The weekend of January 17-20 I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Baltimore for the 4K for Cancer Directors Retreat weekend. Both directors for each trip (4 bike rides, 1 run) all met in Baltimore for a fun, helpful and educational weekend. I wanted to make sure I recorded everything that happened!
Friday, January 17
Friday afternoon, I flew up from Columbia, SC, to Baltimore. It felt great to be back in a place where it really feels like winter! Baltimore was pretty chilly, but also awesome. I’ve never been before, and although I arrived at night, it still looked amazing from the car ride. I was picked up at the airport and taken to the Ulman Cancer Fund offices in Baltimore where the Kick-Off Party was happening. Not only were all the trip directors there, but also the Ulman staff members and even several teammates from each trip who live in the area were able to come. This was my first time I met my fellow co-director Alex, and also several girls who will be running with us this summer! It was so exciting to get to meet them, and judging by the few hours we spent together, I know we’re gonna have a fun summer. We bonded in our attempts to get Chipotle…and then were all heartbroken to find out it was already closed. After several hours at the Kick-Off, the trip directors drove about 45 minutes from Baltimore to Camp Puh’Tok, in the middle of a forest, for our retreat! We were all exhausted, so we each grabbed a bunk and headed to bed pretty quickly.
Saturday, January 18
Saturday morning, the alarm went off early to get us up. We started the day off with an icebreaker/team building activity that got us all VERY close…physically and emotionally! We also had to introduce ourselves for 90 seconds straight, which was fun and more challenging than most people would think. In the morning, we learned a lot about the Ulman Cancer Fund (UCF). We learned about their mission, vision and values for the Fund. We heard the history of how UCF started by Doug Ulman, a man who was diagnosed with cancer at age 19. We learned about other events sponsored by UCF and other ways they raise money and support for young adults with cancer. I could go on and on about what we learned Saturday morning, but I think I should save that for a separate post about UCF!
After we had a crash-course on learning about UCF, it was almost lunch time, but the trip directors were faced with a lunchtime challenge. Each day of our run this summer, we will be getting all of our meals donated to us. Each day we’ll have to solicit food donations from restaurants in the area. So why are we going around asking for food donations? Think about it: the less money we have to spend on food, the MORE money we can give to direct patient support for young adults with cancer. So why wouldn’t we get food donated?! For our lunchtime challenge, some 4K alums taught us the best ways to solicit food donations, then we were taken out into the city to try it out for ourselves! We split into 5 teams, one for each trip, then hit the restaurants. In less than 1 hour, everyone was successful. We had gotten 20 Chipotle burritos, 5 family dishes of Noodles pastas, 2 pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen, 20 Chick Fil A sandwiches and 4 gallons of Caribou Coffee! It was incredible how generous people in the community can be, and it gave me hope that this summer will be similar. Naturally, all of this food got us through the rest of the weekend easily!
After lunch we were able to learn about the actual 4K for Cancer: the mission, vision and values, the history of how it came to be, and more logistical information about our summer trips. We also had the ability for Alex and I to sit down with Kim, one of the run directors from last year, and ask her very specific questions about our running trip. It was so helpful to know all the details and really understand what we’re doing during the summer! That evening, we had another meal challenge! For dinner, we split into two teams (the oldest directors from each trip on one team, the youngest directors from each trip on the other). Then, it was time for CHOPPED! Our teams went head-to-head using the ingredients and food we had for the weekend to put a meal together. Us oldies put together some delicious fajitas with grilled chicken, vegetables and cheese. The younger team put together bacon-wrapped burgers and chips and dip. However, the old directors were victorious! Our incredible fajitas took home first place. After dinner, we cleaned up and headed back to the cabins to tuck in for the night.
Sunday, January 19
We were all a little slower to get up on Sunday morning after such a packed Saturday. However, we had plenty more to do on Sunday. In the morning, we went over the results of the DISC personality test each director took. It was a great opportunity to see how each director works as a leader and how the director pairs will work together. After this, we took a break for lunch. Following lunch, we had tons of icebreakers and team building activities that got pretty intense! Whether we were throwing sockballs blindfolded at each other or navigating a sea of chairs on the floor blindfolded, it definitely required us to listen carefully to our co-director and pay attention to details.
We also spent some time on Sunday writing down what the “ideal director” was. Each director spent time on their own brainstorming, then we worked in our trip pairs, then we all got together to develop a list of what makes an ideal director. It was a great discussion to have with all the directors. We know exactly what kinds of qualities we want to possess as directors this summer in order to have the best trip ever.
Our activities ended early on Sunday so we could all go back, shower and get ready for a nice dinner in Baltimore with some of the board members for the Ulman Cancer Fund! This was one of the coolest parts of the weekend. We went to a local alehouse restaurant, had some delicious dinner and got to talk with the board members. They shared their stories with us of their connections to cancer, and some of them were absolutely unbelievable and inspiring. These people were freely giving of their time to support UCF and to support young adults with cancer. It will helped drive home the mission of what we’re doing through fundraising and through our journey this summer. It was definitely an emotional and inspiring night, and one that I won’t forget.
