On your mark… get set…. RELAY!

As you can see, Relay is off to an amazing start this year! The UVA community is well on its way towards another great year; one that is full of more hope and fighting than ever before. With 75 executive members, this year’s committee is one of the biggest and baddest we’ve seen. So look out, there are huge things in store for 2012-2013!

Already, there have been many firsts this year from new events on the scene to skyrocketing turnouts and participation. On September 22, Relay kick-started the year with their first ever benefit concert, “Concert for a Cure,” featuring four of UVA’s best a cappella groups. Many thanks to AVP, The Virginia Sil’Hooettes, Hoos in Treble, and the New Dominions for putting on a phenomenal show and helping us raise over $2000 dollars for the American Cancer Society.  

It doesn’t stop there.  Relay hosted their 4^th annual Fight Cancer 5k on October 13^th. Bright and early, crowds began to gather in Monroe Plaza, and with 440 people registered, there were over 100 more participants than last year. A special shout out goes out to all those who ran despite their numb fingers and toes.  That morning, we raised over $2600 for the ACS, but the community’s willingness to share why they relay was equally inspiring. Check out the picture below; you might be in it!

We’re just keeping it coming… Although it is only a few months into the school year, UVA’s Relay for Life has already fundraised over $11,000 dollars.  We still have a lot of work to do to reach our goal of $113,000 but with all the planned upcoming events, we have high hopes of achieving that and more. We’re incredibly excited for the big spring event, there are already 65 teams and 200 people registered, and as we get closer and closer to the spring we can’t wait to see how high those numbers will jump! If you haven’t signed up, get to it! Come Relay with us!

Relay Love,
Relay For Life at UVA

One Last Push Towards A Relay to Remember

Well, it’s been a fantastic year, but we’re not finished yet! We have just hours to go until the event of the year: Relay For Life. It’s time, however, to remember, remember that we Relay for those battling cancer day by day, those who won, and those who lost. We have survivors within our own community, and today we’re going to explore just one story, and, hopefully, get inspired to bring in those last few dollars right before the big night.

Leigh Barie, a second year here at UVA, has been around the track and back; battling a brain tumor at the very young age of ten. She recounts that after taking a few too many falls at a family ski trip, she exhibited signs of a concussion. After a few tests, she remembers hearing that “I was shockingly diagnosed with brain cancer and within a month I found myself on the operating table at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, fighting for my survival against impossible odds.” Can you imagine? A family ski trip turned towards the absolute worst-case scenario. I, for one, am trying to understand what it must have been like for Barie, to hear words no-one should ever hear, let alone a ten-year-old little girl.

Thankfully, Barie had a wonderful support group behind her during this incredibly difficult time of her life, a group lead by her own mother. Barie recounts, “Although I will forever be indebted to the doctors and nurses who were my own personal miracle-workers, giving me a second chance in life, it is my mother who will always be my hero.  It was in the hospital that I came to realize the overwhelming power of a mother's love, for only she could tenderly comb through what was left of my tangled hair, matted with blood and pieces of flesh; only she could look at my swollen and battered face and not burst into tears, always keeping a brave face on for my sake; only she could sleep in a chair by my side, never letting go of my hand.” Her mother, through thick and thin, was there for her. Even to this day, Barie holds and incredible amount of respect and love with her mother, and these two incredible women share a bond with a strength not often seen.

As we Relay, we must remember WHY we Relay. During that first, momentous lap, let’s keep in our hearts the memories of Barie and her family, the stories we all hold, the memories we all have. Remember that this Relay just isn’t about raising money (although it is incredibly important). Relay is about recognizing that Cancer Never Sleeps, So Neither Do We. We walk to share the cause, and bring hope to those who suffer, as well as those who survive.

Let’s have the best Relay ever everyone,

Relay Love,

Relay For Life at UVA

Cupcakes for Relay: What Could be Sweeter???

Now, as we get closer and closer to the BIG NIGHT, it seems appropriate to throw out a little shout out to a local cupcake shop that has shown an incredible amount of support for Relay For Life at UVA.

Tara Koenig, owner of SweetHaus on Main Street, has been supporting Relay for the past few months by donating a portion of the profit for every cupcake with purple frosting to Relay For Life at UVA. Her incredible generosity has provided a huge boost for fundraising, and it seems fitting that in the final countdown we get to know really who Tara Koenig is, and what prompted her to get involved with Relay here at UVA.

When asked about how she became involved with Relay at UVA, she recounts that she was sought after by students from Relay looking to see if she was interested in a fundraiser. As she says, “[I] was happy to be asked and to be able to offer support.” These cupcakes have not only been sold in the shop, but also by students on grounds to, not only raise funds for Relay, but also (a happy side effect) to spread the word about SweetHaus. Koenig states, “I was really excited when Kate Belza offered to sell our cupcakes on the lawn.” So excited, in fact, that she increased her donation from fifty cents to seventy-five cents per cupcake! “I really appreciate their time and effort to come and pick up the cupcakes at the shop as well as spend their time selling them on the lawn.” This arrangement has definitely been a win-win for both SweetHaus and Relay.

