Welcome to Cumberland County's Largest Slumber Party, the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of South Portland, Maine! Friday & Saturday, June 11th and 12th, 2010 6:00pm to 7:00am at the South Portland High School
About Registration Survivors Events Fundraising Luminaria Logistics Sponsors Help The American Cancer Society The Relay For Life How You Can Help Where The Money Goes How Your Dollars Make A Difference 2009 Cancer Facts & Figures What Is The Relay For Life? How It Started The History Of The South Portland Relay Pictures Start A Team Join A Team Register As A Survivor (Not On A Team) Info For Youth Teams Our Registered Teams Sign Up, Set Up, & Send The Definition Of A Cancer Survivor Register As A Survivor For Relay Survivors & Caregivers At Relay Calendar of Events Relay Event Schedule Online Fundraising Fundraising Ideas Become a Relay For Life Pacesetter! Fundraising Club Matching Gifts 10 Easy Ways To Raise $250 10 Quick & Easy Ideas ABC's of Fundraising Example Fundraising Letters Fundraising For Kids From A To Z Onsite Fundraising Ideas Tips For Individuals Tips For Teams Miscellaneous Ideas The Luminaria Ceremony Luminaria Order Form Buying Luminaria Online Campsites 2010 Campsite Selection Suggested Items To Bring Relay Guidelines Parking At Relay Walking Schedule Advantages of Sponsorship Our Sponsors Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsorship Agreement Checklists Driving Directions Links Contact Us Team Captain Checklist Team Member Checklist

Team Captain Checklist

A team captain leads a team of 8 to 15 people to participate in the Relay For Life, raise money, and increase awareness of the fight against cancer.  To get started, please contact us to request a team captain packet, or better yet, pick one up at one of our team captain meetings.  Please specify if your team is a youth team (participants under the age of 18) or not, as youth teams get a slightly different packet with a few additional forms to complete.

Whether you are a new team captain or a "seasoned veteran" of Relay, this list should help you and your team be successful!

1.  Form a team and register.

• Find 8 to 15 people - friends, family, or coworkers - for your team.  Ask in person, make phone calls, or use blast emails to get the word out.  (Once you've registered for Relay online, you can do this right from your Participant Center.)  Ask people you know and have them ask people they know.  Get your workplace involved.  Relay is for everyone; it is a true community event, with all ages participating.
• Find a co-captain to help you manage the team.  Look for someone who is passionate and willing to learn, and who could eventually captain the team!
• Recruit members who can help run the team.  Divide up responsibilities such as recruitment (recruits new members for the team), logistics (organizes team activities and sets up the day of Relay), registration (ensures that all team members have registered online or turned in forms and fees), luminaria (collects the completed luminaria forms, assembles the bags, places them around the track, and reads the names during our luminaria ceremony), and fundraising (organizes team fundraisers).
• Register online as soon as possible.  Please refer to these helpful instructions for signing up, setting up your pages, and sending emails with our website.  It's important for you and your team to register early so you can start receiving important news and updates from the Planning Committee via email.

2.  Educate yourself.

• Learn about Relay For Life and the mission of the American Cancer Society. Talk to your Society staff partner and members of your planning committee for more information.
• Spend time on www.cancer.org to learn all about the services, resources, and information the American Cancer Society has available, day or night.
• Visit www.relayforlife.org for great resources, fundraising ideas, and online fundraising options.  This website, your Relay For Life planning committee, and your American Cancer Society staff partner are wonderful resources - be sure to use them.
• Attend all team captain meetings to get important information, and keep checking this website for updates.

3.  Start fundraising.

• Set your team goal.  The goal should be at least $100 per person, plus a pre-event fundraiser for your team, an on-site fundraiser, and any team sponsor income you might have.
• Ask family and friends to support you.  Once you register your team online, you and your team members can use the site to send emails that include links to your individual and team pages and allow supporters to make credit card donations securely online.
• Track your fundraising progress.  If your team is registered online, you will be able to monitor how well you are advancing toward your goal right on your team page.  Individuals can also see their progress toward their personal goal.
• Plan team fundraisers, such as car washes, bake sales, and garage sales.  Many great ideas can be found on this website (under the "Fundraising" menu item above) and on www.relayforlife.org.  Be sure to tell us about your fundraisers so we can list them on our Calendar of Events page and help you promote them.
• Encourage your team members to collect contributions for luminaria.  Donations for luminaria can be made online, and forms are available to collect these contributions so that candle lanterns can be properly dedicated.
• Plan a fundraising activity for your campsite at Relay.  Make it fun!  Or food.  People love food in the middle of the night as they're walking.  Or pretty much anytime, really!
• Compete with other teams.  It's easy to stay motivated when you're trying to win.  With a goal of eliminating cancer, everyone can get in the competitive spirit.
• Attend Bank Night to turn in money your team has collected.  Each team member's envelope should contain any cash or check contributions with the member's name and team name clearly marked.  T-shirts are available for pick-up for those who register by the registration deadline.

4.  Promote your team and message.

• Create a team theme.  It can be cancer-related, such as Give Cancer The Boot (a western theme), Wizard of Oz ("Follow the Yellow Brick Road to a Cure"), or Fishing for a Cure (fishing rods and fish).  Decorate your campsite to fit your theme.  Be creative!
• Dedicate your team in honor of a cancer survivor or in memory of someone close to you.  Tell that person's story.
• Promote a cancer message to increase awareness and prevention.  Talk to your mission education chairperson on the planning committee for ideas.

5.  Communicate.

• Hold regular team meetings to build spirit and keep everyone informed.
• Use the information you receive at Relay Team Captain Meetings to help set your agenda for team meetings.  For example, during your first team meeting, introduce the event, set goals, distribute materials, and invite a cancer survivor to speak.  During your second meeting, plan team and on-site fundraisers.  At your third meeting, plan day-of logistics and collect money.
• Share Relay news and updates with every team member.
• If you and your team members are all registered online, you can share information by sending emails through your Participant Center.
• Stay in touch with members;  find out if they have questions or if they need help.
• Be sure your team knows what to expect at the event.
• Tell team members about this website!  There is a wealth of information here, and we update the site frequently.
• Have you and your team become fans of our Facebook page!  Yet another way to keep in touch, find out what's going on with our Relay, share stories, brainstorm, and ask questions of your fellow Relayers!

6.  Invite survivors and caregivers to Relay.

• Invite cancer survivors on your team to join the survivor lap that kicks off the event.  Survivors do not have to be a member of a team to participate in the Relay For Life.
• Encourage survivors to bring their caregivers, who will also be honored.
• Survivors can register for our event through this link.

7.  Invite new teams to join us at Relay!

• We can never have too many people supporting the fight against cancer, so please help us spread the word about Relay and bring new teams to our event!

8.  Plan to have fun!

• Schedule your team members to walk at different times during the event, so at least one person from your team is on the track at all times.
• Ask team members to volunteer for jobs during the Relay: setting up campsites, taking pictures, and cleaning up at the end of the Relay.
• Thank your team members for their commitment to participate.  Pass along the information you learn at Team Captain Meetings.  Make sure your team knows where to meet at the event, what to bring, what the guidelines are for our Relay, where they can park, and what time to be there.  Give each team member a warm welcome when they arrive!

9.  Information specific to our youth team captains.

• Youth teams are made up of participants under the age of 18.  Our youth team captains have some special responsibilities above and beyond those of other team captains.  Please visit this link for information on a few additional forms that youth teams must turn in.