Creating a herd flash mob

Some years ago there was a concept making the rounds called a “flash mob.” People would text a large group of people to appear at a specific location at a specific time to call attention to something important–or just to do something out of the ordinary. It was an early use of the viral nature of the electronic social commons.

…we can’t start something big.

Two weeks ago a friend on the planning committee for the Relay for Life of Greater Fall River reminded us that we should have far more luminaria at our Relay than we traditionally have. We are supposed to have one luminaria for every $5 we raise. Generally, our event raises over $200,000–which means we should have something on the order of 40,000 of them. I doubt we have more than 4000 total.

Lighting up the herd

For those unfamiliar with Relay for Life, a luminaria is a plain white bag decorated in the name of someone who is either a cancer survivor or has died of one form or another of cancer. The bags are set out on the track and filled with a small amount of sand to keep them from blowing around. Then either a glow stick or candle is placed in the bag and ignited just after dark.

I doubt we have more than 4000 total.

The idea originated early in the history of Relay when a group was walking the all-night event at a track that lacked lighting. The walkers needed to be able to see where they were going and the bag-lanterns provided that.

1200 herd lights available–free

Our Walking with Jane Relay for Life team is as guilty of not putting out the number of bags we’ve earned as anyone. When all was said and done last year, we were entitled to about 1800 bags. If we put out 20, I’d be surprised. As I write this, we have earned the rights to close to 1200–most of which were unlikely to be used again this year.

And then I was out mowing the lawn this weekend. I think about a lot of things behind the mower. Sometimes, it is so much nonsense. Sometimes, it becomes a meditation. And sometimes…

Struggles in the herd

I monitor a dozen NET cancer support groups online. I witness the daily struggles of probably 2000 NET cancer patients. They talk about their symptoms, their experiences in various trials, their families, the obstacles they face, their hopes and their dreams. I come away from that daily sojourn deeply moved.

…we have earned the rights to close to 1200…

I care about every one of those patients and their families. When one of them dies, I feel it. And in the last few months there have been too many deaths. Each one underlines for me how important it is we find a cure for NET cancer–how important it is that we raise awareness among the general public about this form of cancer.

Herd opportunity knocks

And here I am with enough  unused luminaria to ignite a very large bonfire capable of warming a large number of zebra hearts. It’s time for a figurative flash mob.

I witness the daily struggles…

Here’s the plan: I am going to create 1200 zebra-themed luminaria bags, secure in the knowledge that we have at least that amount already coming in over these last days before Relay on June 26. At the top of each bag it will say either, “Kill NET cancer for” or “Kill NET cancer in memory of.” Under that will appear a person’s name who either has NETs or has died of NETs. Below that will be a zebra.

Creating the virtual herd

We’ll mass those 1200 bags together in one section of the track to create an enormous zebra herd that will be impossible to miss. And in the middle of that herd will be bags that read: “Kill NET cancer before it kills someone you love.”

It’s time for a figurative flash mob.

We don’t need money to do this. We’ve raised enough to do it already. What we do need are names of patients and lost loved ones. I can generate quite a list of first names, if it comes to that. But if you are a patient and would let us use your first and last name, that would have greater impact–as would permission from people who have lost loved ones to NETs to use those names. Just leave a comment below with the name and I’ll get it on the list that will go on the bags.

Spreading the herd word

My hope is that the local press will pick up on the story of that zebra herd and that the press services will pick up on it and spread it around. Maybe NET cancer focussed Relay teams around the country will pick up on the idea and use it at other Relays.

We’ve raised enough to do it already.

Ultimately, this is about raising awareness about NET cancer. Greater awareness will lead to earlier diagnosis–and early diagnosis can mean a surgical cure is still possible. Greater awareness may also lead to greater interest in the cancer research community–and that may generate more research that may lead to a cure sooner rather than later.

We talk about our zebra herd among ourselves. Join the zebra herd flash mob for the Greater Fall River Relay for Life. Let’s see if we can’t start something big.