By Sunday night, the 10 of us directors had gotten pretty close from spending all day every day that weekend with each other, so when we got back to the cabin (after a pit stop at a weird gas station for pints of Ben and Jerry’s, of course), we could NOT get to sleep. We stayed up until about 1:00 a.m. talking about…literally everything. Let’s just say that dolphins were a pretty hot topic of conversation. Shout-out to any of my fellow 4K directors reading this, you know what I mean!!! Even when we had finally climbed into our bunks for the night, we couldn’t stop texting our GroupMe…even though we were all about 10 feet from each other in the same room. What a night.
Monday, January 20
We all woke up Monday and got to work cleaning up all the messes we made over the weekend. We spent our last meeting time together talking about the morning Dedication Circles we’ll have each day of the trip. It’s a ritual every morning to refocus everyone on the mission and the purpose of what we’re doing, and it also gives each runner the ability to dedicate their day to someone. It’s going to be a great way to get to know our fellow teammates and for us to remember the reason we’re running. I’m already looking forward to our Dedication Circles!
After this, we packed up and headed back to Baltimore and sadly parted ways. Hugs were exchanged, and promises were made to keep in touch. Alex and I, as the run directors, realized we actually wouldn’t ever see the directors again because our trip leaves later than the bike trips leave. It was pretty sad, but it’s amazing to know that we will all support each other throughout the summer via texting and calling, even though we’re miles and miles apart. We’ll be facing the same challenges and successes, and we’ll be there to share them with each other. After this, I was off to the airport to catch my flight back home.
—-
Overall, I had a phenomenal time at the Directors Retreat. It was great to meet the fellow directors from other trips and become friends with them. Even though the retreat was almost 2 weeks ago, we still use our GroupMe for random little things, especially updating each other with dolphin facts… But I know we’ll all use it throughout the summer to share the funny, crazy or annoying things that happen on our respective trips.
I also really appreciated that I learned so much that weekend about the Ulman Cancer Fund and the 4K for Cancer. I feel so much more informed and prepared to tell friends and family about what I’m doing, where their donations go and how it all works. It made me SO READY for this summer’s journey, too! Even though it’s going to be tough, physically and mentally and emotionally, I can’t wait. The Directors Retreat inspired me and reminded me why I’m doing this, and I can’t wait to hit the pavement from coast to coast.
xoxo,
Natalie
Friday, January 17
Friday afternoon, I flew up from Columbia, SC, to Baltimore. It felt great to be back in a place where it really feels like winter! Baltimore was pretty chilly, but also awesome. I’ve never been before, and although I arrived at night, it still looked amazing from the car ride. I was picked up at the airport and taken to the Ulman Cancer Fund offices in Baltimore where the Kick-Off Party was happening. Not only were all the trip directors there, but also the Ulman staff members and even several teammates from each trip who live in the area were able to come. This was my first time I met my fellow co-director Alex, and also several girls who will be running with us this summer! It was so exciting to get to meet them, and judging by the few hours we spent together, I know we’re gonna have a fun summer. We bonded in our attempts to get Chipotle…and then were all heartbroken to find out it was already closed. After several hours at the Kick-Off, the trip directors drove about 45 minutes from Baltimore to Camp Puh’Tok, in the middle of a forest, for our retreat! We were all exhausted, so we each grabbed a bunk and headed to bed pretty quickly.
Saturday, January 18
Saturday morning, the alarm went off early to get us up. We started the day off with an icebreaker/team building activity that got us all VERY close…physically and emotionally! We also had to introduce ourselves for 90 seconds straight, which was fun and more challenging than most people would think. In the morning, we learned a lot about the Ulman Cancer Fund (UCF). We learned about their mission, vision and values for the Fund. We heard the history of how UCF started by Doug Ulman, a man who was diagnosed with cancer at age 19. We learned about other events sponsored by UCF and other ways they raise money and support for young adults with cancer. I could go on and on about what we learned Saturday morning, but I think I should save that for a separate post about UCF!
After we had a crash-course on learning about UCF, it was almost lunch time, but the trip directors were faced with a lunchtime challenge. Each day of our run this summer, we will be getting all of our meals donated to us. Each day we’ll have to solicit food donations from restaurants in the area. So why are we going around asking for food donations? Think about it: the less money we have to spend on food, the MORE money we can give to direct patient support for young adults with cancer. So why wouldn’t we get food donated?! For our lunchtime challenge, some 4K alums taught us the best ways to solicit food donations, then we were taken out into the city to try it out for ourselves! We split into 5 teams, one for each trip, then hit the restaurants. In less than 1 hour, everyone was successful. We had gotten 20 Chipotle burritos, 5 family dishes of Noodles pastas, 2 pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen, 20 Chick Fil A sandwiches and 4 gallons of Caribou Coffee! It was incredible how generous people in the community can be, and it gave me hope that this summer will be similar. Naturally, all of this food got us through the rest of the weekend easily!
