Strategic Planning

In 2011 Clemson University alumnus, Audrey Turchick, came up with a plan to improve the marketing strategies used to recruit and advertise the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraising event. Relay for Life is an overnight event where teams work together to fundraise and remember those that are battling or have lost their battle with cancer. Turchick’s plan initiated the Creative Inquiry, Relay for Life and Strategic Event Planning. Since then, the Creative Inquiry has flourished from eight students to 136 students. Because of the large number of students, Clemson University genetics and biochemistry alumnus and former Relay for Life President, Brittany Avin, and associate professor of genetics and biochemistry, Dr. Michael Sehorn, decided to run the project as a corporation. Avin supervised the group, while Sehorn served as CEO. The students were divided into small groups and assigned three projects, including a combination of fundraising events and logistics. Sehorn’s goal for the students was to understand the logistics of running a non-profit organization. If students proposed an unrealistic idea, Sehorn allowed them to attempt the project until they realized it was not feasible. Sehorn explained, “I want students to go from beginning to end and see how all their work creates a finely-tuned product. My goal is to get them to be creative and work through logistics, becoming aware of every detail that goes into creating an event for a nonprofit organization.” This learning experience forced the students to consider every factor from finances, locations, policies and regulations that must be followed.

Through this Creative Inquiry, students have learned how to take an active role in creating fundraising events and organizing major events, such as the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Each week, the small groups presented their brainstorming ideas from the previous week. The presentations include successful ideas as well as highlights of those that were not, allowing the students to examine every detail going into planning an event. In 2014 and 2015, the students focused on increasing attendance at the events. The event must have high attendance to be successful. At the end of the year, each group makes a final presentation summarizing all of their accomplishments and errors. This allows for the students to analyze their work and determine what does and does not work, which leads to improvements for the future.

Fundraising events like Rent-a-Puppy, late-night grilled cheese sandwiches in downtown, restaurant nights, t-shirt sales and luminaries were coordinated by this Creative Inquiry. The group put on an event before a basketball game between Clemson and University of Louisville, where the students set up a raffle for a Yeti Cooler. The raffle was advertised through social media and the team coordinated with the Athletic Department to follow their policies for holding events. Faculty and administration were involved in fundraising with a toilet seat event. A bright purple and orange toilet seat was placed on the door of a faculty member, in order to remove it they paid $10 and placed it on the door of another faculty member.

All the fundraisers culminated in the biggest event the Creative Inquiry orchestrates, Relay for Life. The event begins with a lap of cancer survivors, followed by laps of caregivers, family and finally teams composed of Greek life, clubs and organizations. There are many activities during the event including zumba, jousting, arts and crafts and paint balloon darts, that make this event fun and entertaining for all ages.

“The best experience for me has been seeing my fellow students come up with these ideas to help increase cancer awareness and involvement. Their excitement from the inception to the follow through has been contagious. As a leader and as a cancer survivor, nothing makes me happier than to see growth in this field,” Avin commented.