SMU’s Relay for Life team has won an award for its fundraising efforts last spring.
The American Cancer Society recognized the board’s work in an Oct. 25 ceremony. Last April, Relay raised $120,000 for its 12-hour event.
After subtracting $10,000 for event costs and logistics, the university raised a net total of $110,000, which landed fourth place nationwide for universities of its size.
Relay is sponsored by the Panhellenic council, but it isn’t officially a chartered organization. It receives no money from the university and has to make up event costs on its own.
According to Co-Chair of Production Jessica Parr, graduate students and faculty are included in the university’s “population bucket” of 10,000 to 14,999.
“We were hoping we would be in the smaller bucket of 5,000 to 9,999″ since no graduate students participated last year,” she said. Had that been the case, SMU would’ve taken the top spot.
But the Relay board is looking to change all that this year. According to Chair Blair Paterson, involvement has been traditionally Greek because of the Panhellenic sponsorship. But “we need all the support we can get from professors, law students, MBA students, and of course every student organization on campus,” she said.
“Getting no funding from the university makes it especially hard to raise money and have underwriting costs,” she added.
Jamie Sloan is the American Cancer Society’s community manager for development. Sloan works with SMU’s Relay board and supplies members with information, helps with training, and secures corporate sponsorships.
“Over the fiscal year 2005 the Relay increase revenue by $27,000,” he said, adding that “I do appreciate all of the hard work and commitment that the Relay for Life leadership … has.”
Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s largest annual fundraiser. This year’s Relay will be held April 13 at 6 p.m. on the Boulevard where groups will take turns walking for 12 hours. The Cancer Society provides Web sites and e-mail forms for teams to help them solicit donations.
According to Parr, the e-mail campaigns are generally where the bulk of the funds come from.
SMU’s Relay has its own Web site, though (smurelay.com), where groups can sign up. A minimum of eight members is required, and members are expected to raise $100 each.
Paterson encouraged students to sign up even if it’s not with a student organization.
“You can sign up with friends – you can definitely get a group,” she said.
Paterson added that this year’s event should be a lot like last year’s.
“We’re trying to improve [and have] more fun events, such as a wing-eating contest … we’re having a choir come in for the luminaria ceremony, where we honor and remember those who have lost and won the battle with cancer,” she said.
Most importantly, though, students should know that after covering event costs, all of the money they raise goes to fight cancer.
“Every dollar that is raised for Relay for Life goes 100 percent to cancer patients and research, education advocacy and support,” said Paterson.
