Relay for Life 2021 Persona Fundraisers

“We all know someone who has been impacted by cancer – our family members, friends, co-workers, or neighbors. The American Cancer Society is the largest nonprofit with over $5 billion invested in cancer research. We know that cancer research is the only thing that will ultimately get rid of cancer. To date, cancer deaths have decreased by 31%. Our goal by 2035 is to have cancer deaths declined by 40%! We won’t stop until we find a cure! We must continue to invest in cancer research,” said Emily Berg, senior development manager for American Cancer Society and part of the Relay for Life team.

This year, Persona raised $4,156 to donate to Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. In fact, there were multiple fundraisers by Persona throughout the months of March and May. In March, there was a March Madness NCAA Basketball Pool which raised $125. Also, the fundraisers in May included a game called Chase the Ace, a bake sale, Pie-in-the-Face competition. Persona also participated in purchasing luminaries and a silent auction.

Fundraisers

The Chase the Ace game is a fun way to raise money. Production and support staff all had the chance to buy tickets for $1. Fifty percent of the ticket sales went to the Ace of Hearts cardholder and 50 percent of sales went to Relay for Life. The first 5 tickets are drawn with the employee’s name on it. Each of the 5 employees had a chance to choose a card 1-14 looking for the Ace of Hearts! On the first day, no Ace was found. The next day, more tickets were bought and 5 more names drawn for a chance to win. Finally, Doug Becht drew the Ace of Hearts and was $163. Fortunately, the same amount was donated to Relay for Life.

The Bake Sale had many members participate in making sweet and salty treats and package them up to sell. All the proceeds of the bake sale ($466) were donated.

The Pie-in-the-Face competition was the best fundraiser this year! The production workers along with the office staff participated in the weeklong fundraiser by betting money on who they wanted to see get pied. Overall, this competition raised $1,735.

Persona employees donated $10 to light a luminary to honor a friend or family member who has fought or is fighting cancer. The specially decorated bags were brought to the Relay for Life event to be luminated. The donations for luminaries totaled $1,060.

In addition, the silent action added $100 to our Relay for Life donation. As well as Persona donated $500.

Relay for Life of Codington

So far, the Codington/Clark event has raised $32,000. Emily Berg says, “We’re so thankful to our volunteers, sponsors, and attendees who show up year after year to support our mission. Without community support, we would not be where we are today! We’re indebted to Persona and their employees, who continue to support Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society. In particular, partnerships with corporations are critical to our mission of being the most impactful cancer-fighting organization. The passion in Persona employees through their fundraising efforts (like throwing pies in faces) is phenomenal and so fun to watch!”

In conclusion, team Persona had a huge impact as one of the 3 teams that raised over $4,000. We continue to raise money for Relay for Life throughout the rest of this year and many more after.