After Relay
Committee wrap-up and team celebrations
A Relay that holds event wrap-up celebrations is more successful, on average, than events that do not. A post-event debriefing for the leadership committee will set in motion improvements for the following year.
Minutes from the wrap-up meeting should be place to start when your committee meets for the first time to plan the next year’s event.
Recognition and Awards:
When your Relay For Life is over, you have one more job to do before starting to plan next year’s event: Thank your volunteers. Thank each individual who made the Relay possible – the planning committee, sponsors, Team Captains, team members, and everyone who donated an item, service, or their time. We want everyone to feel good about the event so they will come back next year – and hopefully bring more people with them!
There are many ways to recognise and reward volunteers. Get to know as many people as possible who are involved in your Relay, so that you will know how they like to be recognised. This does not have to be an expensive undertaking or a one-time thank-you letter at the end of the event. Treat them with respect, kindness, and honesty by showing your appreciation often, in many ways, and in ways that recognize the individual.
- Match the reward to the person.
- Match the reward to the achievement.
- Make the reward timely and distinctive.
- Everyday and special recognition tips
- Smile
- Treat him or her to a beverage
- Ask a question
- Send a birthday card
- Have coffee together
- Recognize and accommodate personal needs and problems
- Be pleasant
- Respect their wishes
- Keep challenging him or her
- Send a Holiday card to the family
- Say “Good morning”
- Greet him or her by name
- Provide good training
- Help develop self confidence
- Take time to explain things fully
- Be verbal
- Give additional responsibility
- Let him or her plan
- Respect sensitivities
- Recommend newsworthy information about him or her as a media feature
- Ask him or her to evaluate
- Say “Good afternoon”
- Honor his or her preferences
- Create pleasant surroundings
- Enlist him or her to train others
- Take the time to talk
- Defend him or her against negative members
- Commend him or her to supervisory staff
- Write thank-you notes
- Surprise him or her with coffee and cake
- Celebrate outstanding projects and achievements
- Nominate him or her for an award
- Carefully match volunteers to jobs
- Say “Good night”
- Put up pictures
- Accept his or her individuality
- Provide opportunities for conference and evaluation
- Send impromptu fun cards
- Plan a surprise
- Send a letter of appreciation
- Include recognition in the Relay newsletter
- Have a picnic
- Adequately orient him or her
- Award special citations
- Be familiar with the details of assignments
- Say “Thank you”