoming 24-hour Relay For Life to benefit the American Cancer
Society. He has teamed up with a bunch of other crazies who have agreed to take turns
walking laps throughout a 24-hour period May 15th and 16th. Surely you realize that he
can hardly raise sand – much less $100. That is why I “borrowed” his keys and drove
over to his office last night to type those - this letter (excuse me, but it is rather difficult
to type with my big paws. My claws keep getting in the way).
I would appreciate it (and so would he) if you could help him out in any way possible
with his fundraising. He is dedicating his efforts in honor of his wife, (and my “Momma”)
Debra. Your tax-deductible gift made payable to the American Cancer Society would get
him out of this jam. If you are able to help, please use the return envelope provided
before May 10th. Thanks! I knew I could count on you (us dogs are great judges of
character)! Well, I gotta go now. It’s time for me to go bark at something. Take care.
Sincerely,
Beauregard Jackson Sherman, Esquire
PS – I have enclosed a fact sheet about the event in case you want to know more about
it.
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Letter Sample 2
Marathon Fundraising Letter –
Change to fit your race/ survivors, etc.
Dear Friends:
On April 16th, 2006 I am lacing up my sneakers and running the Boston Marathon to raise money for the
American Cancer Society. This is part of our family team fundraising for the Relay For Life. I participate
with my family team in St. Albans, Vermont. I am taking on this challenge of my life in honor of my friends
Susan Silodor, Marietta Stevens, and Bev Gross of Cheyenne Wyoming. Each one of these special
people has survived cancer because of their positive attitude and the breakthroughs in cancer research
funded by the American Cancer Society. This is my third Boston and it will be the most memorable
because of the courage and strength of these special survivors behind me. This will be my 15th marathon
since 1989.
Now, your part is easy. All you need to do is commit to sponsoring me. My part is a little tougher. I’ve
committed to raising $2,620 for the American Cancer Society by completing the 26.2 miles – no matter
how long it takes. Please donate as generously as you can by sending in your check payable to the
American Cancer Society to the address below. Just in case you need a little extra motivation to sponsor
me, here are a few reasons.
10. I’ll get up early and drive to Boston for the marathon. You can sleep late on April 16th while still
funding cancer research.
9. You can transform my sneakers into a money machine as
I raise $100/mile.
8. Your donation is tax deductible.
7. If you sponsor me then I have no excuse to walk or to crawl and will run the entire 26.2 miles.
6. If I do not raise the total $2,620 they make me wear a shirt saying, “I came $500 short of my goal.”
5. The public can access comprehensive cancer information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through
the American Cancer Society’s toll-free information line (1-800-ACS-2345) and Web site
(www.cancer.org). During a time when so much cancer and health information is available through the
Internet, much of which should be viewed with caution, the American Cancer Society is a dependable
resource for accurate, unbiased information.
4. When I was in high school playing basketball, my ankles were sprained so many times they would give
out on me in the hallways of school. The doctor said I would never be able to walk the same again, help
me prove him wrong.
3. You can help me make it to Brighton, MA where Bronya is having a party three miles from the finish
and will have signs celebrating the end of my trek. Help me continue on to her house to celebrate in
reaching both goals! (They plan to have chocolate, which will fuel those last few miles!)
2. I’ve gone through 896 oz. of Gator Aid, 43 Power Bars, five pairs of running shoes, a new pair of cross
country skis (for winter training) 53 lbs. of ice for my knees, two bottles of Aleve and all you need to do is
send in a check payable to the American Cancer Society.
1. Great progress has been made in the fight against cancer –breast cancer death rates declined 20.8%
between 1991and 2000. Prostate cancer death rates declined 26% between 1991 and 2000. And, in
1992, the rate of new
cancer cases turned the corner and began to drop at a rate of 0.9% per year. Your contribution will help
fund the research and education necessary to help save more lives.
We will eventually cure cancer. Why not help find the cure a little sooner?
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Letter Sample 3
Community Support Letter
Dear Community Supporter:
I am writing on behalf of the American Cancer Society to request a donation for our
signature fundraiser, Relay For Life, which will be held the weekend of June 16-17,
2006 at Tikki Park in Kapiolani, Hawaii.
Relay For Life is a family-oriented event where participants can walk or run on a track
relay style for 18 hours. Participants camp around the track, and when they are not
taking their turn, take part in other fun activities. Former and current cancer patients,
their families, and the public are invited to take part in this exciting team relay event.
The team consists of individuals representing corporations, clubs, organizations, and
families.
Because this event is quite long and exhausting, we look toward local businesses to
help out in donations for our participants. We need food, drink, and gift certificates of all
kinds to help make our event fun and rewarding. We expect to have more than 700
participants this year, ranging from children to people in their fifties. Most of our
participants are between the ages of 30-50, and at least 60 percent of them will be
female.
Cancer touches so many people in our community and Relay For Life is a great way to
help fight this terrible disease. Please seriously consider this request and let your
neighbors, customers, and community know that you are joining them in the fight. If you
would like more information about Relay For Life, and any of the programs it supports,
please feel free to call the American Cancer Society at _____________________.
Kind Regards,
Relay Volunteer
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Letter Sample 4
Letter from baby
Hello to all my family and friends!
My name is Kal. I’m about to participate in my first Relay For Life. Now, I’ve been to a
lot of Relays with my mom and dad. Mom says she takes me to Relays for two reasons:
(1) because it’s her job – she works for the American Cancer Society; and (2) it’s a
chance to pay tribute to the memory of my Grammy.
Why do I Relay? First, I like the fact that I get to light a Luminaria for my Grammy. I also
like to take laps around the track in my purple Baby Jogger…beats trying to walk (I’m
still working on that). Daddy pushes me really fast! The other thing I like about Relay
For Life is that I usually always score a balloon, and I get to camp out all night!
