I Won't Sleep 'Til We Cure Cancer!

I've finally realized that I'll never achieve some of my childhood dreams: I'll never be an astronaut; I won't hit a World Series-winning home run and I probably won't get to be the cute kid singing in the Oscar-Mayer commercials.

But I'm okay with that -- because I'm helping to find a cure for cancer. Want to help?

On Friday May 16 through Saturday May 17, the Relay for Life will be coming to Tallmadge High School. The American Cancer Society's signature event, the Relay For Life is an overnight event that brings communities together to learn about, and raise money for, the fight against cancer. The Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten,
that those who face cancer will be supported and that one day cancer will be eliminated.

My team will attempt to raise at least $10,000 for cancer research and join more than 20 other teams as we camp out at Tallmadge High School and walk around the track for 24 hours. How can you help? There are several ways:

• Be my sponsor! Any donation is welcome and checks made out to The American Cancer Society are tax deductible!
• Come walk with us! You are welcome to join us on the track May 16-17 to
walk 1 lap, 1 mile, 1 hour or whatever you would like. There will be a variety of activities to participate in including my team's fundraiser:

"Smash A Car For Cancer." You'll have the chance to symbolically crush cancer by swinging a sledgehammer at a poor, defenseless car. Three swings for a dollar!

• Buy a Luminaria for a loved one! In an incredibly moving special ceremony after dark, luminarias bearing the names of cancer survivors and victims will encircle the track. Each luminaria is just $10.

The dreams I had as a child may have passed me by, but I hope you'll help make the dream of a cure for cancer a reality. The Relay For Life's tagline is "There is no finish line until we find a cure." I hope you'll join the march.

Fundraising Tips

10 Easy Ways to Raise $250

1. Donate $20 yourself and ask four friends for $20 each
2. Ask 20 friends to donate $5 each
3. Ask 10 friends to donate $10 each
4. Send a letter to family and friends, explaining what Relay is and ask for a donation. Suggestion: Always ask for more than you expect. Example: If you want $25, ask for $50. Be sure to include a due date to send a donation.
5. Send a letter from your pet to family and friends. You might also want to send this out to your veterinarian.
6. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Knock on doors and ask your neighbors for their support.
7. Arrange a dress-down day at work. Anyone dressing down will have to pay. Be sure you have a sign that says, "Please excuse our appearance today, we are dressing down to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life." You could charge anywhere from $1 to $5 per person to dress down. You could arrange these on a weekly or monthly basis.
8. Arrange with the principal of a local school for baseball cap day. Usually caps are not allowed, however, for $1, once a month, a student could wear a baseball cap in class. Be sure to have a sign ready that says, "Caps for a Cure - you will see students today sporting baseball caps as a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life."
9. Hold a can & bottle drive.
10. Collect donations by displaying cut-out suns and moons that are available through your American Cancer Society staff partner. These can be in honor or in memory of loved ones.