Promoting a Small Event in a Big Way

The 10th Annual Carol Dyer Memorial “Light the Way to a Cure” Luminaria Evening

By Eliza Worrick

Why Cancer?

569,490People who died from cancer in 2010

1,529,560People who have been diagnosed since 2010

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US*.

Turning Pain Into Passion

The Bar Harbor YB’s lost their friend Carol Dyer to brain cancer in 2001.

That year, they put their energy into organizing an event in her honor...

The Carol Dyer Memorial “Light the Way to a Cure” Luminaria Evening

10 years and over $50,000 later, the event has become a way for these women and their community to reflect and fight

back against cancer.

Participants purchase $10 luminary bags which line the Bar Harbor village green on an August evening.

Goals:

1. Promote the event

2. Provide inspiration

Using the American Cancer Society online as a guide...

• Provides insight into the world of cancer advocacy

• Opens opportunity to share our story with a national audience

• Homepage http://www.cancer.org provides:– Learn About Cancer

• http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/index– Stay Healthy

• http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/index– Find Support & Treatment

• http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/index– Explore Research

• http://www.cancer.org/Research/index – Get Involved

• http://www.cancer.org/Involved/index– In Your Area

What we can take from this...

• Provide survivors with the support they need

• Give people the tools for good health

• Provide opportunities to donate and/or volunteer

Unique Ideas

• Blame Drew’s Cancer– Cathartic experience to be shared by all

• Paul Rudd’s CrowdRise Campaign– Personal touch and voice

Suggestions from Mashable.com

• Blog About It• Make a Facebook event• Tweet the event• Use hashtags• Flickr photostream

The Plan

• Blog:– Personal stories from each member

• Why the event is important to us, favorite event memories, memories of Carol– Gives visitors a year-round look into who the YB’s are– Posts on how we organize the event to provide others with tools and

inspiration

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The Plan

• Website:– Update it– Add links to ACS– Provide an option to donate online

The Plan

• Twitter– Regularly tweet about the event, the group and other events in the world of

cancer advocacy– Follow other cancer advocacy groups– Retweets are key in spreading the word

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The Plan

• Facebook– Update regularly with prompting questions– Add photos from past events– Create a follow-up photo album from this year’s event– Post photos of the YB’s together as a group– Post links from the world of cancer research and advocacy– Create an event for the Luminaria Evening– Post event planning updates, especially one month before the day of

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The Plan

• Flickr photo stream– Post pictures from past events– Photo follow-up after this year’s event

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Timeline

• April to June– Post photos, links or prompting questions weekly to Facebook– Continue to retweet news from the world of cancer advocacy– Compile information for first blog posts– Send out press releases to community calendars

• June to August 5th– Start Flickr photo stream of past events– Publish blog posts– Send out press releases to local newspapers– Continue to post to the Facebook profile, but twice a week– Continue to retweet cancer advocacy news

• August 6th- Luminaria Evening! – Tweet from the event– Post photos live from the event

• August 7th onwards– Blog post on event summary– Post new photo album to Facebook and Flickr– Continue to tweet about the success of the event and cancer news

Keeping Our Goals in Mind...

1. Promote the eventKeeping visitors and fans up to date with the planning

process and day-of happenings

2. Provide inspirationPutting a face to the name “YB’s” and providing access to both outside resources and a close-knit,

passionate community

References

1. The American Cancer Society, Cancer Statistics 2010. Copyright 2010 by the ACS. Online. http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/cancer-facts-and-figures-2010

2. Jones, Boulos, Maramba, Skirton, and Freeman, Patient Preferences for Online Person-Person Support. Found in Virtual Social Networks, Ed. Niki Panteli. Copyright 2009. Print. Pages 52-74.

3. Link to Delicious account: http://www.delicious.com/elbrwo