SCV Relay For Life

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This is the history site for our 2010 Relay.
Go to the new 2011 Relay site by clicking here!

For info/help:
info@scvrelay.org

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Welcome to Relay 101, where you can learn everything you need to know about participating in Relay For Life of the Santa Clarita Valley! This page was written for Relay beginners, but if you're looking for a refresher course, or the latest changes, please read on. Be sure to click on the underlined links for more information on specific subjects.

For additional important information, also check out our Rules and Regulations page.

If you need more information, visit our Contact Page or e-mail Info@SCVRelay.org.

About Relay:

Relay is 24-hour Team event where each Relay Team has a member walking the track for the entire 24 hours. You may participate in the event as an individual, not tied to a team, but to experience Relay at its best, being part of a team is recommended. To sign up, visit our American Cancer Society Web Site or register by mail.

Relay Teams have a Team Captain and sometimes Co-Captains, too. The Captain coordinates the Relay Team, distributing information and attending Team Captain meetings once a month. We love our Team Captains!

Each Team Member commits to raise $100, but don't worry--we provide lots of help! Team Members are encouraged to sign up on our American Cancer Society Web Site where they can use helpful tools like an address book and an e-mail system that comes complete with donation request letter templates. Teams and Team Members sign up, personalize their page, use the e-mail system to send donation request letters.

The recipients receive links to the Team Member's personal page and may use the web site to donate with a credit card. If they prefer to mail their donations, instructions are found on each member's page.

Our community site, www.SCVRelay.org, has lots of fundraising ideas for both Team Members and Team Captains in our new Fundraising Central section! Our Teams arrange many different types of fundraisers throughout the year, from restaurants to rummage sales to Bunco parties! There is always something fun planned on our Relay Calendar. This site is our main method of communication with our Teams, our Survivors, and the community. It is forever changing, so check it out often!

Pre-Event Registration:

Team Members and Survivors that sign up online on the American Cancer Society site are automatically registered for event day and automatically sign the event waiver. This is the easiest way to register and we encourage Teams and Team Members to register this way. Team Members or Survivors who have not registered online must complete a Participant/Survivor Registration Form available AND an event waiver. Registration forms must be attained from the ACS office or your Team Captain. Event waivers are available from our Forms page, your Team Captain, or the ACS office.

Guests attending Relay (people who are not Team Members and do not commit to raising $100) MUST also sign an event waiver. These may be printed before the event from our Forms page or they may be signed at the Information Booth on Relay day.

Anyone under 18 must have an event waiver signed by a parent/guardian. Printable waivers are available online on our Forms page. Note: There is a special form for families and large groups. There is also a special form for youth groups and youth chaperones.

Campsite Selection Night:

You will be able to select your campsite location at our Campsite Selection Night on Thursday, May 13th, at Grace Baptist Church (the same location as our Team Captain meetings). This is a really fun night for those of us on the Relay Committee because we get to meet all the Team Captains individually! When you come to the office, you will be greeted by a host and then ushered into the selection area at your appointed time. Be prepared at that time to pick your site! We will have the campsite map available so you can scope it out before you go in. And please note, this year we will be moving back to the location that we used in 2008 (the back field at Central Park). It is such fun to watch all the Team Captains pick their sites--everyone has their own reasons for picking where they want to be!

While you're at the office, we encourage you to drop off donations, purchase Luminaria Bags, shop at the Relay Store, and bring up any questions you have. Scott Siegman, our Fight Back Chair, will also be on hand to discuss your Team's plans for having a Fight Back topic at your campsite. Many other Relay Committee members, as well as the Captain's Council, will be available. Campsite selection appointments start at 6:00 p.m. and end around 8:00 p.m. Appointment cards will be sent out a week or so before Campsite Selection night (click for 2010 schedule). If you have a question about your assigned time or your time assignment card has not been received before the event, please contact Stacy Kupfer at Teams@scvrelay.org or your Captain's Council member.

Donation Instructions:

On Relay day, every single cent collected MUST go to the American Cancer Society.

This means, for example, that you may NOT take $50 out of the money you raise at Relay to pay for the items in your raffle basket. All checks must be made out to the American Cancer Society and all money collected must be turned in at the event.