We all know that working for Relay is incredibly satisfying, but what does Koenig find to be the best part about sponsoring this fundraiser? “Incorporating charity into something people are excited to do on a regular basis, like eating cupcakes, makes you feel good in every possible way. You are getting a sweet treat, you are donating to charity, and hopefully eventually you will have participated in saving a life! I have learned that every little cent can add up to make a difference. It’s true in business, and it’s true in fundraising!” Koenig’s business experience has given her a new perspective that we are glad to have supporting our Relay event, and we are all, I’m sure, incredibly grateful to Koenig for her involvement these last few months.

However, this stellar owner of SweetHaus isn’t just incredibly generous. Koenig, as well as many of us, has her own cancer story, and a close-to-the-heart reason for providing support for Relay For Life. Koenig lost her only sister, only 34 years old, to cancer only six years ago. As stated on her website, Koenig is “often struck by how many people I come into contact with who have also suffered the loss of a loved one from cancer.” Her own personal story has helped to forge a wonderful bond between a new, up and coming business within in the Charlottesville community and Relay at UVA. When we all work together, it is amazing what we can do to utilize the communities created by cancer to work for a cure, and many, many more birthdays.

So, maybe in these last days before Relay, you’ll find yourself out at SweetHaus doing a little bit of good not only for Relay, but also for yourself (who doesn’t love a good cupcake?)! Let’s get those last cents in right before the big night!

As always, with Relay-Love,

Relay For Life at UVA

Going Greek: ZBT Comes to the Front as a Top Team in This Year's Relay

As the March Madness tournament continues, we find ourselves left to 8 teams left as they compete to win not only the prestige of beating out 31 other teams in this fundraising battle, but also $50 dollars and points towards their team! This week, we thought it might be interesting to interview one of the teams in the top eight: ZBTeam, and get some insight onto how they feel about getting their fraternity involved in Relay For Life.

When asked about his own involvement with Relay For Life through ZBT, Matthew Fay responded, “It’s a group effort, and a great bonding opportunity.” He explained that each member of the fraternity has made an effort to get involved in fundraising. They all donate, and whenever any of them are available, they work together to raise money for Relay. However, although all the brothers work together as they battle it out for the number one spot on the bracket, as a team, they really depend on their philanthropy chair, Josh Stroker. As Bryan Kadlec, a second year engineer put it, “We have a fine philanthropy chair.” As chair, Stroker has put in hours of work not only organizing their fundraiser, ZBT’s Lemonade on the Lawn, but also making all of the baked goods to be sold himself. Kadlec reports that he is “proud of Josh more than anybody.” Stroker has said to him and other members of the fraternity that getting involved in Relay is the most amazing project he has undertaken so far in his two years here at UVA. “It was his job to organize it, but he’s definitely been the most involved. However, we all try to help him as best we can; it hasn’t been just him,” said Fay, while elaborating on the influence Stroker has had on the organization of ZBT’s awesome effort to raise money for this year’s Relay For Life.

Although Stroker has taken the lead (rightfully so) on moving ZBT up (hopefully) into the final four, it is obvious that the entire fraternity is proud of what they have accomplished so far. Alex Weinberg, a first year pledge, reports that until he pledged for ZBT, he hadn’t really heard of Relay For Life. However, he has stated that he feels “proud” of his fraternity for all the hard work they’re all putting in.

When asked about how the brothers felt about representing a greek organization, all agreed that they hoped to perhaps inspire other fraternities and sororities to get involved as well. As Fay put it, “I would really recommend other fraternities to do it, I mean, it’s a really good cause.” Kadlec agreed. “We hope to start a trend.”

Confident in their chance at the title of March Madness Champion for 2012, the brothers present during the interview joked around about why they thought it would be incredible to win. Fay stated, “It’s not a competition,” only to be quickly countered by Kadlec, who earnestly insisted it was. “However,” he qualified soon after, “If we win, it means we raise a lot of money.”

ZBT is quickly emerging as one of the most successful teams in this year’s Relay event. Let’s all try to share the same enthusiasm as we push into the final two weeks till Relay 2012!

As always, with Relay Love,

Relay For Life at UVA

HOO Needs Some Inspiration?

Hello Everyone!

In honor of Relay For Life at UVA’s TENTH anniversary (woo-hoo!), we thought that this week it would be great to talk a little bit about a fellow school’s Relay For Life program, as well as look at our own goals for the future of Relay here at UVA.

