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Monday's Internet Edition, March 15, 2010.
Open house kicks off RM Relay for Life fundraiser
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Photo by Sheri Barile
Arlene Wallace (left) submits her ‘interest card’ to event co-chair Sara Faughn at the Relay for Life of Rancho Murieta open house held Jan. 31 at the RMA building. Relay for Life is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
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By Sheri Barile
River Valley Times Reporter
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The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Rancho Murieta held an open house on Jan. 31 at the RMA building to inform the community about opportunities to get involved in the fight against cancer. It was the first in a series of events to launch the relay to be held this summer at Stonehouse Park.
More than 50 showed up to register according to Brenda Carmichael, event chair. Interest cards were filled out and submitted by most attendees who offered to volunteer their time or participate on a team.
The interest cards were entered into a raffle for four prizes consisting of three wall clocks and a Relay for Life coffee mug.
Carmichael said she was very pleased with the turnout at the open house, which produced new participants for this year’s event. “It’s very exciting for us to have five brand new teams signed up already for this year,” she said. “We had a total of 15 teams last year, and we expect all or most of them back, so we’re already ahead of the game. We also had a vacant chair position filled at the open house, so it was a productive day.”
Last year’s first annual Relay for Life of RM raised $54,000 for the American Cancer Society. Carmichael said that she expects this year’s event to be even more successful. “We’ve been told that when a relay starts for the first year, it starts really small,” she said. “The second year is always much bigger.”
Several event committees had tables set up at the open house to recruit and distribute information. There were also computers with Internet access on site so visitors could register online.
Committee Chair Erin Howard manned the "Fight Back" table, where information about how to get involved in the fight against cancer was distributed. “The American Cancer Society’s theme is ‘working to create a world with more birthdays,’” she said. “That’s kind of what Fight Back is about. We inform and educate people about things they can do to prevent cancer.”
Howard also said that Fight Back serves to make people aware of how their donations and volunteerism works in the fight against cancer. She cited four components employed by the American Cancer Society - research, education, advocacy and service – as the key recipients of fundraising efforts.
New to this year’s advocacy component in the RM event is incorporating the Cancer Action Network (CAN). This is a non-profit sister organization to the American Cancer Society that advocates for public policy changes as it relates to cancer patients, their families and cancer prevention.
Howard cited some examples. “Policy such as smoke-free laws, tobacco taxes and access to health care for the uninsured are all part of advocacy,” she said. “This is one new goal for us in Rancho Murieta this year – to recruit members for CAN.”
Survivorship is another component of the Relay for Life event represented at the open house. Committee co-chair Ginny Macko, herself a 31-year cancer survivor, feels this is a critical piece of the annual fundraising event. “These are the people who come out and show everyone that it can be done,” she said. “They remind us all that you can survive cancer and have more birthdays.”
Sixty-nine RM cancer survivors wearing special t-shirts and carrying a banner were recognized in the 2009 opening ceremony. Macko said she expects more this year, now that the ice has been broken.
“Last year was the first time a Relay for Life was ever held inside a closed community,” she said. “People are hesitant to stand up in front of their neighbors and say, ‘I had cancer.’ But I was quite surprised at how many signed up right before the event.”
Macko went on to remark about one RM survivor who participated in 13 relays in 2009. “Survivors find it very rewarding,” she said. “It catches on.”
Another component that caught on last year was the luminary ceremony that takes place in the evening. Pre-event sales of luminaries took place at the open house.
Carmichael said this piece of the fundraising event was a real crowd pleaser. “The luminary ceremony was an experience that everyone should come back for,” she said. “There were more than 600 luminaries set up around the track last year, and they burned all night. Everyone said it was beautiful.”
There will also be some pre-relay events to help raise money. Special Events Committee Chair Bonnie Burberry was on hand to drum up interest in a wine and appetizer party being held at the RMA building on Feb. 27.
“We’re selling 150 tickets priced at $10,” she said. “We’re pre-selling and hope to sell out before the event, but if we don’t you can buy them at the door.” Tickets are being pre-sold at Murieta Hair Salon.
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