
Relay Gear
Fundraisers earn points for every dollar raised to redeem for Relay products and swag through Relay Rewards. You can also purchase Relay gear through the ACS Event Shop.
Are you a Team Captain? Visit our Team Captain Guide here.
Welcome to Relay For Life!
Thank you so much for registering for the largest global movement to end cancer as we know it, for everyone! I hope it will be as rewarding an experience for you as it has been for me.
This year is particularly special as we celebrate 40 Years of Impact—the 40th anniversary of Relay For Life! For four decades, our community has united to honor survivors, remember loved ones, and take action to create a world free from cancer. Your involvement continues this powerful legacy.
No matter what your connection to cancer is, we know you are here to help impact every cancer, every life.
This guide was developed to help you along your Relay journey—to equip you with information about the mission of the American Cancer Society so you can share it with others and feel proud of your participation. There's also information on how to help fund the mission (fundraise) and prepare for your Relay For Life experience.
I want to THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for joining us as we work together to Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back!
Becky VanLoon
National Lead Volunteer, Relay For Life
Share your reason to Relay with supporters. Include a brief introduction with your page title and share why you are involved with Relay. Include up to two photos and a YouTube video!
Share your fundraising page with supporters and ask for a donation!
Pro tip: Think about how to best communicate with your potential donors. If you normally text, send your link through text. If you keep up through Facebook, send your personal page link through Facebook Messenger.
Download the FUNdraising App: Text and email friends, accept donations, and track your fundraising goal through our mobile FUNdraising App.
Fundraising is a lot easier than you think! The first step? Set a fundraising goal. Setting a goal to work toward will help you stay focused and driven. Next, determine what type of fundraising you will do and how long you are going to be fundraising.
For fundraising ideas, check out these great ideas: Fundraising Ideas Database
You work hard to raise money for Relay For Life, and we want to make sure you know how much we appreciate it!
Once you raise a minimum of $100, you will join our Hope Club, a group of dedicated participants who have achieved this fundraising goal. You will also receive our special Hope Club shirt to wear proudly at your event.
Raise $1,000 to for entry into the Grand Club or $2,500 for entry into our All Star Club. Both fundraising clubs come with exclusive member benefits, special gifts, and bragging rights.
The Relay Rewards program is our way of thanking you for your creativity and passion. You’ll earn points for every dollar raised online to help us defeat cancer. ACS RFL Program (shopacsrewards.org)
Discovery
Advocacy
Patient Support
Relay day is an exciting and meaningful experience. Communities gather together to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against cancer. It is a great opportunity to raise additional funds by providing goods and services for a donation. Think snacks, souvenirs even additional luminaria bags!
A traditional Relay celebration often takes place around the track of a school, community center, or park. Relayers come to spend the day or night sometimes staying up to 24 hours! Relay typically opens with a huge survivor celebration where survivors are honored while they take the first lap. The day progresses with activities, fundraisers, and FUN. As the evening approaches, participants prepare for the Luminaria Ceremony. This powerful ceremony takes place after the sun goes down and is a time to remember loved ones lost and to honor those whose fight continues. A silent lap is taken around the track. Walkers continue to walk the track until the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony is a time to once again celebrate! This celebration focuses on the amazing things done by the community, volunteers, and participants.
While each type of celebration is unique and requires a few different supplies, there is one thing they all need YOUR PASSION!
Relay For Life Packing List
Relay For Life is all about celebrating! We celebrate survivors. We celebrate teams and fundraising. Relay For Life celebrations are as different and unique as the communities they represent. You can invite anyone and everyone to a traditional Relay For Life celebration. In fact, the more the merrier. Send out save-the-date emails and texts and make phone calls to invite as many people as possible or use our social media assets to spread the word online!
Make your luminaria ceremony more impactful. Share with friends and family to honor and remember their loved ones with a donation.
We come together as a community to fight back against cancer. Invite your family and friends to attend the event and support you and your fellow Relayers' fundraising efforts.
Commit to finding ways to fight back against cancer.
From event committee roles to event day needs, we have a volunteer role for you!
Relay Gear
Fundraisers earn points for every dollar raised to redeem for Relay products and swag through Relay Rewards. You can also purchase Relay gear through the ACS Event Shop.
This isn’t what I wanted.
Cancer has touched all of us in some way. And we want to stop this disease in its tracks. We'll spend the next few weeks fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Then, on the day of the event, we'll honor the lives lost to cancer, celebrate survivors, and support the caregivers who so selflessly help others.
Together, we'll be a part of making a difference in this important cause.