They did so by using a variety of small events including selling Red Wheel products, serving ice-cream at Cold Stone Creamery, a car wash, having a Poker Tournament, and selling baked goods at work.

Christine tells us the results of the team’s efforts, “We made over $6,000, and made the all-star team at the Bronze level. We did this in less than six weeks! We ended up in 9th place fundraising, over many corporate teams, and were the only non-corporate team at the Bronze level.”

Some organizations raise funds with just one large event. Skyline Telephone Membership Corporation of North Carolina has been a supporter since 1995. Each year they hold a fundraising dinner, and for the last few years have featured prime rib. Tickets are $100 per couple (which is a typical amount charged by other non-profit groups in the area for similar fund-raising projects), and preparations are made for 250 people. The company averages around $6,000 raised each year with this one event.

Karen Powell, Public Relations Manager, says, “We are blessed with employees who can do this kind of cooking, and for employees who are willing to give of their time to participate. It makes it easier for our team as a whole to raise funds by doing a single event like this and to feel that we are making a difference in the fight against cancer.”

Holding a fundraiser outside of work can be an advantage to a corporate team. Karen adds, “It also allows us to share the Relay for Life story with our friends and neighbors and to let them know that the money raised for the ACS also gets used right here in our own community through the various programs.”

As Relay for Life is a community effort, fundraising events that foster the team spirit are very popular. The Thagard Team at Florida State University held several fundraiser events including a chili cookoff and dance.

Your team can certainly take some tips from the Pottstown, PA Relay for Life. The Pottstown relay has been an annual event since 1998 and is more successful every year. In 2003 the Relay as a whole raised $566,683, making it the #2 Relay in the State and #11 out of 3800 Relays in the NATION. Visit the Pottstown Relay website to read about the fundraisers of the various teams.

However your team raises money for Relay, enthusiasm and team work are key. Gather input from all your team members and organize events well, whether it’s one big event or several small events. When your team works together toward a common goal, you can achieve amazing results.

It is wonderful to know that our efforts to raise money for cancer research and support programs are making a difference!

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The Radios Station’s events coordinator and top sales person helped put the event together behind the scenes. I was also able to use my years of fundraising and marketing to help co-chair this very worthy cause. The event planning started 1 year in advance to secure the golf course and about 8 months in advance to secure the band. The event took about 6 months of detail planning before the event.The event had a major sponsor for the event, which received a TMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) advertisement campaign for the event. They also secured the Casino as a secondary major sponsor, the casino also sponsored the Texas Hold-em’ game, and Vic Ferrari band.

Here is a run down for Friday 6-25-04:

Entry fee for each golfer was $70.00, which included golf, meal and 2 tickets to see Vic Ferrari. Golfers could register on line at the radio stations web site or the golf course it was held at.

Our team started to arrive on the golf course around 5:30 am to get the holes set up.

7:30am shotgun start and breakfast. Golfers received goodie bags full of stuff from local businesses. Most holes had some type of sponsor doing some type of business networking, food, beverages, games and prizes. Members of the sales team drove around the golf course all day long selling raffle tickets to guests to help raise more money.

12:30 pm another shotgun start. Some of the band members also golfed at this time. Those people were just a riot on the golf course. They kept all the guests in stitches, which really made for a fun time. The radio station also had their best early morning talent golf at the 12:30 time for good PR on the course.

The course held 288 golfers total, however our first shotgun start was not completely full. Next year we decided not do the early bird shotgun start as the band drew in a lot more people. The team chairing the event was also dead tired by the time 1:00am rolled around after the band ended.

1:30-4:30pm Texas Hold-em game - to hold over the early 7:30 am golfers so they wouldn’t leave the event. We asked people to make a donation to the charity to play. The Casino also offered incentives for player to join their Rewards Club. The Casino also gave away prizes during the game.

5:00 PM, The radio station purchased a $5,000.00 and 1 Million Dollar insurance policy for a hole in one. The $5,000.00 policy was for a 50 feet putt that was on a very difficult green. They had 2 people make the hole in one. The Radio station is currently playing a radio spot from the winners thanking the station and Casino for sponsoring the $5,000.00 hole in one. Make A Wish foundation is also receiving additional mentions, which is great PR for all people involved.

The Million Dollar Shoot out was a hole in one on the #5 hole. On the hole the Casino sponsored golfers played a game called Beat the Dealer. If the golfer pulled an Ace they received one entry form for the drawing. The Casino was only using 26 card and all 4 Aces for the game so more golfers had a chance at the drawing. The drawing was held after the 5,000.00 insurance putt was done. Once all the golfers were done golfing 3 names were pulled out of the eligible golfers who pulled an Ace earlier. The 3 golfers were taken back out to the golf course with the stations top radio talent and a crowd of people to see if they could make a hole in one. None of the golf’s made a hole in one.

6:00 PM Pig roast dinner and raffle prizes give away. Golfers had to be present to win. (Great marketing tactic to keep your crowd around for the events) They also gave away prizes for the team with the best score and the team with the worst score. And they also had some other goofy prized for crazy things that happened on the golf course throughout the day.

8:30 PM the band started. A majority of the golfers stayed and they opened it to the public. They charged $8.00 in advance for tickets and $10.00 at the door. All the ticket sales were profit as the Casino paid for the band. The band set up under a huge tent that was brought in and set up on the driving range. They played from 8:30 until a little after midnight.

Budweiser was one of the major sponsors for alcohol consumption. A can of beer was $3.00 or 4/$10.00 they brought in 2 very large trucks (what I could call Ryder Trucks full of Beer and beverage) Bottle water $2.00 and Soda $2.00. Guests could go into the clubhouse or the main building to get a mixed drink if they wanted.

Results and Evaluation

All the totals are not in yet, but they think they sold over 1,500 tickets for the band not to mention all the beverages that were sold. The clean up crew started around 6:00 am Saturday to start to clean up the driving range from all the trash so the tent company could come in and take the huge tent down and the Port-A-John people could come in and take those off the golf course. Of all the events I have ever chaired before this was the most fun I have ever had at an event but the most exhausting in terms of time commitment for almost 2 very long days for the event. However the reward was well worth not getting any sleep for almost 2 nights.

Over all the event was a huge success for the charity. We all agreed by midnight that the double shotgun start had to go for next year as the band brought in tons of people who consumed a lot of beverages. (Translation… more profits) The event had around 15 members from the station running the event and myself. They used 2 way radios and cell phones all day long to communicate, which really helped all the staff members that were working the event.

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