Virginia Tech boasts one of the most successful Relay programs in the country. In 2009, they were the first collegiate Relay to surpass $500,000 raised, which is absolutely incredible! In 2011, just last year, they raised an AMAZING $600,000+! As a three-time receiver of the American Cancer Society’s Gordy Klatt Award, Virginia Tech’s Relay For Life serves as the standard to which other collegiate programs can aspire to.*

However, by sharing Virginia Tech’s track record, I don’t mean to say that UVA just has a “long way to go” in terms of our own success as an event. Rather, I hope to encourage our own participants to go above and beyond this year, making our 2012 Relay the BEST YET! And look, we’ve already come so far! In UVA’s first year of hosting Relay For Life, the participants raised only $2,420 (hey, every dollar counts!). But, within five short years, we raised over FIFTY times that amount, reaching $127,925! Just look at what we have accomplished already, raising over $650,000! I don’t know about you all, but our history gives me so much hope for the future success of our own Relay program. Let's keep those numbers in our heads for the next month as we speed away towards the big day! We are well on our way to reaching our $100,000 goal, but there is still a ways to go!

We have less than a month left until the big night, so take some inspiration from Virginia Tech, as well as from our own success, and make that effort to recruit one more person this week, raise one more dollar, send one more email. Every effort counts!

Until next week, and with Relay-Love,

Relay For Life at UVA

*Interested in learning more about Relay For Life at Virginia Tech? 

Click here: Virginia Tech Relay For Life Article

2012 One More Day Campaign

Today, February 29^th, is very important one for the South Atlantic Division of Relay For Life. Taking advantage of this one extra day, Relay is encouraging every Relay team to participate in the One More Day campaign by asking us, “What would you do with one more day?”

What a great question.

With the end goal of raising 2.12 million dollars in two days, our Relay division has taken on an enormous challenge. However, if we read the responses of our fellow Relayers have submitted as to what they would do with one more day, this goal doesn’t seem quite so difficult to attain. The passion and drive that is present in Relayers across the division is so empowering that I think we should all take some time to read other’s stories, and inspire ourselves to make a difference on this one extra day.

Here, UGA Relay shares with us the story of Mary Evelyn. 

Although she has lost her battle with cancer, along with countless others, Mary Evelyn continues to live in hearts, and minds. On this day, the 29^th of February, let’s all remember those who didn’t make it, cheer for those who have, and hope for those whose futures are still unclear. Take some time and go to your Relay page and send out some emails, and ask youself:

What would YOU do with one more day?

Relay-Love,

Relay For Life at UVA

Why Do You Relay: Zoe's Story

Not sure what to tell people when they ask you why you relay, or what Relay For Life even is? Zoe Hardy shares her story with us of what the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life have meant to her throughout the years…

My name is Zoë Hardy and I am a third year majoring in American Studies. This year I am participating in my 10th Relay. Every year I enjoy getting more involved by taking on greater responsibilities and commitments. The last two years of high school I was the Youth Chair on the Executive Planning Committee for Relay of Virginia Beach and when I came to UVa I joined the Executive Committee and was selected to be the Logistics Chair.

Relay was the first activity I became involved in when I got to UVA, I could probably wear a different Relay shirt every day for a month without having to do laundry (you think I am kidding but I am not) and I just really love the spirit and community that comes out of participating in Relay For Life.

Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society are truly remarkable organizations. Since its inception in 1913, the American Cancer Society has been working to save lives through research, education, advocacy, and service. 40 years ago, people smoked in elevators, at work, and even in doctors’ offices—today we hear this and think that it is crazy, but it would have never changed if it were not for the aggressive initiatives sponsored by the American Cancer Society informing people of the risks associated with smoking.

Besides all of the great work the American Cancer Society has done over the years, I was also motivated to join Relay on a personal level. When I was younger my family and I would always go skiing up in Vermont with my dad’s Uncle Pat and his family around Valentine’s Day. We would ski all day and then come back to the timeshare and have dinner and play games, go in the hot tub. One year; however, we could no longer go skiing with my Uncle Pat because he had passed away from cancer. I was only in elementary school when this happened, but I truly miss him and wish that cancer had not taken him away.

Just last year my Grandpa Tom was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors said that the cancer did not look good. Fortunately, because of the work being done by the American Cancer Society there was a clinical trial being performed at Duke that he qualified for and was able to participate. He has been responding well to the medicine and is currently fighting a courageous battle with this awful disease. I wish I could say that these are the only people in my life that have been affected by cancer, but there are many more, including family friends and fellow Relayers.

I Relay because I want to see an end to cancer. I Relay to help raise money for important services and programs that support cancer patients and their families every step of the way. I Relay because cancer has affected people in my life whom I love. I Relay to raise money for more clinical trials and programs to help patients while fighting cancer. I Relay to remember those that have lost their battle with cancer. I Relay For Life.