Retailers may not sell their wares/services at Relay, unless 100% of the purchase price goes to the American Cancer Society. Retailers cannot give out discount coupons. They may, however, have brochures or giveaways at their team campsite, as long as it's done in the spirit of expressing their support of Relay and/or the American Cancer Society. We want Relay to be about supporting the cause.

On Relay day, Team Captains will be given a schedule of times for them to drop off their Team's donations at the Information Booth. Security will not be coming to individual campsites this year. If you need change during the day, fill out a "Change Request" form (available from the Information Booth) and drop it off at the Information Booth. An accounting staff member will bring the requested change to your campsite. You may also contact a Captain's Council member about change and any other problems you may have.

For answers to some frequently asked accounting questions, see our Accounting FAQ page.

Campsite Setup (Friday):

Our event takes place at Central Park on May 22-23. Teams may set up their campsites from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Friday night. There is no camping Friday night, but we will have security on site to watch your things. Most teams bring their raffle/sales items on Saturday morning, just to be safe.

Parking Friday night is usually no problem, but we ask that you use the drop-off zone for dropping off only. We will have event staff available to help deliver supplies to your campsite on a first-come, first-served basis.

Just Added ... Motor homes and trailers will be accommodated, however, if you bring a trailer, your car MUST stay attached to the trailer the entire time it is parked. There are NO exceptions to this rule. To reserve a spot, please use the Motor Home Parking Request. Motor homes and trailers should be brought to Central Park on Friday, May 21st, between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Campsites sizes are still being determined. Most sites use popups to provide shelter from the sun, as well as one or more tents for the night. If you are going to rent popups and/or tents that will be delivered to the event, we recommend you use one of our pre-approved vendors that has the proper insurance paperwork in place. If you would like to use a different vendor, please contact our Logistics Chair, Neil Shah, at Logistics@SCVRelay.org, at least two weeks before the event to ensure your vendor understands the insurance requirements. For more information, contact our Logistics Chair, Neil Shah, at Logistics@SCVRelay.org.

One of the exciting new changes this year is that all Team Members who have raised their $100 will receive one lunch and one dinner ticket -- FREE! Yes, that's right!

Free food for all our amazing Team Members, if they have raised their $100. For everyone else, vendors will be selling food for cash this year--no food tickets required.

Food may NOT be sold at Relay, unless it is commercially packaged in individual packages. For example, you may not buy Costco cookies and sell them individually, even if you put them in plastic bags. However, you may sell individually packaged Famous Amos cookies, as long as the packages remain factory sealed. The same with drinks ... you may sell cans of soda, but you may not sell glasses of ice tea. Sorry, we don't make the rules!

Helpful things to bring: Water (we will have bottled water available for free), warm clothing for the night (it can get VERY cold), a hat to keep the sun off your head, sunscreen (some teams have this as giveaways), and flashlights, of course! Power is not available and generators are not allowed! You will be roughing it!

Remember, NO open flames - lanterns, stoves, candles. No dogs (except guide dogs, of course). No alcohol, even in raffle baskets. And, of course, no smoking!

Some tips from seasoned Relayers: Bring some old towels on Saturday morning, as there will be a layer of dew on things you left overnight. Bring address labels--they will save you tons of time when filling out all those raffle tickets you know you're going to buy!

An ATM will be available at Relay this year, so no more running out to the bank to get just a few more dollars! Please note: Normal ATM fees will be charged according to your bank's rules.

Day of Event (Saturday):

Parking during the early morning hours will be limited, due to the many people setting up camp and arriving for the Opening Ceremony and Survivor Lap. Please drop your gear in the drop-off zone and then move your car to a regular parking spot. Please do not leave your car in the drop-off zone or park in handicap parking. Event staff will be available to help with deliveries to your site on a first come, first served basis. Please be patient. Overflow parking is available on Bouquet Canyon and the City is opening up a large dirt lot inside the park that will accommodate a lot of cars. To allow for the large crowd during our Luminaria Ceremony, parking will be available at Saugus High School (just north of the park on Bouquet Canyon) from 6 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Free shuttles will be provided but cars must be out of the lot by 11:00 p.m.

EVERYONE entering the event is required to sign an event waiver and wear a wristband, whether they are Team Members, Survivors, or guests. Team Members and Survivors who have registered online have automatically signed their waiver. Team Members who have not registered online should sign a paper event waiver (available from the Forms page) and turn it in to their Team Captain prior to the event. Team Captains should ensure that all their Team Members have registered and signed an event waiver, either electronically or by paper.

