Clowning Around for a Cure? Relay for Life

[Victoria]

I recently contacted the girl who runs the 5 College Relay for Life (an event held to raise money for the American Cancer Society). However, I still don't feel that secure with the (little) feedback I've gotten. Would you guys be willing to work with me to set up a Circus Folk Unite! team? Things will be starting up soon. The relay is in mid/late April. At the very least, I think we should definitely put something together to perform as entertainment at some point during the night. If I can get some feedback, I'd be willing to be the team captain (though I'd really appreciate it if someone wants to help...although I'm familiar with how it works, and have been to many, I've never been in charge of a team.) It's a really super fun event that honors survives, remembers those lost, and is also just one big block party! I'll bring this up during our meetings as well, since I think it's a really amazing cause and circus people are naturally compassionate people. If you want more information, you want to offer information, you want to help out, if you're even just thinking about it, email me or respond to this or both! ([e-mail])
Love, hope, and circus,
Victoria

www.relayforlife.org/relay/
P.S. Most teams have a theme...I kind of assumed ours would be obvious...how about a team name? The title of this post was one idea...Circus for Survivors? Circus Folk Unite! Against Cancer? Carnies for Cancer? (Yeah, that last one was a joke...sorta...)

[Blue Hair Sar]

I would definately be interested in this: My best friend from colorado, who I've known since I was 5 has been fighting cancer in her spine and brain for the past two years, it it hits home a lot for me.

I really like "Circus Folk Unite! Against Cancer"
It's got our name AND it fits as a phrase too! bwah hah. One person could be walking and the rest of us can be being the circus crazies that we are! Play with toys, do acro, teach others if they want to learn, and just entertain all!

[tarapeze]

please, let's!

i think you'll definitely get a lot of interest & support, victoria! we'll just have to schedule carefully, 'cause the Spring show is supposed to be mid-April. it's possible an act or two could just be performed there, but i guess it's more of a seperate project?

yay!

and, question: what's team? and what do you mean by somebody walking? how does this event work?

[acrobaticmisfit]

Victoria you rock my socks

I don't know if this might be some help - it's the 5 College Relay For Life site -->
www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=206270

It says that the event is:
April 20-21, 2007
Pratt Field, Amherst College

Does that interfere with the show?

At any rate, count me in. I wonder if we could unicycle/stilt/acro stacks it. If they let us, that'd be really fun and probably help give us a little extra visibility.

[phirephlopphil]

It would be really funny to try to do the walk in stacks. Whenever one gets tired they could switch. ;D

Any ways I would like to do this too. It sounds like fun and is for a good cause, HUZZAH

[tarapeze]

now i get it!

awesome.

i definitely think we should have stiltwalkers, at least!

[Victoria]

theflyingfreak said:

please, let's!

i think you'll definitely get a lot of interest & support, victoria! we'll just have to schedule carefully, 'cause the Spring show is supposed to be mid-April. it's possible an act or two could just be performed there, but i guess it's more of a seperate project?

yay!

and, question: what's team? and what do you mean by somebody walking? how does this event work?

I'd be happy to give a bit of a schpeal if wanted. Relay for Life is a big kinda block party made up of a bunch of teams. Each team consists of 10 people minimum who individually raise money (ask friends/family/professors? I'm not sure about professor etiquette...I asked high school teachers though). Each team generally has a theme and sometimes they do fun things at the Relay to raise more money. For example, in high school, my friends in the chorus all got together and sold singing telegrams for a buck. You got to write a cute little message on a note, tell them what the occasion was, and they'd go hunt down the person for whom the message was intended and sing to them. (My best friend tackled me down and then dramatically serenaded me with Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up") Some people do little carnival like games (pay a buck, maybe win a prize.)
The whole point of Relay for Life is to walk all night. (In my hometown, it's on a track, so you basically walk in circles all night, but it's with friends and there's music and it's really fun. It's apparently one of the most successful Relays too, whoo! As a result, I don't really know where/how this relay will play out, but here's what I know.) Anyway, so hopefully there's at least one person from each team out on the track at any given hour. (It's not necessarily mandatory, like no one will come yell at us or anything, but it is in the spirit of things.) It's basically a fantastic excuse to raise money for a fantastic reason, and then the actual Relay is just a big twelve hour party celebrating it.
My mom is kind of a big wig for Relay for Life; she runs my hometown one and she's worked with Congress and stuff and helped out at the National Relay For Life in D.C., so I asked her to send some stuff to help explain it. (There's a couple really moving short movie/ads that explain in a far more eloquent way that I'm managing.) I've talked to Sarah Ellis (who runs the 5 College one) and she's so excited about getting us in on it; apparently Hampshire isn't represented at all in it so far! With us, it'd be a REAL 5 College Relay. (WHOO!)

[Victoria]

Hey ya'll! I sent out an email to the list, but never hurts to double up. We're official! Yesterday I registered our team and we already have four members! (YAY!!!!! My goal is 10...exceeding that goal would make me so happy I'd do a jig.) COME JOIN. Because you want to raise money to help find a cure for cancer!

www.acsevents.org/relay/mafivecollege/circusfolkunite

Love,
Victoria

[acrobaticmisfit]

I just joined up. I want to see the jig of yours.

[Victoria]

I may very well be doing my jig soon....day two and we're up to 7 members and $155! YAHOO!

[Victoria]

My mom hooked me up with RFL links.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6XjP8XCy3c&feature=PlayList&p=ED8B7EB5628055F8&index=1

Send it 'round. It's a pretty basic description of the event. Yes, there are sad moments (I promise I will cry during the luminaria ceremony, without fail) but it picks up and after that, it's just a party. It's super wonderful, really it is. Plus, in the video, there's a brief clip of a bunch of chorus kids singing Amazing Grace. I'm pretty sure those are my chorus friends from last year.

P.S. Although this is a circus team, I have invited a non-circus friend to join. The more the merrier! So if someone has expressed interest, don't shut 'em out! It's too good a cause to be exclusive.

(Planning WAY in advance: If ya'll have fun at our Relay, we should put together some entertainment and in late May/June head over to my hometown for that Relay. It's apparently one of the best in New England, and the chorus last year was amazing.)

[Blue Hair Sar]

We're one of the top 3 fundraising teams!!

Hey, I have a question... I know that this is an overnight event; what time on the 20th does it start?

[tarapeze]

good question! it's not on the 5-college event website...

[photographermolly]

yeah it is, there's a schedule posted on the left, and we're on it?? are we performing also? it goes from 6 PM to 10 AM it looks like.

[Victoria]

Huh. I mentioned in passing that we do performances but no one ever asked if we would do one or any kind of confirmation thing like that...huh.

Oh, btw: lemme know if you know any cancer survivors at Hampshire, I desperately wanna rope 'em in.