A Look Behind Relay for Life of Barrington's Success

The relay’s opening ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Friday, June 7 at Barrington High School, 616 W. Main St., Barrington. The closing ceremony is at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 8.

Relay for Life is not just a one-day event for Eleanor Sweet McDonnell or the other volunteers behind Barrington’s super successful campaign.

Last year, Relay for Life Barrington raised $376,00, said McDonnell, chairwoman of this year’s relay. The figure made Barrington’s relay the number two in the state.

The Barrington relay event has raised over $130,000 so far and has a goal of $400,000. McDonnell is serving her first year as chairperson and the organization is filled with lots of volunteers who are raising thousands of dollars.

This year, McDonnell is taking a different approach to RFL of Barrington using her professional skills to marketing and expanding its reach.

Motivated to help

McDonnell joined RFL three years ago. She took the helm this year and predicted RFL of Barrington would hit the $400,000 mark. Since the January kick off, she has been busy with planning, raising monies and planning unique events. She has a good crew of volunteers, too, who help plan different events, she said, adding RFL of Barrington is a community effort.
 
The long-time Barrington resident is use to being busy and multitasking. RFL is something she does because she is passionate about it and believes in its cause, she said.

“I’m doing it because I’ve been a compulsive helper all my life. I always volunteer and give back,” she said. “To me, life is about helping others in need.”

What also motivates her is how cancer has touched the lives of loved ones and friends, and how it touches countless others.

McDonnell lost her father and several close friends to cancer. She has also had friends and neighbors fight cancer. In October, Lauren Brown, 29, died of ovarian cancer. She worked at the Barrington Chamber of Commerce since 2007. There are others in town who are fighting the battle, she said.

“One out of 12 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime,” McDonnell said. “One out of three women will be diagnosed in their lifetime. That’s why I am doing this.”

Successful strategy

McDonnell uses her marketing, sales, leadership and personal skills to keep RFL of Barrington on its successful track. The way she sees it, RFL needs to grow organically by reaching out to new people and providing different ways to have fun while raising money. And, she is working at bringing in new people to volunteer.

This year, RFL of Barrington has held new fundraisers to appeal to people who may not have ever heard of the American Cancer Society’s fundraiser, from a golf outing in August to a fashion show held last week.

Leslie Roberts, who McDonnell said is Barrington’s fashion maven, and Barrington High School teacher Carla Darlington organized the fashion show. BHS students modeled the outfits and the money raised went to the high school’s Fashion Department RFL team, McDonnell said.

“There was a lot of incredible energy in that room,” she said of the fashion show. “It was the hottest ticket in town.”

There were also a lot of new faces there, she said.

“We want to engage more people in the community. We have a lot of corporate donations and teams. (But) there were people who were not being reached,” McDonnell said.

RFL of Barrington has been testing events, like the fashion show, to see which are successful enough to repeat next year, she said.

The group also had a book sale with five celebrity authors attending and a Ladies Night Out.

Hitting the mark

McDonnell continues striving toward the $400,000 goal. The book sale is ongoing and there is the golf outing planned at Makray Memorial Golf Course in August. The RFL fundraising year ends that month.

“We are not finished, there’s still time,” she said.