For those of you familiar with Relay, I am sure that you will agree that the Luminaria Ceremony is one of the high points of Relay. For those of you are new to the event, there are no words to adequately describe the feeling – it is something that you must take-in first hand. 

In order for this ceremony to be a success, we need each and every participant to go out and distribute the Luminaria forms and encourage individuals to submit photos for the video montage that serves as the backdrop for this ceremony. 

In order to get everyone excited about Lums, each year, we have a team challenge and this year is no exception.

Below you will find additional information. As always we thank you for your support and encourage you to go out and light your world with Hope – Hope that some day we will find a cure!

 Luminaria Challenge 

TEAM CHALLENGE – Team selling the most Luminarias by the March Team Captain Meeting, Monday, March 31, 2008 will win a prize.   The winning team will be determined based on dollars raised.  The winning team will be announced at bank night and prizes will be given to team members the night of relay.  

CHALLENGE BEGINS – February 25, 2008

CHALLENGE ENDS – March 31, 2008 

Please bring all completed luminaria forms, cash and checks to the March Team Captain Meeting.   

The 2008 Luminaria Form can be downloaded here. Please feel free to make as many copies as necessary.  

LUMINARIA CEREMONY – April 18^th – 9:00 PM – Photos to be Included in Video Presentation

The ceremony of hope is one of the most special and moving events during the Relay For Life. Everyone gathers around to remember those lost to cancer, support those fighting cancer, and rejoice with those who have fought the disease and won. During the luminaria ceremony, all names will be scrolled on a video screen.  You and your team members can include a photo in the presentation for someone you are remembering or honoring. 

Please email photos with full name and indicate in honor of or in memory of.  Email photos to Michelle Westfall at mwestfall@21stcenturygroupfund.com. 

Photos must be received NO LATER THAN Wednesday, April 16^th to be included in the presentation.

QUESTIONS?  CONTACT MICHELLE WESTFALL-SKENEmwestfall@21stcenturygroupfund.com or 214.507.1887  

Last night, Relay For Life® Frisco held another team captain meeting at the Dr Pepper Starcenter and it was great to see all those people in one room for the same cause – to Kiss Cancer Good-Bye. 

I just wanted to tell each and every one of you thanks for coming out and supporting your local Relay.  

Last night I had the opportunity to put some faces to the emails addresses that are stored in my address book. I had the opportunity to help some new captains navigate through their team captain’s packet and get underway towards recruitment and fundraising and I was able to meet some of our great sponsors for this year’s event. 

But I think the highlight of my night was hearing from other caregivers, who just like me have had Cancer touch someone in their life.  

Thank you all for supporting Relay For Life® Frisco and we greatly appreciate your participation and commitment to making this a successful event.  

Please that the deadline for t-shirt orders is March 5^th, 2008. Please try to recruit your team members and encourage them to register on-line by March 5^th.

First thanks to each and every one of our team captains. Each of you has registered your team, started recruiting members and is well on your way to your team goal.  

Our goal this year is $125,000 and so far we have raised $5000. We need your help to press through and Kiss Cancer Good-Bye.  Thank you all for your hard work and keep it up. Relay is not successful without you! 

Second, please mark your calendar for our next Team Captain Meeting on February 25^th at 7:00pm at the Dr Pepper StarCenter. We will be serving refreshments and pizza at 6:30pm so come early and mix and mingle with other Team Captains and Committee Members.  

Please bring your registration forms for Survivors, Caregivers and Lums to the meeting on Feb 25^th and continue to encourage your team members to recruit additional Survivors, Caregivers and those who would like to honor someone with a Lum. 

Also, please make sure that your team members have signed-up online. You can use the web site tools to help encourage and motivate your team towards your team (and individual) goals. But we need to make sure that everyone is signed up and fundraising as soon as possible.  

The deadline for t-shirt sizes is March 5^th, so please make sure all of you team members are signed up prior to that and they have indicated their shirt size during the registration process. If you have any problems, drop our online chair an email and she can help you out. 

Relay is quickly approaching and you will be seeing more emails and blogs in the upcoming weeks to help you achieve your fundraising and recruiting goals. In the meantime, if you have any questions be sure to drop us an email and we’ll be more than happy to help in anyway we can. We truly appreciate all of your hard work and commitment to Relay and we look forward to seeing you all on Feb 25^th, 2008! 