After lunch we were able to learn about the actual 4K for Cancer: the mission, vision and values, the history of how it came to be, and more logistical information about our summer trips. We also had the ability for Alex and I to sit down with Kim, one of the run directors from last year, and ask her very specific questions about our running trip. It was so helpful to know all the details and really understand what we’re doing during the summer! That evening, we had another meal challenge! For dinner, we split into two teams (the oldest directors from each trip on one team, the youngest directors from each trip on the other). Then, it was time for CHOPPED! Our teams went head-to-head using the ingredients and food we had for the weekend to put a meal together. Us oldies put together some delicious fajitas with grilled chicken, vegetables and cheese. The younger team put together bacon-wrapped burgers and chips and dip. However, the old directors were victorious! Our incredible fajitas took home first place. After dinner, we cleaned up and headed back to the cabins to tuck in for the night.
Sunday, January 19
We were all a little slower to get up on Sunday morning after such a packed Saturday. However, we had plenty more to do on Sunday. In the morning, we went over the results of the DISC personality test each director took. It was a great opportunity to see how each director works as a leader and how the director pairs will work together. After this, we took a break for lunch. Following lunch, we had tons of icebreakers and team building activities that got pretty intense! Whether we were throwing sockballs blindfolded at each other or navigating a sea of chairs on the floor blindfolded, it definitely required us to listen carefully to our co-director and pay attention to details.
We also spent some time on Sunday writing down what the “ideal director” was. Each director spent time on their own brainstorming, then we worked in our trip pairs, then we all got together to develop a list of what makes an ideal director. It was a great discussion to have with all the directors. We know exactly what kinds of qualities we want to possess as directors this summer in order to have the best trip ever.
Our activities ended early on Sunday so we could all go back, shower and get ready for a nice dinner in Baltimore with some of the board members for the Ulman Cancer Fund! This was one of the coolest parts of the weekend. We went to a local alehouse restaurant, had some delicious dinner and got to talk with the board members. They shared their stories with us of their connections to cancer, and some of them were absolutely unbelievable and inspiring. These people were freely giving of their time to support UCF and to support young adults with cancer. It will helped drive home the mission of what we’re doing through fundraising and through our journey this summer. It was definitely an emotional and inspiring night, and one that I won’t forget.
By Sunday night, the 10 of us directors had gotten pretty close from spending all day every day that weekend with each other, so when we got back to the cabin (after a pit stop at a weird gas station for pints of Ben and Jerry’s, of course), we could NOT get to sleep. We stayed up until about 1:00 a.m. talking about…literally everything. Let’s just say that dolphins were a pretty hot topic of conversation. Shout-out to any of my fellow 4K directors reading this, you know what I mean!!! Even when we had finally climbed into our bunks for the night, we couldn’t stop texting our GroupMe…even though we were all about 10 feet from each other in the same room. What a night.
Monday, January 20
We all woke up Monday and got to work cleaning up all the messes we made over the weekend. We spent our last meeting time together talking about the morning Dedication Circles we’ll have each day of the trip. It’s a ritual every morning to refocus everyone on the mission and the purpose of what we’re doing, and it also gives each runner the ability to dedicate their day to someone. It’s going to be a great way to get to know our fellow teammates and for us to remember the reason we’re running. I’m already looking forward to our Dedication Circles!
After this, we packed up and headed back to Baltimore and sadly parted ways. Hugs were exchanged, and promises were made to keep in touch. Alex and I, as the run directors, realized we actually wouldn’t ever see the directors again because our trip leaves later than the bike trips leave. It was pretty sad, but it’s amazing to know that we will all support each other throughout the summer via texting and calling, even though we’re miles and miles apart. We’ll be facing the same challenges and successes, and we’ll be there to share them with each other. After this, I was off to the airport to catch my flight back home.
—-
Overall, I had a phenomenal time at the Directors Retreat. It was great to meet the fellow directors from other trips and become friends with them. Even though the retreat was almost 2 weeks ago, we still use our GroupMe for random little things, especially updating each other with dolphin facts… But I know we’ll all use it throughout the summer to share the funny, crazy or annoying things that happen on our respective trips.
I also really appreciated that I learned so much that weekend about the Ulman Cancer Fund and the 4K for Cancer. I feel so much more informed and prepared to tell friends and family about what I’m doing, where their donations go and how it all works. It made me SO READY for this summer’s journey, too! Even though it’s going to be tough, physically and mentally and emotionally, I can’t wait. The Directors Retreat inspired me and reminded me why I’m doing this, and I can’t wait to hit the pavement from coast to coast.
xoxo,
Natalie