Relay for Life gets new Web address
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on November 6, 2005 2:11 AM
The Wayne County Unit of the American Cancer Society will do something new for its annual Relay for Life next May. It will operate Relay Online, a web-based tool that will make fundraising for the event easier.
Income Manager Sharina Williams of the organization's Raleigh office, said the online program will make it easier for donors to give by using their credit cards.
Each county that participates in the annual fund-raising event will have its own Web page.
Going online not only will help make giving easier, it could also spur competition between counties, with each able to keep up with how others are doing, said Ms. Williams.
Similar pilot programs have been tried in the Raleigh and Durham areas over the past few years, she said. Donations have increased since those relay efforts too to the Internet, she noted.
"It seems to be working well for them," she said. "We're now pushing it out to other counties to see if they are receptive."
Featured on the Web page will be stories about teams involved in the relay, why they got involved and what they are planning for next year's event. Team members' names will be listed, as well as each team's goal and the total amount of money raised so far.
On Web pages linked to the team page team member swill tell have an opportunity to their personal stories about their connection to the event, which raised more than half a million dollars for cancer research last year in Wayne County alone. Those logging on to a personal page will be able to see who has supported that particular person with donations. There is also a place across the top of the Web page to display sponsors' logos.