Relay For Life is a lot of fun…but it’s serious business, too. You see, it raises a lot of
money so the American Cancer Society can help people who have been touched by
cancer. It also raises oodles of money to fund research to cure this silly disease. Mom
says the researchers tell her that by the time I grow up, cancer should be something
that’s treated at the neighborhood pharmacy. Cool, huh?!
So – how can you help? You can make a donation to my team – Kal’s Krew. Just write a
check to the American Cancer Society, and send it to me. If you include the name of a
cancer survivor or someone who’s lost the fight, I’ll make a special luminaria bag for
them. That’s all you have to do…I’ll do all the walking and my team will make sure there
is someone on the track the entire 24 hours (even while I’m sleeping!). Be sure to put
your donation in the mail soon. The Relay is coming up fast – it’s October 12-13th.
Thanks for the support!
Love,
Kal Lunders (& my mom & dad – Becky & Scott)
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Letter Sample 5
Subject: My 30th Birthday Wish, by Erika
Now that I have your attention, yes, I have a birthday coming up in less than two weeks. And
yes, my birthday wish is about fighting cancer. But wait, there’s more! My 30th birthday wish is
not just for me, but for all of us that have been, or probably will be touched by cancer. I am a
team member on one of the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life teams for the
Albuquerque Relay this June 2-3. (Quick review: Relay For Life is the American Cancer
Society’s signature activity. I think that’s because everyone has such a great time and realizes
it’s not just about raising money.)
But wait, there’s more! Most of my teammates are cancer survivors, and I am honored they
asked me to be on their team this year. Our goal for this event is $300,000 for the year 2006.
Okay, you’ve seen those old commercials selling those can’t-live-without products for $29.99,
right? From the Ronco® automatic egg scrambler to those aluminum cutting Ginsu® knives.
(Why anyone would want to cut a Coke® can in half is beyond me.)
But wait, there’s more! At the moment, I am feeling very $29.99 with that 3-0 looming just
ahead. So here’s the deal: I’m asking all of you to make a tax-deductible donation of $29.99 to
my Relay team toward our team goal of $2,000.
But wait, there’s more! If not at least $29.99 then $2.99 or whatever you choose. Any amount
gets us a little closer to putting me out of a job – not necessarily a bad thing.
How? Mail to:
American Cancer Society
Attn. Your Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Make checks payable to the American Cancer Society, Albuquerque Relay For Life.
But wait, there’s more: Call me if you prefer to use your credit card at 505-260-2105 ext. 20.
Operators are standing by…
You can email me at either e@email.com or e@yahoo.com, and cash works too.
But wait, there’s Even More: I have a candy jar in my office again this year, especially for the
chocolate-dependent.
Even More: Check out the Web site at www.cancer.org where we have recently added a way to
“FIND A RELAY” in New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada (as well as across the country) via the
Relay For Life pages.
This year there will be more than 4,700 Relays across the country – get involved today!
My thanks, and thanks from your American Cancer Society…call 1-800-ACS-2345 for answers
to cancer.
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Letter Sample 6
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take…
but by the moments that take our breath away.”
RELAY FOR LIFE WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY!
A 24-hour team event filled with fun, food and friendship, surrounded by people
of all ages joined together to honor cancer survivors and remember loved ones
who lost their battle.
Dear Family and Friends,
Summer is just around the corner, and it is almost time for the American Cancer Society’s 2nd
annual San Fernando Valley Relay For Life. You may remember hearing from me last year, as I
became passionately involved in this event to honor my Mom’s memory by raising money and
awareness to help make a difference in the fight against Cancer. Thanks to all of your generous
support, I am very proud to announce that Team Irene was the top fundraising non-corporate
team in 2005, raising $4,763! More than 70 percent of the money raised from Relay goes
directly to support the American Cancer Society’s programs for research, education and
services for patients and their families whose lives have been touched by Cancer.
I have already begun forming my 2006 team, and we will be participating in the 24-hour
walk/campout at this summer’s Relay For Life. My fundraising goal for this year’s Relay is even
greater, and I really need your help to meet this challenge. But my challenge is nothing in
comparison to the challenge that so many children and adults have to face 24 hours a day once
diagnosed with cancer. I feel blessed to be part of such an important cause. This year Team
Irene is dedicated not only to my Mom, but also in honor of or in memory of all of our mothers –
the women of valor whose legacies pave the way for our children and grandchildren, and help
guide each of us through life’s journey.
Please help support my efforts for Team Irene again this year with a tax-deductible contribution
to the American Cancer Society. You may send your check directly to me, and please let me
know if you’d like to be a part of the 2006 Relay For Life walk on Saturday, July 12th at
Birmingham High School in Van Nuys (17000 Haynes Ave., corner of Victory and Balboa). Also,
please let me know if you are a cancer survivor and would like to be honored in the opening
ceremony survivor lap at 9 a.m. Finally, I urge you not to miss the Luminaria ceremony at 9
p.m., which is the candle lighting ceremony of hope and surely the most emotional and
heartwarming part of the event,
including inspirational songs, poems and prayer. If you would like to dedicate a luminaria to be
placed around the track in honor of or in memory of a family member or friend, please fill out the
enclosed form and send it to me along with your $10 donation. Luminaria may also be
purchased at the Relay.
My mother’s amazing courage and strength during her life and her battle with cancer give me
hope and inspiration to help reduce the suffering and loss caused by this horrific disease.
Together, we can make a difference! Remember…There’s no finish line until we find a cure.
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Warm regards and many thanks,
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