Get in on the fight to help cure cancer by forming a Relay For Life of McKinney team

March 12, 2010- Want to have fun with friends and family while helping to find a cure for cancer and provide support to those living with the disease? Then form or join a Relay For Life of McKinney team!  By participating on a team, you can help raise much need funds utilized by the American Cancer Society to assist people who are living with cancer and to help make their lives a little easier.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s largest annual fund-raising event that provides cancer survivors, their caregivers, family members, friends, coworkers, and the general public a chance to celebrate life while raising money.  The McKinney Relay is the city’s largest philanthropic event, the largest Relay in the metroplex and the second largest in the state.  Relay For Life of McKinney will take place Friday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Ballfields at Craig Ranch in McKinney.   The overnight event will conclude at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 1.

McKinney residents and those from neighboring communities still have time to join a Relay For Life of McKinney team.   A team can be comprised of family members, friends, church members, coworkers, and various local school sports and academic groups.  There are currently 110 registered teams participating in the April Relay with an eventual goal of 170 teams.  Each team member takes a turn walking the track throughout the night to symbolize the fight against cancer never sleeps.

“It is easy to form or join a team. Just go to www.mckinneyrfl.com and follow the prompts to register or join a team,” said Liz Greenwell, Team Co- Chairwoman for the Relay For Life of McKinney. “If you want to join a team, but don't know a team, we can hook you up with one. You can contact me or any other person listed on the Relay For Life of McKinney Web site for any help you might need.”

Joining an existing team is free, and to form a new team only costs $25. To join a team or to create one, visit the Web site www.mckinneyrfl.com for easy to follow instructions.

After a team is formed, team captain and/or team members are encouraged to attend a team captain meeting to obtain valuable information on the event and helpful resources to assist them in their fundraising efforts. The next team captain meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23 at the McKinney Ebby Halliday office, 6051 W. Virginia Pkwy (southwest corner of Virginia Pkwy and Ridge). If the team captain cannot attend the March 23 meeting, a member of his/her team is encouraged to attend.  If noone is available to attend, he or she can still receive team packets and information by contacting Greenwell.

What do you do once you’re on a team?

Each team member is asked to raise at least $100 to be donated to the American Cancer Society. Teams raise money through an array of activities prior to Relay For Life. Some activities team members participate in include having bake sales, lemonade stands, babysitting services, and yard care services, or selling items, such as hats that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can wear. Members can track how much money they and their teammates have raised via www.mckinneyrfl.com. Members keep the momentum going throughout the event by also raising money at Relay For Life by holding on-site fundraisers such as selling food, soft drinks, snacks, and arts and crafts at their campsites.

Relay For Life is a great opportunity for people to get involved and celebrate the gift of life by raising money to help prevent and fight cancer and provide care, comfort and support to those currently living with the disease.