We just had our Golden Days Parade here in Fairbanks. That was the sign that was on the front of our float. Our Relay at this point has raised over $264,000 for 2010. Our Relay has 66 teams and our GCI Team has raised close to $25,000. By the end of August we will have reached it. Our team is the top team in Fairbanks.
Don & I co-chaired the event for the past 4 years. It was a great experience, but we are passing the leadership on for next year. We also have been the Online chairs for the same amount of time. We first started our team with Relay in 2002 – a year after Don was done with chemo from colon cancer. Don is a 10 year colon cancer survivor and a 5 year prostate cancer survivor. Participating in Relay is very important to us and we will always be involved at some level.
The money we all raise helps fund research, education, advocacy and services in our community. We truly believe that together we all do make a difference. They have a mission statement that I quote at every opportunity because it is a statement that has meaning to it. “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the HOPE that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten; those facing cancer will be supported and that one day cancer will be eliminated.” That statement is why we do what we do.
We have been collecting cell phones and ink jet cartridges for the past several years. We have a collection box at a local phone company and once a week we pick them up. Once we have collected 50 or more, we box them and mail them to Phoneraiser in Addison Texas. They provide the mailing labels to ship. It is a win win win situation. This past Relay season we have raised over $3500 for our Relay For Life team. There are so many reasons to recycle cell phones. Each cell phone has 8 toxic elements and if one gets in the landfill it contaminates 35,000 gallons of water which is enough water for 153 people for a year. With each major cell phone promotion, millions of people will upgrade to get the latest technology. All of their old cell phones are just waiting to be recycled. It is a simple, easy and responsible way to make money for your Relay For Life team. I know we will continue to do it here in Fairbanks. This has been a GREAT fundraiser for us.
We appreciate the money that we have raised from Phoneraiser. It has helped our totals grow and will continue to do so. We love the fact that it is a situation in which everyone wins.
You can see pictures and information at our Relay website:
Thanks!!
Patti & Don Benjamin
Fairbanks Relay For Life Volunteers
Fairbanks, Alaska