Guests need not register, but they will be required to sign an event waiver and wear a wristband. Guests should report to the Information Booth upon entrance to Relay to sign their waiver. Waivers may be downloaded from the Forms page before the event to speed up entry.

Survivor Village, located across from the stage, will be serving a continental breakfast for Survivors and their caregivers starting at 8:00 a.m. Survivor t-shirts and medallions will be distributed before Relay begins. Survivors are invited to place their hand prints on our Wall of Hope, a Relay tradition! After the Survivor Lap, Survivors are encouraged to return to "The Village" for a reception, free raffles, and a silent auction.

Kids Camp is a fun place where kids can play in safety throughout the day. Children are checked in using an ID bracelet system and only the parent(s) who checked them in may retrieve them. Parents MUST have a picture ID. Kids Camp opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes promptly at 5:00 p.m. An announcement will be made before closing.

Relay starts with our Opening Ceremony in front of the main stage at 9:00 a.m. The ceremony will be short, about 15-20 minutes, and then we begin the Survivor Lap. Our Survivors are our VIP's and we honor them by standing around the track and applauding as they walk by. This is an emotional high point for Relay!

Immediately after the Survivor Lap, we begin the Team Lap with each team walking with as many team members as they can muster. Teams names will be announced during this lap and we encourage all teams to have a banner to identify their team. As each team finishes their first lap, they will go into the center of the field to have their team pictures taken.

Relay For Life is a 24-hour event ... there should always be a member of each team on the track at all times, even in those wee hours of the morning! To help schedule walkers, print out our Walker Sign Up Sheet.

After the Team Lap, we get down to Relay business. Teams will have all their raffles, games, sales, auctions, etc., ready to go. Games are scheduled throughout the day in our center field and our main stage musical entertainment begins before noon. For a schedule of games and music, see our Event Schedule (coming soon). Our Relay Store is open for your shopping pleasure, with loads of Relay Gear and fun stuff. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.

In the early evening, Relayers will see volunteers setting up the thousands of Luminaria that will line the track during our Luminaria Ceremony. (For information on purchasing Luminaria, click here.) Relay attendance swells just before this ceremony, as it is the highlight of our event. Unfortunately, this creates a parking challenge, so please inform any guests arriving just for this ceremony that parking will be tight. Overflow parking is available on Bouquet Canyon and the City is opening up a large dirt lot inside the park that will accommodate a lot of cars. Also, parking will be available at Saugus High School (just north of the park on Bouquet Canyon) from 6 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Free shuttles will be provided but cars must be out of the lot by 11:00 p.m.

At 9:00 p.m., our guest Luminaria Speaker will inspire us all, followed by our Luminaria Slideshow, where you can share photos of your loved ones affected by cancer. If you would like to send in a photo, please print out our Photo Permission Statement. As the slideshow runs, thousands of participants walk the track, led only by the light of the Luminaria Bags. A reverent hush falls over Relay during this time, an amazing experience.

Our main stage entertainment continues until midnight and several contests and games are scheduled throughout the night. Although the tempo of Relay slows at night, as many people try to get some sleep, we encourage our Teams to have all night activities to help spur on the walkers who have signed up for those early morning hours. Rumor has it our Captain's Council will be watching for the team with the best over-night activities! But shhhhhh ... some people are sleeping!

Final Day (Sunday):

Wake up in the morning with our Fight Back Pancake Breakfast, provided by the Rotary Club beginning at 6:30 a.m. in the food court. The wonderful smell of pancakes and sausage fills the morning air!

Our Fight Back Ceremony begins at 8:45 a.m. and inspires Relayers to keep up the fight even after Relay is over. Following the 15-minute ceremony, Teams take the track for their final lap, proudly displaying their team banners. This is the official end of Relay 2009 and campers return to their sites to break camp. PLEASE do not start camp breakdown until Relay is OFFICIALLY over!

More Information

Check out our Relay 2009 photos to see more of what our event looks like. As mentioned previously, this year we will be returning to the back field at Central Park (same location as Relay 2008). For details, see our campsite map.

More questions? Don't worry, we're happy to help! Contact any of your Relay Committee or your Captain's Council members. And thanks for joining our Relay Family! See you at Relay!