Relay For Life - Easy Summer Fundraising with Direct Sales

Today is June 1st, which means most of us are either wrapping up our 2014 Relay's or will be soon!  If you are like me, you are all sorts of fired up and ready to keep going though.  While summer is a GREAT time for fundraising, many of us are ready for a few months of down time before revving up for another high intensity Relay season. 

But the problem is, cancer doesn't take the summer off.

Imagine how much MORE we could raise for American Cancer Society of we did just one summer fundraiser each. 

So today, I want to encourage you to get out there and do just one summer fundraiser that you wouldn't have done before while taking a few months off.  The best part?  I have a list of some awesome direct sales people who are willing to do parties for you, and give a portion of the profit back to you for Relay For Life.  Why is this so awesome?  Most of these companies are rock stars at setting up a party for you online.  You invite your friends to shop, shop yourself, and stay at home in your PJ's while raising funds to cure cancer.  This my friends, is as easy as it gets(and you know how I like my PJs!)!

 

Now, keep in mind this list has been made for teams in the Oklahoma area, however, if you found this blog through pinterest, many if not all of these vendors can probably help you out by setting up an online party for you as well! 

So take a peek at the list below and pick out one that you would love to buy stuff from anyway, and make it happen!  If you are in the direct sales business and would like to be included in this list, please comment below with:

Your name
Your company
Your website
Your phone number
Your email
What percentage will go to Relay For Life

Name: Vallerie sheldon
Company: Tupperware
Website: www.my2.tupperware.com/valleriesheldon
Phone: 580-481-0427
Email: Raiwen79@gmail.com
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  40% goes to organization

Name:  Jami Burnes
Company: Thirty One Gifts
Website: www.mythirtyone.com/jamiburnes
Phone:  409-454-0720
Email: eeyore1809@yahoo.com
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  Up to 50% commission depending on the fundraiser

Name:  Danelle Delp
Company:  Scentsy
Website: Https://danelledelp.scentsy.us
Email: Danelle4yall@aol.com
Phone:  (405)203-7333
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  75% of commission donated! (The remaining percent is to cover her cost of materials provided)

Name:  Debra Gamble
Company:  Pampered Chef
Website: www.pamperedchef.biz/debragamble
Phone: 509-855-3555
Email: Pcdeb13@gmail.com
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  15-25%

Name:  Bonny Moulton
Company:  Velata
Phone:  580 302 1774
Email: fonduefun7@yahoo.com
Website:  http://bonnymoulton.velata.us
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  100% of commission

Name:  Erika Cerda
Company:  Jamberry Nails
Website:  buynow.jamberrynails.net
Phone:  405.474.5152
Email: Inexorable@gmail.com
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  Base 10% but can go up to 25% depending on sales, the extra would be my commission which is cool.  We could do it entirely online or we can host an in person party alongside it

Name:  Jennifer Mandell - I sell Origami owl - I have already done a fundraiser for Cassi. :-) Cancer took my Mom from me 14 years ago so I am always happy to help out! I donate 50% proceeds to your cause and the other 50% goes to my Autism cause.
Company: Origami Owl
Website:  http://samsvoice.origamiowl.com/
Email: JenniferMandell@optonline.net
 Designer# 25818

Name:  Teri Tolbert (Teri is a breast cancer survivor!)
Company:  Origami Owl
Independent Designer
#40037
Website:  teritolbert.origamiowl.com
Email: teri.tolbert@yahoo.com
Phone:  580-668-0369
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life: 20% of total sales
If someone wants to actually host a party, I'll do 25% of total sales.

Name: Brandi Walstrom
Company:  O2 Origami Owl
designer #43365
Website: brandiw.origamiowl.com
Phone: Denver, CO 720-369-4482
Email: walstrombn@hotmail.com
Percentage that will go to Relay: 50%

Name: Kayla Shantz
Company: Damsel in Defense
Website: Www.mydamselpro.net/okiedamsel
Phone: (580) 819-3085
Email: Okiedamselpro@gmail. Com
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life:  60% of commission

Name: Ashley Dickens
Company: Plexus Worldwide
Website: http://www.facebook.com/l/sAQG6vS8TAQFna4ZAXhel-ztRdqnuM_AoWXU1iQR7470--Q/www.plexusslim.com/AshleyMarie
Phone: 580-302-2598
Email: AshleyDickens.Plexus@gmail.com
Percentage that will go to Relay For Life: 50%

Magic Memories Mayhem:  Jessica is a Disney travel agent who will give a portion of her commission to Relay For Life if you and your friends use her for booking your vacations!  She is my personal travel agent, and I can honestly highly recommend her to you.  You can email her at   magicmemoriesandmayhem@live.com or visit her website at http://www.magicamemoriesmayhem.com

Gold Party:
Now, this is one that I have told you all about before, and I really love it.  Shelly with Party of Gold will come to you, and all you have to do is invite your friends to come over and sell their old, unwanted gold.  Instead of spending money, you and your friends will MAKE money!  Shelly writes them a check on the spot, and your Relay team gets a percentage of her commission.  It may not seem like a lot, but let me tell you- it adds up FAST.  Besides, who doesn't like making money while helping a good cause?  My team has done this one, and it is definitely on our list to repeat again.  Be sure to tell her I sent you, because she also gives $50 for each referred party that does over $400 in sales to your cause!

