Tonight I attended a meeting of the 2011 Ness County Relay For Life, which is an event of the American Cancer Society.
The turnout consisted of me, a high school student, Chase Rein, who is the Activities Committee Chairperson and the Community Manager from the High Plains Division, Christine Brenner.
At the meeting we discussed different aspects of of the Relay, and Brenner asked Chase and his high school organization, Future Business Leaders of America, to handle the Online Committee, which means they would be in charge of maintaining the Ness County Relay for Life website.
We brainstormed several cool ideas we could do with the site, and we talked about how important the Relay for Life is because, as Brenner said, the American Cancer Society is second only to the United States government in funding cancer research.
Possibly the coolest part of the night, though, was I was named Sponsorship Committee Chairperson.
So what does that mean?
Well, it means I am in charge of finding corporate donors for the Ness County Relay For Life. I will be asking businesses and individuals to sponsor the event. For their contributions, their names will be on the event T-shirts and such. Also, I will be working to find underwriting opportunities, which consists of donations that are used to defray expenses incurred during the event.
I really feel good about doing this, even though my schedule is already tight, because I have family members that have survived and died from cancer. Anything I can do to help stop cancer is a good thing.
The 2011 Ness County Relay for Life will take place July 15.
If you would like to donate or get a Luminaria, please let me know.
Also, if you’ve never taken part in a Relay For Life, I really encourage you to do so. It is a very uplifting experience. You spend the entire night walking, which is supposed to simulate how the fight for cancer never sleeps and is always moving forward.
According to RelayForLife.org, the Relay For Life is described, in part, as follows:
“Relay is a time to celebrate those who have battled cancer, remember those lost and get inspired to fight back . . . Highlighting the evening is a luminaria Ceremony of Hope held after dark to honor cancer survivors and to remember loved ones lost to cancer. The luminaria candles line the track and are left burning throughout the night to remind participants of the incredible importance of their contributions . . . One person can make a difference . . . millions have joined the cause all over the world, making Relay the largest fundraising event in mankind’s history.”
Like I said, this is an incredibly important event for the fight against cancer. Anything you can do to contribute is wonderful.
Stay tuned for more updates as I dive into this new venture. I’m very excited to get started.
