With only six weeks to go until the 10th Annual Relay for Life in the Columbia Valley, we have 14 teams registered online and that is wonderful. I know there are a few more out there who are working on their teams, but just have not registered yet.
Registering online is extremely easy. Simply log on to www.relaybc.ca, select “Columbia Valley” and away you go.
If you are unable to register online, registration and donation forms are available at the front desk of The Valley Echo. Once you have completed a form, or if you have money collected, give me a call and we can arrange to get it all online. This way, we know exactly where we stand in working towards our goal.
We are hoping more families will be involved this year. We have many wonderful things planned due to our earlier-than-usual start of 3 p.m. With the early start, you can register, fundraise and participate and then — if you feel the need to take the children home to bed — you can do that.
There will be a multitude of things to keep everyone busy while not on the track, not the least of which is a number of local musicians such as Stacey deCosse, Pat Hess, Jade Bowen as well as tons of games and activities planned by Cindy MacKay and assisted by the Killer Rollbots.
If you are planning to stay all night, the “after-midnight” crew will also have things for you to do to help you stay awake during the wee hours. Stay tuned for more on that as we get closer to the date.
Of course, the object of Relay is to raise valuable funds for cancer research. The Canadian Cancer Society receives the majority of their fundraising dollars from the nationwide Relay for Life event. We ask each participant to raise AT LEAST $100 and this can be done without much effort.
Check out how you can raise $350 in just seven days with this easy recipe:
Day 1: Sponsor yourself for $20. Leading by example makes it easier to ask others to match, or even beat, your own gift.
Day 2: Ask four family members to sponsor you for $20 each — cook them all a meal and they can donate the $20 they might have spent at a restaurant.
Day 3: Ask your boss for a $50 contribution — they could save up the money by brown-bagging lunch for a week.
Day 4: Ask five co-workers to contribute $10 each. They can follow the boss’ lead and brown-bag lunch one day each the same week.
Day 5: Contact five Facebook friends and ask them to donate $10 each.
Day 6: Ask five people from your church, social club or gym to sponsor you for $10 each.
Day 7: Email five out-of-town relatives or friends and ask them to donate $10 each.
And remember, one of the keys to fundraising success is simple: Just Ask. Don’t be shy — people often want to give, but are not provided with the opportunity. Send an email to your friends and family sharing your story, your motivations and your reasons to Relay. You will be shocked at the results.
And keep in mind — as an incentive to fundraise — for every $350 you raise, your name will be entered to win an iPad.
If you want further information, please call me at (250) 342-9059 or email sheilatutty@
telus.net.