Relay Experience

In an earlier post I mentioned that my Relay For Life experience has helped me grow and develop as a person.  Now that Relay has come and gone (enter sad face here) I thought it was a good time to explain how this event has helped change me.

• Organizational Skills- with so many teams, fundraiser, factors to consider when planning event I became an even more so organized person.  I love my Relay notebook and bag that I would take with me everywhere.  The Relay notebook helped me keep track of notebooks, what we had coming up, was filled with to-do lists, and holds information about every event we did and event has notes of the good and bad from each event so the committee knows what to change next year.
• Time Management- My committee would laugh every time I had to display my calendar at meetings (yes, color coded, and I may even have what I am making for dinner scheduled into my day).  To most people it was a little overwhelming, but it was the easiest way to keep track of my personal, school, and Relay life.  (Google Calendar, you are amazing)
• People Skills- I worked daily with different types of people.  My committee, athletic staff, team captains, donors, sponsors, everyone and every age.  At some point you get over your fear of going up and talking to someone and just do it.
• Public Speaking Skills- Before my involvement in Relay For Life you couldn't pay me enough to get up and talk in front of a room full of people.  The night before a speech I wouldn't get any sleep and wouldn't be able to eat breakfast the next day.  Now I will dance to Brittany Spears on stage, sing "I want to Rock an Roll all day" in front of people I don't know, ride a mechanical bull in front of the senior class, or race around a track in a sumo wrestling suit.  
• Management Skills- Working with my committee has been one of the biggest learning experiences.  I learned how everyone has different ways of doing things and need different types of support along the way.  Some people need constant reminders, some you tell them the assignment once and its done.  I learned the difficulty of motivating people when you don't have a reward for them and the job is volunteer based.  Every now and then I learned the best way to get people focused on what they are doing is to get them to talk about why they are being a part of Relay For Life.
• Importance of cancer awareness and research- It was shocking at how many people don't know little things about the different types of cancer, that men can get breast cancer as well, and when to get checked.  Also, research is only possible by fundraising and is the only way we are going to find a cure.  With so many fundraising events out there I know see why.  Its very expensive for these organizations to do what they do and find a cure for all the evil diseases out there in the world.  
• Once a person is diagnosed with cancer they are a survivor.  I find this point very important.  It brings a smile to so many cancer patients that they are considered a survivor the second they are diagnosed.  Many have never heard this and its a great point to share.  It brings a since of hope and even stronger reason for cancer patients to fight.
• Details. Details. Details.  So much goes into planning event.  No matter the size or the reason.
• Much, much more.