Relay For Life Raises More Than $257,000!!!

My year long hard work and 24 hours without sleep at Relay For Life proved to all be worth it--the 2007 University of Georgia's Relay For Life raised more than $257,000!!!

I woke up yesterday and was so excited because what I had worked so hard for an entire year was finally here. It was so exciting to be at the track and watch teams set up their campsite, greet faculty and survivors and watch our hard work come to life.

Now, I've finally slept and as I continue to think about the event, I'm thrilled to think the Executive Board planned such an awesome fundraiser. Of course, we couldn't have done anything without the team captains, team members and sponsors, so much of my appreciate belongs with them.

I can't believe my final collegiate Relay has come to an end--it's bittersweet. It's time for a fresh face to take over the Public Relations Director position; but, at the same time, I will miss Exec--we've become a family. But at least I can look back on this experience and be proud of what I did and know that for many years to come, UGA will have an AMAZING Relay For Life.

Relay For Life is in The Red & Black...Again!!!

I was thrilled to get a text message today from Hannah, Relay For Life's Special Event Coordinator, telling me that an article about Relay was in the UGA newspaper, The Red & Black.

I randomly ran into an editor of The Red & Black, and we started to talk. As I told her about Relay and the upcoming events, she said she would immediately have a reporter cover the Homerun Derby that UGA softball and Relay are co-sponsoring.

Clearly, the old cliche is true, it helps to be in the right place at the right time!!!

Thank you Red & Black for publishing an article about Relay!!! Hopefully with the article's help, we'll have a GREAT turnout tomorrow!

Relay For Life is T-Minus 8 Days and Counting...

So Relay For Life is almost one week away! I'm so excited, but there is so much to be done before then.

This Saturday, UGA softball and Relay is co-sponsoring a Homerun Derby, which will serve as a fundraiser. UGA athletes, including some football and basketball players, will actually participate in the three-round derby. Spectators will be able to pledge amounts per home run per athlete or make a general donation.

So while I'm organizing and promoting this event, I have to promote the actual Relay event, which is next Friday, April 27. There is so much to do, but fortunately, I can devote myself to Relay for the next couple of days since my classes have calmed down a little bit.

I'm very excited to see Relay unfold...hopefully we will still be the NUMBER ONE College Relay this year, too. It will be our 8th year in a row if so!!!

Virginia Tech, You're in My Thoughts and Prayers

Wow.

My mom called me this morning to tell me about today's tragic events; it stopped me in my tracks. My heart goes out to the families, students, professors, friends and the community of VT. I can't imagine what today must have been like on their campus, nor do I ever want to live through something like that.

It's funny how an event like this can put your life into perspective. One week ago I was completely stressed about how I was going to finish a 200 page project, but today, its such an easy task compared to what these students and faculty faced. Today's events honestly make me realize that the littlest things in life that cause the biggest stresses are still so minute and small in the scheme of things.

I'm so thankful that I'm safe, but I still question why those students weren't. Why them? I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason, but in a situation like this, it's very hard to see and understand the positive that could come from this. I will continually pray for these victims and those who surround them. God bless.

An Interview with Yours Truly!

I was recently approached by a fellow student who asked me if she could interview me for a leadership class she's taking. I was thrilled to do it, and I think its flattering she chose me to do such a task. I have listed the questions below because I'm hoping that my experience may offer some insight to others!

What is your position on Relay?
I am the Relay For Life Public Relations Director

Why did you choose to do this?
I am a PR major, so it just made sense that I would seek out that exec position. But I love Relay for many other reasons, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the nation's largest college Relay.

What does Relay mean to you?
Relay is very important to me for so many reasons. When I was in 3rd grade my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and she continues to fight the battle today, 13 years later, which is truly inspiring. Knowing that American Cancer Society is working to find a cure, it motivates me to work hard for them so that other grandmas can watch their grand children grow.
However, on the other hand, my grandfather died of cancer 2 weeks before I started my freshman year of college. I literally watched him die. When he was well he used to call the Dawgs every time I entered the room since I was going to UGA. But before he died, he didn't even know my name, much less how to call the Dawgs. I lost one of my childhood friends to cancer, too. He died a day before my 18th birthday, and he was buried a few days before our high school graduation. Experiencing this pain first hand, I know that I have to Relay so that one day we will have a cure, and this way no one will ever have to endure the pain of cancer or losing a loved one again.

