Relay for Life Wrap Up Report, May 22, 2023
Thank You Team Captains!
Thank you everyone for an amazingly successful Relay for Life of Greater Shelby Township. Though the weather was chilly we were able to avoid rain and by all accounts everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you to all team captains for helping to spread our rules to their teams. We had a few bikes and dogs cutting through our event, but not from our teams, so our event was safer than ever.
2023 Wrap Up Meeting:
Where: Shelby Township Activities Center – 14975 21 Mile Rd, Shelby Twp. in the Card Room
Who: Anyone who participated in Relay for Life of Greater Shelby Township
When: Thursday June 15 at 6:00 pm
Why: To celebrate our achievements and go over what we enjoyed and what we can improve for next year. We will also be collecting donations for a while longer and you can bring any you have to this meeting.
Relay for Life of Greater Shelby Township Results
At the end of Saturday night our fundraising efforts stood at over $123,000. This year our event has officially raised more than $2M in the fight against cancer and we thank all of you. The following individuals made it into the Grand Club by raising over $1,000:
- Kim Nijhof
- Diana Humphries
- Kevin Humphries
- Sheri Milson
- Meri Vasilevski
- Pam Gruber
- Kelley Riley
- Cheryl Kaiser
- Jan Harries
- Dianne Jochum
- Nancy Jo Kulikowski
- Mary Wackrow
- Laurie Solack
- Bob Knoska
These Relayers raised over $2,500 and are at the All-Star level:
- Kim Nijohof
- Diana Humphries
- Kevin Humphries
- Sheri Milson
- Meri Vasilevski
- Pam Gruber
- Kelley Riley
Three teams raised over $10,000 and earned the Team Excellence award
- Charlie’s Angels
- Cruisin Til Dawn
- Carolyn’s Quest
The individual that raised the most money was Kimberly Nijhof
The team that raised the most money was Charlie’s Angels
Relay for Life 2023 MVP went to Paula McComas for her years of dedication to the survivors of our events.
2023 Rookie Team of the Year went to Roy’s Army who were able to pull together a team with only two weeks notice and after never seeing a Relay they participated at every level.
2023 Team Spirit went to Eisenhower High School for their willingness to try everything and participate with energy and enthusiasm.
Best Decorated Campsite 2023 went to Laurie’s Legacy for their Rubber Duck themed campsite.
Theme Laps, and Donation Prizes
Thank you to Ava Hess and all the high school students for coming up with some really fun games that kept our track alive with excitement and competition. $1,000 in prizes were awarded to the winning and second place teams with the team Final Round as the highest winner with $350 in donations going to their team.
- Ava Hess (Henry Ford II High School)
- Avery Jacquemotte (Henry Ford II High School)
- Kate Bemis (Eisenhower High School)
- Sophie Schoenherr (Eisenhower High School)
- Addison Mondoux (Eisenhower High School)
- Vanessa Nguyen (Henry Ford High School)
All of you started out looking for volunteer hours but stayed because of the mission. Every one of you gave your time to help build a stronger community and we all thank you for the energy and fun you brought to our Relay.
BONUS ACTIVITY – SIDEWALK CHALK: Artists from Eisenhower High School, Laurie’s Legacy, and Charlie’s Angels won free loaded milkshakes for their chalk art on the track. Thank you to our ice cream truck Sucree for the donation of those treats and to everyone who participated in decorating the track.
We Love our Survivors!
We ended up finishing strong with so many survivors joining us on May 20. After Pam Gruber’s inspirational survivor speech, they took a victory lap around the track and then up to lunch donated and catered by Rick Raimondo of All About Catering. Thank you to Rick for your commitment to the American Cancer Society mission and for being our survivor lunch provider. Another shout out to our Survivor lead Paula McComas who has made certain that every survivor is treated to the best survivor experience she and her students can provide. Every year her students provide decorations and kind words to our survivors. Thank you to all the School Age Child Care students who helped make our day special from the entire Relay family!
Silent Auction
Once again Carolyn Paone and her amazing family ran an astounding Silent Auction and raised over $4,000 for the American Cancer Society! You all pour your heart and soul into this part of the event by both gathering donations and displaying them so beautifully. Your family is a well oiled machine and we love seeing you in action every year.
What to do with your donations
If you have more donations you would like to have deposited and credited to your team, you have two options. First you can download the ACS FUNdraising app from the app store and make electronic deposits there. You can deposit checks (made out to the American Cancer Society) or from debit cards using your camera in the app. This is super easy, fast, and secure. If you have cash you can deposit it to your checking account and write your own personal check (made out to the American Cancer Society) and deposit it via the app as well. Second, you can bring your cash or checks to the Wrap Up Meeting on June 15 (details above).