Organize an Event – A Planning Guide
Choose Event Activities – Pick a Theme

While not absolutely necessary, adding a theme to your event can make it more fun and interesting. While themes are limited only by your imagination, here are some ideas that have proven successful for other NCSD coordinators:

• “Light of Hope” – hold a candle-lighting ceremony or sunrise service
• “Swinging Toward the Cure” – swing band or dance group to entertain, swing dance lessons, garden swings for guests to enjoy
• “Surviving into the Future” – costumed Star Trekkies, discussion of treatment advances, space age décor, futuristic music
• “Joie de Vivre – A Day in Paris” – French-inspired decorations, volunteers in bérets, sidewalk café serving food donated by area restaurants, flower market, art contest or art displayed on easels
• “Joining Hands in the Fight Against Cancer” – create a mural of handprints labeled with names and years of survivorship; join hands and sing an inspirational song
• “Living in Full Bloom,” “Bloom Where You’re Planted,” “Seeds of Hope,” or “Garden of Hope” – decorate with flowers, paint flowerpots, create a flower collage with survivors’ names on each petal, and give flowers to each survivor and caregiver
• “Survivorship Through the Arts” – hold your event at an art museum and display art created by survivors; serve hors d’oeuvres and have a harpist or guitarist perform
• “Chain of Survival” – have a survivor, a caregiver, a volunteer, and an oncology professional speak about their roles as links in the chain of survival; create a paper chain with names and years of survivorship, or role if not a survivor
• “Laughter Is the Best Medicine” – have a humorous speaker; compile a booklet of cancer-related jokes and distribute copies
• “Celebrate Your Creative Spirit” – invite survivors to perform or display crafts, writing, or artwork they have created
• “Celebrate With a Song in Your Heart” – include performances by various groups and a sing-along for the whole crowd; use musical notes in the décor and give CDs or gift certificates to music stores as door prizes
• Old-fashioned ice cream social – patriotic decorations and a wind band or barbershop quartet
• Hawaiian luau – leis, palm trees, Hawaiian dancers
• Latin American fiesta – mariachis, dancers, conga lines, sombreros, maracas, piñatas, and taco, fajita, and salsa food stations
• African safari – rent large plants; have local zoo bring animals
• Mardi Gras – costumes, balloon hats, music of New Orleans
• Western – hayrides, country music, bandanas, pony rides, line dancing or square dancing, sheriff’s badges for survivors
• Retro – 50s, 60s, or 70s – sock hop, hula hoop contests, poodle skirts, bell bottoms, music from the era
• Beach or nautical – brightly-colored beach umbrellas, over-sized beach towels serve as tablecloths, shells, treasure chests, fishbowl centerpieces, and lighthouses for decorations, participation of local Coast Guard and/or Navy unit; give survivors wooden or plastic boats to label with their names and years of survivorship and float in a hospital or park lake; serve boat-shaped refreshments, “sub” sandwiches
• “Rainbow of Hope” – create a rainbow out of colorful ribbons
• “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” – kids in Little League uniforms serving popcorn, peanuts, and cotton candy; professional baseball players participate
• “Choosing a Road to Healing” – workshops and/or information booths can provide information on types of complementary therapy, such as music and art therapy, dance therapy, massage therapy, journal writing, hypnosis, acupuncture, and prayer
• English Garden Tea – host an elegant tea party with live chamber music
• “Under the Big Top” – circus theme with a parade, clowns, stilt walkers, jugglers, magicians, face painting, cotton candy, and other fun food
• “NASCAR” – checkered flags, NASCAR hats
• “A Day on the Red Carpet” or “Hollywood/Oscars” – red carpet entrance, celebrity look-alikes, sidewalk stars
• “Las Vegas” – game tables, “win” NCSD merchandise
• “Hope Soars” – have survivors participate in a butterfly or dove release; kite-flying; bubble blowing
• “Walk for Hope” – have a fundraising walk/run or race with a registration fee benefiting local cancer support agencies

Organize an Event |Choose Event Activities |
Find a Speaker | Pick a Theme | Plan Entertainment

2010 Event Coverage and Photos

2009 Event Coverage and Photos

2008 Event Coverage and Photos

2007 Event Coverage and Photos