I got to meet people from all over the South Atlantic division, which runs from Maryland to Georgia, who all share the same Relay passion I do. Probably one of the neatest people I got the opportunity to meet was the chair for a 2nd year Relay (1st year as a full Relay) from a Native American reservation in North Carolina...her event is the first on a reservation! There were committee members from community and college events, and from small community/college events to the #1 community and collegiate events in the USA. Basically the event was incredible and unlike anything I've ever been to before.
The event consisted of basically 4 parts:
-Relay Store, where we all spent tons of money on really awesome Relay gear
-Relay Expo full of booths about how fundraising, advocacy, Bark For Life, Relay Recess,
survivor and caregiver recognition and places to tell your Relay story.
-State rallies and small group breakouts: In the state rallies we got to hear about how awesome our individual states (with Virginia being the best of course) and awards for per-capita and reaching $100K+. While in the small group breakouts we discussed ways to raise more money and over come fundraising obstacles, refresh our Relays and learn how to better prepare when needing to ask someone a very important question (e.g. joining a committee, making a corporate donation, etc...).
-General Session: These were awesome! This is where 900+ Relays joined in one ballroom for some of the most amazing/emotional/uplifting speeches I've ever heard about Relay. We had a Purple Passion Party on Friday night where I saw some of the craziest purple outfits ever! A fashion show of the 2012 incentives that turned into a flash mob of college Relayers and their staff partners. And some of the best speakers I have ever heard! You can check them out at www.relaybuzz.org.
During the Virginia state Rally my communities brought home:
-Bedford: Per Cap Award for $0.99 per cap
-Salem: Per Cap Banner for $5.33 per cap and a banner for raising over $100,000
-Vinton: Per Cap Banner for $11.04 per cap and a banner for having the #1 Per Cap in the state!!
Virginia Tech received tons of awards for their success in 2011 to include a top team fundraising total for the 2011 Relay Exec
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| Current and alumni VTRelayers with Reuel Johnson, National VP for Relay For Life |
My favorite part though were all of the guest speakers. We had survivors speak about how the efforts of Relay For Life have saved their lives, caregivers talk about how they fight back in their loved ones name, and American Cancer Society staff talk about the where the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life have been and where it is going. Dr. Otis Brawely, our Chief Medical Officer, put it best when it said "we are doing a half assed job screening for colon cancer" because it's true we have to get the preventative care to all Americans if we want to save 1000 lives a day! The South Atlantic Division is the #1 in the nation for Relay For Life for a reason, because we are determined to save 1000 lives a day and put an end to the words "you have cancer".
Of course we knew there were going to be speakers and videos that would bring most of us to tears, as evident by the fact that tissues were waiting at each seat when we arrived for the 1st General Session, but none brought more tears to my eyes than the 2012 RFL Caregiver Video. Do not watch this video without tissues in hand. It always hits home for me, especially the poster that says "I purchased a luminaria in your memory"
The 2011 South Atlantic Relay For Life Leadership Summit was incredible, inspiring, fun, and PURPLE! I loved every minute of it and I hope my volunteers and I can bring home the excitement we got from Relay Summit and have the most successful Relay Season yet!
We will save 1000 lives a day because We Save Lives.
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| from www.relaybuzz.org |
You can help reach 1000 lives saved a day by donating at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/JulieTerrell2012 today!
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Until We Find a Cure
it was soooooo awesome!!!!
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