Get the volunteers involved! In SWFL we’ve been creating Relay teams for MSACB (RelayingForStrides) and Strides teams for RFL (#MakingStridesforRelay). That helps the volunteers participate without having to take on the team captain role. They can come out day of the event and join the fun! The ELT loved being able to come out and be part of MSABC!

That's an interesting idea! Did you just start doing this or has this been in place for some time? I'd love to hear how it's going and it sounds like a neat way to integrate the two audiences.

Theresa and I started doing this the minute we stepped foot in the ACS office. We were introduced together many of times and we support each others events. We both have a "why not" personality. At one of her team parties, an ELT approached me and said they never have had support from the Strides CDM before. In that moment, I logged into my phone and created the #MakingStridesforRelay Team and once Strides reset Theresa made the RelayingforStrides Team. Theresa can speak on the Relay element. My Strides committee has talked to me about the discomfort they feel about not donating to Relay because their connection is with Strides. The team was created to help ease the volunteers/ committee members to walk anyway. We are a team and we can walk together. It is easier for them to join the #MSFR team than to create a team and increase the number of breast cancer survivors at the Relay events. They loved the Relay Virtual 5k!

I think the cross participation has become more organized and has grown with ACS staff encouragement- sharing information through EMC, talking about the other events at Team Parties and Committee Meetings, sharing and liking social media posts. I think that some volunteers felt like they were "cheating" on their event if they participated in a different event. Having the team already made and sharing information about the other events gives cross participation the official ACS blessing.

I think that some Relayers felt like Strides wasn't something they allowed to join if they weren't breast cancer survivors. Brittni let them know that ALL survivors are welcome! Being officially invited and knowing you will see friendly faces at the event takes down barriers for participation. At the 2019 MSABC SWFL we even had Relayers come to Strides in their Relay tee-shirts :)

We are considering a combined event and one of the areas that could easily be combined is the luminaria. We have a supply company locally that used to donate plain white bags to Relay before we had branded bags. So we could make some specific to breast cancer by putting a large pink ribbon. This may also increase Luminaria sales even from MSABC attendees who may not stay till dark. A small note card could thank them and encourage them to stay or return at a specific time. Also thinking we could have some type of pink flower or ribbon on a stick that could be set out early with the names on them -- space them out so later when Luminaria bags are put out later in the evening they could be placed intermittently among the Pink items.