Hokie Hoops: Blackout Game

Sunday February 13th the virginia Tech Men's basketball team takes on Georgia Tech in the annual Hokies on Fire Men's Basketball Game.  Like all years a shirt is produced for the student body and all fans to wear to the annual game.  This year was no exception.  However, there was one difference: where the money form the shirts was going.

In the past the profits from the shirts go to the VT SGA.  This year the money is being donated to the Relay For Life at Virginia Tech!! The shirt was designed in memory of Allen Calloway, a former Men's Basketball player who lost his battle with cancer last year.  I don't believe there is a better way to remember him than to have the money from the shirts donated in his name to an organization that is striving to help fund the fight against cancer.

The shits can be ordered through VT Bookstore Website for $10 or at any of the bookstores on and off campus.

2011 Hokies on Fire Blackout shirt

Let's make sure these shirts sell out and then pack Cassell Coliseum on Sunday February 13th!!

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Until We Find a Cure

Why Do You Relay?

By this point everyone knows why I Relay:
-My Grandma Mary who lost her battle with cancer on November 12, 2009
-My Grandpa Rex who lost his battle with cancer in January 2001
-Friends who have been diagnosed and lost their battles
-And for those who have been triumphant and won


But now I want to know why you Relay? Or why do support the American Cancer Society in general?


Share your stories so we can all see why this event is bigger than just those of us on the VTRelay Exec committee, or the sub-committees or even our participants...it's probably bigger than any of us can imagine.


When you are done maybe remember those we have lost and honor/support those who are currently fighting or have won the battle against this awful disease by donating in their name to VTRelay so that one day no one has to the words "You have cancer."  


Relay for the future!


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Until We Find a Cure

Less than 100 days!!!

There are less than 100 days until the 2011 Relay For Life at Virginia Tech!!!

As my last spring semester starts I realize how unbelievable it is the amount of work that myself and others have put into this fantastic event over the course of my 4 years at Virginia Tech.

When I first filled out a committee application in the fall of 2007, the event had about 2,000-3,000 participants.  Now the event has more than doubled in size and is on the verge of tripling. Our goal of 7,500 participants is easily reachable and possibly even passable.
In 2008 we raised over $200,000 but by fall that year we were hearing numbers like $300,000!! Those of us on Exec that year thought that was absurd but little did we know we'd pass it.  Not only did we pass $300,000 in 2009, in 2010 we raised over $480,000!!  In the last 2 years our event single handily raised over $1 million for the American Cancer Society.  We are looking to raise 3 quarters of a million dollars this year alone...that's $750,000 (in case you didn't know). 

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My committee and I have begun plans for the Spring 2011 Kickoff and we're super excited about some changes we've made from past Kickoff's as well as an incredibly exciting theme -- Happy Birthday VTRelay!
*In case you didn't know the Relay For Life at Virginia Tech turns 10 year's old this year! We've been helping fund the fight against cancer for a whole decade :)

I've also been working on a secret fundraiser that is sure to cause some excitement around campus - keep an eye out!

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As always if you want to help me reach my goal of raising $1000 in the memory of my Grandma and Grandpa Rex who lost their battles with cancer please use the 2nd link under "Links" on the side of my page to donate!


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Until We Find a Cure

2011 VTRelay For Life Fall Kickoff

This year's first ever Fall Kickoff was a success!
It was held on October 27th inside the GLC Multipurpose Room (thanks to wonderful Blacksburg weather that kept us from being outside).  There were performances by two of Virginia Tech's a cepella groups: Juxtaposition and Soulstice
As well as a performance by The Dance Company Of Virginia Tech and the premiere of the Virginia Tech Relay Rap by some of the VTRelay Executive Committee Members.

The Hokie Bird welcoming everyone to Kickoff

The best part, aside from the Hokie Bird dancing to the rap, was hearing the fantastic story of our Guest Speaker, Robynn Jaymes.  She is one of the local morning radio personalities on 94.9 Star Country out of Roanoke, VA and a breast cancer survivor.  Robynn has also been a caregiver for her mom and father who battled cancer.  She has been a supporter of the American Cancer SocietyVTRelay enjoys having her speak at our events because she is the reason we all want to see an end to cancer, so no one has to care for a family member with cancer or battle it on their own....both of which she has done.  Robynn Jaymes is one of our heroes.

Giving Robynn her thank you gifts for being a fantastic support of VTRelay and the ACS

I know my committee, Exec and I are very proud of this year's Fall Kickoff and are looking forward to start planning the Spring Kickoff!

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Until We Find a Cure

South Atlantic Collegiate Leadership Conference

Yesterday was the South Atlantic Collegiate Leadership Conference at Virginia Tech.  There are a total of 4 CLCs in the South Atlantic alone this year (UGA, Georgetown, VT and Coastal Carolina).
The theme for this year's CLCs are: "There Is No Place Like Hope" with of course a Wizard of Oz Theme (characters, hot air balloon, yellow brick road and all!!)

"There's No Place Like Hope"

The conference was absolutely fantastic! We got to hear about all of the other Relays in the South Atlantic Division (we have the tendency to only think about our event) and how this past year we were able to raise over $2 Million in growth as collegiate Relays in this division alone! All of the Relay's had remarkable success.  The 2010 VTRelay was presented with many National Youth Relay awards for our success:

Top Per Cap for Enrollment of 25,000+ Students at the University
#1 with $20.75 per cap
Top Number of Registered Survivors
#1 with 136 Survivors
Top Online Fundraising Event
#1 with $417,420
Top 10 Net Income
#1 with $581,656

And the biggest award received, for the 2nd year in a row:

Gordy Klatt Number One Net Income Youth Event

Presentation of the Gordy Klatt Award

Over the last 2 years VTRelay has raised over $1Million with a total of Over $2 Million in the last 10 years!!

At the CLC the VTRelay Exec members were given the opportunity to share our ideas that have led to unbelievable success with the other Relays and Colleges Against Cancer Chapters in our Division, as well as come up with new ideas.

I know that the rest of Exec and myself are incredibly excited to implement new ideas (and we've got some really good ones!) and push the 2011 VTRelay to raise over $750,000!!

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Until We Find a Cure