Relay For Life Music

During Relay For Life events, you all do a great job of celebrating survivorship and the hope that one day cancer will be eliminated. You also remember loved ones lost to the disease while finding comfort and healing.

Both of these emotionally charged elements are visually symbolized through the Survivors Lap and Luminaria Ceremony. The Relay For Life website offers suggestions on the music you can use during these significant moments in your event.

Survivors Lap

Upbeat, energetic music plays loudly as survivors dance and celebrate their way around the track. Anyone who has ever heard the words “you have cancer” has the opportunity to celebrate their life and their survivorship at Relay.

Luminaria Ceremony

The Luminaria Ceremony is for remembrance and hope. It symbolizes a time to grieve for those we have lost, to reflect on our own cancer experience or that of those closest to us, and to find hope that tomorrow holds the promise of a cancer-free world. There should be no music or speakers during the first half of this lap. As walkers reach the halfway point, it is recommended that a poem is read. After the poem, a song selection is suggested.

Check out all of the Relay For Life Ceremony Music Suggestions and good luck with your event!

Double Your Fundraising Efforts!

We can’t wait to see you all at the upcoming Arizona Relay For Life events! And we can’t thank you enough for lending your time and energy to help create a world with less cancer and More Birthdays!!

As we head into Relay season, we want to make sure that you know of a quick and easy way to double fundraising for your event.

Ask all of your donors to check with their employers to see if they will match a gift to the American Cancer Society. They can even check online by visiting matchinggifts.com/acs and enter their company name. If their company does match, the information and guidelines are there.

Many companies offer matching gift programs to encourage employees to contribute to charitable organizations. Most of these programs match contributions dollar for dollar, and some will even double or triple the amount of your gift! Donors may not think to ask their employers, and a friendly reminder from you could go a long way toward increasing your donations!

Log into your Participant Center on your event's website and email anyone who has donated to you already asking them to check with their employer and help you double their gift.

If you still need to register for a Relay in your area, please sign up and join us!

How Can YOU Help ACS Save Lives and Fight Cancer?

You can join the movement for more birthdays and fight back against cancer by enrolling in a new research study called the Cancer Prevention Study - 3 (CPS-3).

The American Cancer Society’s Epidemiology Research Program is inviting men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 years who have no personal history of cancer to join this historic research study. The ultimate goal is to enroll 500,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the U.S.

By joining CPS-3, you can help us understand how to prevent cancer, which will save lives and give people more of their most precious resource: time. More time with their families and friends, more memories, more celebrations...and more birthdays.

Arizona Location of Enrollment:

Relay For Life of Quad Cities Community
June 11, 2010
Prescott High School
1050 Ruth Street
Prescott, AZ 86301
Enrollment Hours: 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Enrollment: Individuals who are between the ages of 30-65, who have never been diagnosed with cancer, and are willing to commit to the study long term, can enroll at various venues across the United States and Puerto Rico. For those venues that are Relay For Life events, individuals do not have to be registered Relay participants to enroll.

Volunteering: Volunteers are needed to help with the enrollment area at the various venues.

Promotion: Tell everyone you know about this one-time historic opportunity to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Education: Tell friends and family around the country to visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or call 888-604-5888 to obtain more information about this study and how they can become involved in their own local community. View the complete list of CPS-3 study enrollment locations.

Have Fun With Team Fundraising

As a Relay For Life Team Captain, your three main focuses are: Set Goals, Get Donations, and Encourage and Support your team with TEAM FUNDRAISING. This is where your full team puts together an activity or event to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

There are any number of other team fundraising ideas – but we’ve found that those fundraising activities that focus on things people spend money on anyway are most successful. For example – food sales, movie nights, collecting used prom dresses and reselling them… The sky’s the limit.

Here are a few other suggestions for team fundraising activities:

Car Window Washes – Teams can wash car windows at fast food restaurant drive through windows.

Dime-A-Dance (at event) – Provide music at your campsite. Have other people pay to dance with your team members.

Envelopes at Restaurant Tables – Teams generate donations by placing a Relay For Life envelope at every table, stating “Please Support Our Relay For Life Team and the American Cancer Society.” Waitresses check envelopes after each seating.

Vacation Day – If you are on a team with your co-workers, ask your boss if they can offer a bonus day off for the team member that raises the most money.

Remember to check out the Team Captain Toolkit for additional resources. Good luck and thank you to all of the Relay Team Captains and participants for supporting the American Cancer Society's mission!

Fundraising Forum and Relay For Life

The Relay For Life forums offer a great way to find information about Relay and ask your fellow volunteers questions about how they are handling their events. The Fundraising Forum is also great place to ask questions and discover new fundraising ideas that have been successful for other Relay teams.

You can find topics on fundraisers that range from selling candles and t-shirts to managing online auctions and working with local companies for various fundraising activities.

Remember to adhere to the Relay For Life Fundraising Guidelines below. If you have any questions, please contact your Relay For Life Team Recruitment Chair or American Cancer Society Staff Partner.

We Cannot 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 washes, yard work, house cleaning, etc.)

Activities (bowling, skate parties, trivia nights, etc.)

Garage/Yard Sales

The Relay For Life site is available to you 24/7 to make sure you have all of the information you need for a successful event. Thanks so much for your support of Relay For Life and good luck to you and your team!

Survivors And Caregivers Celebrated At Relay

Survivors are the reason we Relay.

A survivor is anyone who has ever heard the words “You have cancer.” And we invite all cancer survivors in the community to attend Relay For Life.

Our goal is to create a world where more people survive cancer – so they can celebrate another birthday. This year more than 11 million people will be able to do that thanks to the support of millions of dedicated Relay participants.

Most Relays open with the Survivors Lap where survivors lead the way around the track while being honored and applauded by all participants. The Survivors Lap is an inspirational and emotional example of how Relay participants are ensuring that more lives are saved each year.

We also recognize and celebrate caregivers at Relay For Life. These individuals give their time, love, and support to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers who face cancer. At Relay, people understand the frustrations and joys of being a caregiver, since the effects of cancer reach far beyond just the person diagnosed.

Anyone can participate in Relay For Life. Friends, families, neighbors, classmates, sports teams, etc., can form their own teams. No matter who you are, there’s a place for you at Relay.

Find a Relay near you and join us.

There's Still Time!!

In just a few weeks, our Arizona communities will come together for their American Cancer Society Relay For Life events.

If you’ve never experienced Relay before, get ready for a life-changing event where we CELEBRATE the lives of those who have battled cancer, REMEMBER loved ones lost to the disease, and express our commitment to FIGHT BACK until cancer no longer affects us or those we love.

Can you think of a few friends who might like to join your Relay team this year? It’s not too late to invite them! Be sure to let them know that there is still plenty of time to raise money for Relay, and that it couldn’t be easier with our online tools that do most of the work for you.

Log in to your Participant Center and invite anyone who might like to join your Relay team today. Be sure to let them know why YOU choose to Relay, and that by getting involved, they will help save lives and create more birthdays!

We believe that this year’s events will be our biggest and best ever thanks to the hard work of Relayers like you. You can help ensure this by inviting new friends to join your team today and don’t forget to keep asking for donations!

Let’s see how much more we can do together in the coming weeks! Good luck to you and your team and check the ACS in Arizona blog daily for helpful Relay tips!