If you have not registered a team, it’s not too late. Join us on Feb 25^th. Team up with your friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, church groups or other community groups and form a team. 

Together…we can Kiss Cancer Good-Bye!

As previously noted, the Texas Tornado and the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® joined forces to “ICE” Cancer and on February 2^nd, the Tornado took to the ice in pink jerseys to help promote Cancer awareness and raise money for their local Relay event. 

The Tornado organization has been tremendous team players when it comes to supporting events in the community and this charity hockey game was no exception. The Tornado donated an autographed hockey stick, helmet and Relay For Life ® flag for a silent auction that took place during intermission. 

The players literally gave the shirts off their backs to raise money for ACS and Relay. After the game, the pink jerseys worn by the Tornado were auctioned off and thanks to this organization’s generosity, we raised $ 2,460! 

While I had a great time at the game, I must admit that I felt a little guilty cheering the Tornado players on when things got a bit heated on the ice and punches flew…after all this was a charity game! But I found myself appreciating the irony in that situation. You see, during the game the Tornado reminded me of one of the mantra’s of Relay – “Fight back!”  

As Relay kicks into high gear over the next few weeks, you will see more info about FriscoRFL posted on this blog and we look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events. When it comes to Cancer, we all need to take a page from the Tornado and keep on swinging to bring about advocacy, awareness, hope and a cure. 

Thanks to the Tornado and to each and every one of you that supports Relay. 

 

Supporting Relay takes many shapes and forms. Some people elect to join a team; some people make a monetary donation while others volunteer their time. All forms of support are needed to make Relay work. 

Another great way to support Relay is to patron community fundraisers and charitable events that benefit your FriscoRFL.

We are thrilled to announce that The Texas Tornado is teaming up with the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Frisco to put on a Cancer awareness night.   

The players are wearing Pink jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. They are selling tickets for $15.00. This ticket price includes a hot dog, chips and a soda.  But the best part is the Tornado is donating $5.00 of your ticket price to The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Frisco! What an awesome deal, you get great entertainment, a meal and you are giving $5.00 for Cancer advocacy!

Just call Gabriella Carnell at the Tornado office 972-335-9800 and tell her that you want the RELAY deal and she will get you set up! Or log on to www.tornadohockey.com and use the coupon code RELAY (just FYI if you call in it saves the $2.00 handling charge) 

Your Frisco Relay For Life will be manning a table that night, so stop by and say “Hello”! 

For an event flyer, visit www.FriscoRFL.com and download the flyer and email it to friends and family.  

Let’s help the Tornado ICE Cancer!

After last night’s meeting, as I was headed home, I had the quote about it taking a village to raise a child, pop into my head. Apparently, that village never hosted a Relay For Life!

It takes a small army, all working together, to produce a successful Relay event. From the committee members who can change gears at a minutes notice…and some how still make it look effortless, to the team captains and participants who serve as the backbone for each and every winning Relay, to the survivors who inspire us to make each and every event better that its predecessor,  to the businesses and corporations who support this cause with various degrees of sponsorship, to our American Cancer Society Community partners who act as both guidance counselors and sounding boards – we are truly grateful to have each and every one of you as part of the 2008 Frisco Relay For Life.

In the upcoming weeks, you will see the Relay Army out and about in the community, looking for new recruits and asking you to support them as they wage war on this formidable foe know as Cancer.

We wanted to take this opportunity to welcome our new teams to the 2008 Frisco Relay For Life and encourage those who are considering forming (or joining) a team to sign-up online.

Once again, welcome, thank-you…and we’ll see you at Relay!

It’s Relay Time!

· Have you already signed up your team for the 2008 FriscoRFL?

· Are you a returning team that needs to sign-up?

· Have you ever considered becoming a team captain but want to learn more?

Relay For Life® needs you!

Please join us for an Information/Team Captain Meeting:

When: January 21, 2008 at 6:30pm

Where: Dr. Pepper Stars Center – Frisco, Texas

(The Dr.Pepper Stars Center is approximately 1/4 mile east of the intersection of Gaylord Parkway and the Dallas Parkway.)

Map of 2601 Avenue Of The Stars Frisco, TX 75034-9015, US

If you are interested in starting a team, please join us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions or help your get started.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, please send a team representative on your behalf.

If you would like to become a team captain, but are unable to attend this meeting, you can set-up a new team online at www.FriscoRFL.com. If you have questions or need help with the online registration, please contact our Online Chair.