What events does your team hold prior to Relay?
I'm on the Executive Board, so we're over all of Relay, including the hundred some odd teams that participate in Relay. But as far as an Exec goes, we hold many fundraisers to gain publicity and promote Relay. We've had a date auction, benefit concert and mini fundraisers monthly at Tate. We also had a downtown night where many of the establishments supported Relay teams by decorating their buildings.

Why do you hold these events?
We host these events for publicity and for fundraising. We do these events because knowing you're doing something for a cure is inspiring and that spirit is contagious. We hope to ignite every one's enthusiasm for Relay.

Which have been successes? Which have been failures?
I don't know that I would say any events in particular have been failures, but we can improve on some. Our fundraisers that we host are normally very popular, and therefore are successful. The date auction and the benefit concert was wildly successful. The process of holding events are trail and error--some are great and some can be reworked to make them better.

What leadership qualities are important as a leader of Relay?
Dedication, being committed to the cause, organization, high morale, having GREAT time management skills, willing to do anything for Relay ( i.e., if we raise $500,000 or more, I'll shave my head with some other members of Exec).

Who does your team gain support from? i.e. do you have a lot of community support, etc.
We have a lot of community support. We have support from students, faculty and staff. We have support from the local ACS office, and we have support from other on-campus organizations. Its really cool to see how everyone comes together and fuses their resources to make a successful Relay.

Why do you think these people choose to support you?
Because I think everyone has been affected by cancer--be it that they have/had it, a friend has/had it or maybe even a loved one. Cancer doesn't discriminate--it touches anyone it wants to, so many people are passionate about finding a cure, which is what Relay is all about. Also, we celebrate survivorship, so we love to see survivors walk around the track and get support from the crowd. I think survivors support us too because we celebrate their biggest victory in life: beating cancer.

What has been your biggest challenge with Relay?
Sometimes its hard to get people to fund raise and participate in events because everyone at UGA is so involved with many different amazing organizations, so conflicts can arise in schedules and such. But for the most part, organizing a Relay is hard work, but it is more than worth it.

What events will you have at the actual Relay?
We had an Entertainment chair who organizes a wonderful calendar of events. We have top notch bands, fun performances and games to play, too. We all know it can be challenging to stay awake for such a long period of time, especially near finals, so we do all we can to keep morale high and fun things happening.

What were some of your goals this year?
We want to raise $260,000 or more. And personally, I want to see people come to Relay and want to come back every year. I think participation is awesome and we can only get better and bigger as long as we have campus support.

How do students get involved and if involved, what are their requirements? What do they do?
Students can get involved via so many avenues. They can interview to be on committees, and then move to Exec. They can be on teams, which is the most popular way of involvement. It's very easy to be part of Relay, all you have to do is visit www.uga.edu/relay and sign up via Kintera (there's a link on the website) to start or join a team. There is a $10 registration fee, but that also covers the cost of a Relay shirt.

And finally, what would you say to someone who was unsure about getting involved...what should their motivations be?
I would say of course get involved and stay involved. You make great friends and can network by being involved. But most importantly, I would advise that a person be involved in something that is important to them--be it Relay, intramural sports, Greek life, etc. It's all about finding your passion and being able to channel that passion to the common good of everyone.

I Eat, Sleep and Breath PR Campaigns class...

I'm getting closer to graduation, which is very exciting, but that means that I'm getting even closer to finishing my Campaigns project.

On Monday we had a tactics draft due, and my group wasn't prepared. That's my fault, though. I'm the Account Executive, and I should have been better prepared.

With that said, my group and I have worked around the clock to get our tactics done. In the past 48 hours, 28 of those have spent on Campaigns. I never realized how much work actually goes into planning a campaign. I have a lot more respect for those PR practitioners who work in the agency setting.

As much as I have always said I would never work in an agency, I kind of thrive off of the stress and the unpredictability of planning a campaign. Maybe agency is now an avenue I may consider...

Alcohol: A Cure All!

I, like thousands of others, suffer from allergies, especially because of the pollen. But now there is a fun way to deal with the symptoms.

According to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Ritz-Carlton hotels in downtown Atlanta and Buckhead crafted their own cure: a Loblolly Folly Martini. This yellow vodka martini is dipped in fine yellow sugar and costs $12; but, it is a good way to forget about allergies and the symptoms.

The Area Public Relations Director, Sandra Ryder, named the drink after the Loblolly pine, which produces much of the pollen in Georgia.

As an emerging PR practitioner and an allergy suffer myself, I think this is an amazing PR ploy. This drink is innovative and fun creating hype for the hotel and offers a unique cocktail for their occupants.

Because my allergies are so irritating, I'm tempted to go to the Ritz and experience this martini first hand!