Entertain & Have Fun
Produce a Relay that creates a positive experience for every participant and is representative of the community. Relays should appear seamless to the participants.
A Relay should provide an emotional experience and leverage ceremonies and activities to bond community members together in a common cause through powerful ceremonies; entertainment and activities; and coordinated event logistics.
The following ceremonies must be included in a Relay:
- Opening Ceremony
- Survivor’s Lap
- Caregiver Recognition
- Luminaria Ceremony
- Closing Cerem ony
The following points should be considered when planning your entertainment and activities:
- Cater for a variety of interests.
- Should be spread out throughout the event.
- The entertainment plan should be focused on retention.
- Visionary.
- Understand the various types of groups.
Coordinated event logistics are vital to the success of your Relay, including the following:
- Good sound.
- Adequate lighting.
- Impactful ceremonies.
- Activities & entertainment throughout the event.
- Waste management, parking, restrooms, etc.
- Understanding the limitations of site.
- Well communicated day of event and overnight activities.
- Weather impact.
- Information & First Aid Booths.
- On-site communication.
- Recognition.
- Branding and signage.
- Survivor and Caregiver activities.
Ceremony Tips:
- Start and end on time.
- Choose the right speaker.
- S.P.E.E.D.
- Structure
- Powerful
- Emotional
- Entertaining
- Diverse
Activities and Entertainment tips:
Now that you’ve recruited all those teams of people, you want their experience to be enjoyable. The amount and types of entertainment and activities are up to you. However remember that when friends gather they create their own fun, while people working hard through the week might just want to sit in their lawn chairs and relax. You can still create a festive atmosphere by coordinating a variety of fun entertainment and activities.
Keep in mind that the money you are raising from the Relay should go to fight cancer and not to pay for entertainment and activities. Having a quality Relay is important, as it will be a factor in bringing people back year after year.
Ideas for entertainment and activities that can make your event fun for the whole family:
Activities:
- Team themes can add a lot of fun to a Relay. Please ask your staff partner for more information on this topic.
- Music: A DJ or band for Friday night and Saturday late morning or afternoon.
- Massage therapists: relax and enjoy!
- Podiatrists: foot massages are a great treat.
- Tent decorating contest: great team-building activity.
- Theme laps – please see below for a list of ideas.
- Clowns: fun for the young kids.
- Volleyball: fun for the big kids.
- Storyteller: great late-night activity to calm the kids.
- Movie tent: great way to keep the teenagers entertained.
- Children’s corner: crayons, colouring books, magician.
- Demonstrations: tae kwon do, gymnastics.
- Aerobics: loosen up Saturday morning.
- Team photos: capture the moment.
- Games: water balloon toss, three-legged race.
- Team trivia challenge.
- Miniature golf.
- Cancer facts bingo.
It is a good idea to secure your entertainment and activities early in your planning, people and services are booked well in advance. Remember: teams can be a great source of entertainment and bring a festive atmosphere.
Entertainers
- Acrobats
- Bell choirs
- Church choirs
- Dance teams
- Jugglers
- Line dancers
- Magicians
- Martial arts displays
- Local bands
- Tap dancers
Theme lap
- Boot scooting lap
- Bunny Hop lap
- Cancer information lap
- Celebrity lap
- Children’s lap
- Clownin’ around lap
- Costume lap
- Decade Laps: 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s
- Dine and dash lap
- Jazzercise lap
- Jump rope lap
- Macarena lap
- Pajama lap
- Women-only or men only lap
Contests/games:
- Bean bag toss
- Bingo
- Chess tournament
- Cola taste tests
- Dance lessons/contest
- Egg toss
- Golf putting contest
- Sack race
- Hula Hoop contest
- Hula dancing
- Jump rope contest
- Karaoke contest
- Basketball tournament
- Limbo contest
- Ping-pong contest
- Sports: basketball, soccer, rugby, volleyball
- Sumo wrestling
- Talent show
- Trivial Pursuit tournament
- Tug-of-war
- Volleyball
- King and Queen of Relay
- Midnight Madness activities
- Boxer shorts decorating contest: Get “behind” the Relay For Life!
