Relay For Life Directors Prepare for Unique Challenges
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Relay For Life will look much different this year, and it’s creating new challenges for its directors.
One of those directors is Megan Mantler (senior – supply chain management), who is Relay For Life’s executive event director. While being fully virtual can create challenges in planning the event, Mantler learned many lessons from last year.
“I’m feeling pretty confident about it because we already did a virtual event last year,” Mantler said.
Last year’s Relay For Life was held completely on social media. But this year will be a mix of social media and a livestream.
Using the livestream will allow for more interaction with participants and survivors. Mantler looked to this year’s THON for lessons on what works and what doesn’t with a virtual event.
“It’s definitely interesting to compare and utilize some of their ideas,” Mantler said. “I loved their idea of having an engagement guide and some of the different games and activities they streamed throughout the day.”
A part of those ideas is using games and performances to keep viewers engaged. It will be a tough task for Mantler to pull all this off, but she gives her team a ton of credit for making it all possible.
But, even with all the challenges thrown her way, Mantler is always sure to keep Relay For Life’s mission in mind.
“Our mission is to include survivors and make them feel special throughout the day,” Mantler said.
As Mantler graduates this spring, she hopes future editions of Relay For Life can return to an in-person format and continue to raise money for many years to come.
Jake Starr is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jas7954@psu.edu.
