Saturday's festivities in Maurice were really nice, great weather and great turnout for the families. Channel 9 was there and had a story on the 10 o'clock news. Here's a link to that on-line story:
http://kcautv.com
It's for the Kids is the headline and it'll play the 3 minute story just like you're watching the news. Pretty cool!

Have a good week!

I received a nice thank you note in the mail Tuesday from the Relay chairpeople saying thanks for participating and that it was a huge success "because of you", meaning our team!!! That was a mood booster for me so wanted to pass it along.

Jeannie and I talked and we're going to sell popcorn at the Maurice ballfield sometime in August when Jed's slow pitch team has tournaments. I'll keep everyone posted on that cause all proceeds will be donated to the Cancer Society (we were able to get the popcorn donated).

Hope to see some red shirts Saturday in Maurice!!!

Shelly

I did get ahold of the Pastor for the Maurice Church and he said they already have concession stands in place for the movie and ball game. So we won't be making popcorn or selling pop, we'll just go to support the families. If you can attend, please wear your Team Mitchel shirt.

I'll work on getting something set up for a fundraiser for our team and will let you know what's planned!

Have a good week!!

No update yet, still waiting for a call back from the Maurice people. Will let you know when I know more.

Have a good weekend!

Get ready!

The Maurice Reformed Church is holding a benefit for three local families, including Jed and Jeannie, and I'm checking into our Team selling popcorn/pop at the event! Andy's dad has a popcorn machine so we'll just need to get ahold of a ton of popcorn, bags and oil, as well as cans of pop. The following link tells all about the event, which will be next Saturday, July 14, as Jeannie mentioned on the carepage:

http://mauricereformed.org/For_The_Kids.htm

Be sure to check it out! I thought it would be nice for our team to be there, at least as many as can be anyway, to support Jed and Jeannie and to be there in memory of our sweetie Mitchel. Of course all the proceeds we earn will go to the American Cancer Society; and, of course pending approval by the church that we participate. I plan to make the call today so will update as soon as I know more.

Please plan to be there if you can. If you have a car/tractor you can enter for the car/tractor show, please do. I have the phone number of who you need to call to enter your car and/or tractor so please e-mail if you need that information.

Hope you are all doing well and hope to see all my red-shirt friends soon!!!

Shelly

Hello team! Not much to report today. Ice Cream Days are here! That's kind of exciting for Le Mars people. I haven't heard a total yet on how much our Relay raised, but will update when I do. I know we're up to $2,270.00 (had another $20 come in!).

As a goal for next year's Relay, I thought we'd shoot for between $2,500 and $3,000. Given the little time we had this year and what we accomplished, I'd say this goal is a good target. Be thinking about ways to fundraise all year long. Our Team will have one major fundraiser, yet to be determined, but our individual fundraising was a huge success this year so don't stop just because the Relay's a year away. Feel free to keep asking people for donations and we can get those sent in to get a tally running for next year.

Everyone have a good rest of the week!

We had another team donation come in, another $250.00. That brings us to $2,250.00 and the second place team collected $2560!!! We are awesome!!!

Andy and I are contemplating if we want to volunteer to work at the Relay next year, we have the phone number of the lady to contact. We had some good ideas come up in discussion and thought maybe our input would put a new spin on the Relay and hopefully get more people involved, especially overnight. Most teams packed up and only maybe 5 teams were there overnight, sometimes there were only 4-5 people walking. I can't say we constantly had someone walking, but we were there. The contests they had overnight were fun, but with so few people around, they didn't even do some of them. I guess I just saw a lot of room for improvement and thought they could use someone to step in and suggest new, fun ideas that would keep people at the Relay.

Will let everyone know what we decide.

Next week is Ice Cream Days in Le Mars so I'm going to brainstorm and see if there's something we could maybe pull together during that.

Also had the idea last night that it would be fun if the Relay would start up a Relay for Life basketball or softball or volleyball league, where us teams would compete against each other. Would get people involved and active. Again, just ideas that pop into my brain.

Well, everyone have a nice week! We bought a cheap-o popup camper last night so hoping to get some camping done this summer. Can't believe it's June 6 already!!

Take care,
Shelly

Here's a link to the article that was in today's Le Mars Sentinel about the Relay:

http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1215207.html

Relay 2007 was a huge success! Our team raised $2,000.00...on the dot!!! Here's how it breaks down:

$1,520.00 - team-collected donations
$335.00 - bake sale/glow sticks/bracelets, etc.
$145.00 - commitment fee we turned in at Bank Night

All of the Cancer Society people were very impressed with how much we had raised in the few short weeks that we had to prepare. I, as well, am very proud of all the hard work all of you put into the Relay! I couldn't ask for a better team. Thanks to everyone for your involvement and your support, I know we've made Mitchel proud!

So we've got some time to consider how we want to fundraise for next year's Relay, but I have a few ideas to throw out there for everyone's consideration:

• Softball game, we sell goodies at concession stand, charge teams to play, etc.
• Craft fair booth - Sioux Center has a craft fair every year, possibly even 2, one in Spring, other in Fall, and we could sell crafty things to raise funds.
• Penny drive, set jars around local businesses we frequent, asking people to donate their pennies.

We still have lots of time to think about fun ways to raise money so we can meet and exceed that $2,000.00 mark before next year's Relay. Please let me know if you have any ideas on fundraising, I would love to have input from everyone so we can keep our team active throughout the year.

I'll keep everyone informed throughout the year on what's happening.

Thanks again to all of you and God Bless.