Name: Shelly Collins
Company: Party of Gold
Website: partyofgold.com
Email: shelly@partyofgold.com
Phone: 405-371-8784

Let me know which one you choose if you are part of Relay For Life of Custer County, and I will be sure to help you get the word out!

Happy Relaying friends!
Cassi

Relay For Life - Fundraising for kids, and why you should never underestimate them!

Wes, my son, tells this story time and again when people ask him how he got involved with Relay For Life.

"When I was 5, I was going with my mom to all of the Relay meetings and events ALL.  THE.  TIME.  One day, I asked her- how come there are never any kids doing Relay?  And she said, I don't know.  So I told my mom I wanted to start doing Relay on my own, and I was going to be the top fundraiser."

Guess what?  That next year- he was.  And, he continues to each year.  His fundraising total for this year is currently at $7,681.43.  He is 8 years old.

EIGHT.  YEARS. OLD.

But the truth is, when he originally asked me why aren't other kids Relaying, I really didn't know.  In fact, I had never even considered it.  Sure I included him in my plans, and he helped me all of the time with fundraising projects, but never in a million years would I have expected him to do what he has done!  So why is that?  Why are we forgetting about our future researchers, doctors, volunteers, and advocates?  I learned something very important.  KIDS CAN make a huge impact on your event, and can make a big difference.  Here is the other thing I learned.  If a 5, 6, 7, or 8 year old can do it- what the heck is my excuse?

I spend a lot of time writing about fundraiser that are great for kids.  You can read those here, and here.   Today I am going to share a few new ones we added this year that worked really well for us. 

All Fired Up!  For Relay For Life.

 Wes loves making stuff to sell to people.  From warm fuzzies to cookies, he is all over it.  But this year, Wes really wanted to do something that everyone could do together, and have fun at the same time.  While at a local paint your own pottery shop All Fired Up! I got to talking to the owner about any ideas she had (she regularly holds kids creativity camps at her store.) And then the most amazing thing happened, she offered to let the kids come paint pottery at her shop. I was so excited that day when I picked Wes up from school, that I couldn't even wait until we got to the car to tell him what Kelly had offered.  His eyes lit up, "EVERYONE can come?"  we went straight home and Wes went to work planning the event. 

Then something crazy happened.  So crazy that I still can't believe it!  Wes saw a commercial for Disney Friends For Change one afternoon, and came into the office. "We should be Friends For Change mom.  Those kids are doing good stuff like we are."  After a quick little Google search, I found a Disney Friends For Change grant program ran by Youth Service America that happened to coincide with our event- during Global Youth Service Day.  I told Wes he could apply for it, but it was very unlikely we would get picked, because SO many people apply for them.  Guess what?  He was awarded the grant to use for his project!

The cost to attend the creativity camp was only $5 per person, thanks to Kelly's generosity.  She provided everything from the pottery to the paint.  She also offered to make up the bid sheets, and let us start the auction at her location so we could get bids before Relay For Life.  Literally, all we had to do was show up the day of, and invite other kids to do the same! Kelly took the time to explain to the kids how to make their art come out extra special, and also asked each child why they Relayed.  She used that information for the bid sheets!

 

You know that Picasso quote that says, "Every child is an artist." - well, it's true.  What they made was amazing, and they had a blast!

 

We were very pleasantly surprised how well the auction went Relay night!  We were a bit worried only the parents would be bidding on their child's art, but that was not the case at all!

 Did I mention the we grown ups couldn't resist and painted items to?  You can see my husbands Cancer Man raccoon, and my tie dye plate below :)

 

I hope this is sparking some ideas for you.  You don't have to do pottery, you could do paintings on canvas, bird houses, ribbons, you name it!  In fact, if you have ever been to my house you know that one of my most prized possessions (and actually, it belongs to Wes not me) is a painting one of Wesley's best friends made of Cancer Man (forgive this picture- this was a picture of the Relay wall while I was getting ready to put up new awards!)

 

Speaking of painting.  In the fall we did something really cool and different.  We painted and sold pink pumpkins for breast cancer awareness!  A local farmer donated the pumpkins after he had pulled all of the ones he could sell- he had plenty of extras that would have just been plowed back into the field :)  Wes and I went to a local Sherwin Williams, and they donated the pink paint!

 

Next up is an oldie but a goodie.  What kid doesn't LOVE to sell lemonade?  I mean, you would think it would have been the first thing that popped into my mind for a fundraiser, but it wasn't!  We had the honor of getting to go help out a new Relay friend with one this year.  The kids had a blast! This stand was set up at a craft show (which also benefited Relay For Life) but the boys are planning on taking this act on the road this summer to 4th of July festivals, and Main Street, Weatherford :)

Not to get too off track, but there is another benefit to having your kids join Relay For Life, ESPECIALLY if they have lost someone they love to cancer.  Kids who have been there are really really good about supporting other kids who have been through the same thing.

 

Now, when all else fails, and your kiddo wakes up one Saturday morning and declares, "I'm going to hit my $6,000 somehow today."  You can always pull this trick out of the bag (let's face it- it's hard to say no to an adorable kid!)

 

The moral of the story?  While you are making plans for your next Relay, don't leave out your littlest Relayers!  They can make a huge impact on your event, and may even be able to teach you a thing or two, or $22,015.

Coming up next- I didn't forget about your tweens and teens!  I know of an ENTIRE Relay ran by youth-subscribe to get notified so I can tell you all about it!