2008-2009 VTRelay

After the 2008 VTRelay I decided I had to be on Relay Exec again and that I wanted more than anything to plan the 2009 VTRelay Kickoff and make it even bigger.  When Relay Exec applications went out I immediately submitted an application to be the Kickoff Chairperson and was welcomed back with open arms.  As soon as I could, I met with my committee members and began brainstorming big ideas to make the event grow.  We had what we thought were extremely lofty goals but we were quickly told they weren't lofty enough.  The venue had to be changed from a small banquet room to the largest ballroom on campus.  The bookstore told us they wanted to debut that year's VTRelay shirt at our event. We began preparing for 800 people to attend...a number we never expected to surpass but the estimated attendance was closer to 1000 if not more. 

However the biggest change occurred when we were told that a concert was going to be added on to the end of our event.  The 2009 VTRelay Kickoff began our relationship with Mike-E and the Afro Flow Tour.  They agreed to perform and even offered to put their tour bus on the Drillfield and meet with passing by VT Students. 

The 2009 VTRelay Kickoff event was not the only aspect that grew exponentially that year.  One day at a Relay Exec meeting we were told that our goals of $300,000 raised, 3000 participants and 300 teams would be changing...they would be changing to $500,000 raised, 5000 participants and 500 teams.  We thought these numbers were INSANE but we know we could achieve them but it would require a lot of work.  A major concern though was if we did get 5000 people to attend...where would we put them? They wouldn't fit on our tiny Johnson-Miller Track & Field...there was only 1 place on campus that could hold that many people and there still be room. The Drillfield. Our directors worked for months, going to meetings and after meetings and finally we were given the best news we could ask for, we had permission to use the Drillfield.  Planning quickly started to change the logistics of our event, but all the work was worth it.

On April 24th over 5000 people converged at the center of campus for the Largest Co-Ed Sleepover.  By the end of the summer we were amazed that we met not one, not two but ALL three of our goals.  We became the #1 Collegiate Relay For Life event in the world by raising over $512,000 which brought our grand total since the first VTRelay event to over $1million!!  We couldn't be happier to have achieved what we originally thought were the craziest goals we had ever heard.  Once again we were fast paced to continue great growth, but could we meet or even exceed our previous success??

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Until We Find a Cure.