IT'S RELAY DAY!!!!!

So far, no rain. My fingers are crossed that it will stay that way.

Andy and I are heading to the fairgrounds at about 1:30 today. It'll probably take us a couple hours to get everything set up and looking pretty!

Please call my cell phone if you need anything today, the number was on my previous e-mails.

I'm really looking forward to the Relay and hope everyone is pumped up for it!!!!

See you all soon!
Shelly

Wanted to mention there is going to be a concession stand at the Relay, but we are planning to bring our small propane grill to make hot dogs/brats/hamburgers, so if you would like to grill with us, just bring some meat/buns and we'll eat together. I have cups, plates, that kind of stuff already. And we can pick up some chips or something.

With all the activities going on, I wasn't sure how to handle this, so it's up to you.

3 days until the Relay!!!

Hello Team Mitchel!

It's hard to believe the relay is only 3 days away, especially with this weather. Doesn't feel much like late May!

Wanted to remind everyone to be thinking about what you'll be bringing for the relay bake sale. Individually wrapped goodies would work great. Something like rice krispy bars, trail mix in baggies, things like that would be great ideas. If anyone cares to, feel free to get bottles of water to sell alongside our bake sale. Any cost to you will be reimbursed out of our sales.

I ordered 300 glow stick bracelets to sell for $1 each at our campsite after dark. I'm hoping that will be a big hit.

Sounds like we might be getting rained on, I think if that's the case, they'll have us walk in one of the buildings at the fairgrounds. It would be fun to be outside, but no matter where we are, we'll be together and that's really what matters.

Still need a few people's money for the shirts that Tonya is having made, so if you haven't paid for that yet ($9) please bring that money with you Friday so we can get that taken care of. We'll have your shirts at the campsite to hand out.

Please be at the fairgrounds by 6 p.m. Friday night, earlier if you can come help set up camp. Our tent is a light green, it is actually 2 tents that are connected, and our campsite will be the one with all the heart balloons. It shouldn't be too hard to spot us!

Hope everyone is excited for the Relay! It's going to be a great time and I am looking forward to it. Please bring all the funds you've raised thusfar to the relay and we'll get all that money in order so we can make our final donation, which they collect right before the luminaria ceremony at 9:45.

If you aren't staying overnight, please plan on walking your hour sometime between 6 p.m. and whenever you have to leave so those that do stay overnight will walk only their hour. From 6 a.m. - 7 a.m., for the final hour, our team will be tied together for the All Team Walk.

We do now have a canopy and long table for the bake sale, now all we need is a good weather forecast! Let's all pray for great weather!!!

Well, Team, Thanks for all your hard work and I'll be seeing you all soon!!!

P.S. The Relay is open to the public, so tell all your family, friends, neighbors, whatever, to join us for a good time to raise money in our fight against Cancer.

Not much to update today, I made three posters for our campsite and found some decorations. I ordered a box of 300 glowstick bracelets to sell at our campsite off ebay. Will be fun to sell those after dark.

Hoping for good weather on Relay day!

Here's my Friday update:
I'm going to make up some posters this weekend to put up at the campsite so people will know our team name. I'm wondering if anyone has or knows someone who has a long table to use for the bake sale. Also, it would be nice if we could find one of those overhead tarp things to put over the table if someone has access to one of those? Please let me know.

Also was giving more thought to how we could do additional fundraising at the relay cause my fundraising efforts aren't going very well, hope you are all doing better than I am! I was reading several sites today and liked this idea: have people sit on a motorcycle and take a polaroid picture of them for $2. Anyone have a motorcycle they'd be willing to do this with? And a polaroid camera? Again, please let me know.

I'm also thinking instead of marking the bake sale items, we'll just ask for a donation, leaving it up to them on how much they give.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe memorial day weekend.

7 days until the Relay!!!!

Welcome to Team Mitchel's Blog

I am creating this blog to keep everyone informed of the activities surrounding the upcoming and future Relay for Life event in Le Mars, Iowa. Please check this blog often as I will update it daily for the next few weeks.

We formed Team Mitchel to walk in the Relay in remembrance of Mitchel Scheitler, who lost a battle with cancer in April 2007. Team members will also be walking in honor and memory of those they know who've been touched or taken by cancer.

Below is some general info about the June relay:

Date & Time: June 1 through June 2, starting at 6 P.M. June 1, ending at 7 a.m. June 2, 2007.

Location: Plymouth County Fairgrounds (2007), future relays to be held at Jim Lorenzen Field, Le Mars, Iowa. Held at Fairgrounds in '07 because of construction and demolition around track at high school.

Who: Team Mitchel '07: Jed, Jeannie, Shelly (team captain), Andy, Jake, Mindy, Tonya, Brian, Leigha, Becky, Jen, Cari, Jill, Wendi, Kristi, Jodie.

2007 Campsite theme: LOVE

Our team will be having a bake sale at our campsite to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Team members are asked to bring individually wrapped baked goods, homemade or otherwise, to sell as part of our fundraising effort.

We submitted a $145.00 committment fee to the American Cancer Society on June 23, 2007, and have purchased $55.00 worth of luminaria bags. An ongoing tally of the funds we raise will be reported on this blog after the relay. Please keep track of how much you raise so we can have an accurate figure.

Team shirts are being made and will be handed out the night of the Relay. They will be red with white writing.

There's an article in today's Le Mars Sentinel about the relay, following is a link to that website:
www.lemarssentinel.com.

Please either comment on this article if you have a question, otherwise feel free to e-mail me.

Thanks to everyone!
Shelly