stem stories

Case Study: Voices Behind Relay for Life

Partner: Grimsby Secondary School & Relay for Life
Focus: Community Fundraising, Documentary Storytelling & Emotional Impact Deliverables: Short Documentary Film, On-Location Documentation, Multi-Subject Interviews

Community leaders share why they are involved with Relay For Life, an annual event held across the US and Canada to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Get involved and find an event near you at: relayforlife.org and the Canadian Cancer Society at cancer.ca

The Context

Relay for Life events are massive logistical undertakings, often involving hundreds of participants and coordinators. However, the true driving force behind these events is deeply personal: the individual stories of how cancer has affected the lives of the participants. The challenge was to look past the scale of the fundraising mechanics and capture the intimate, emotional “why” behind the Grimsby Secondary School community’s efforts, translating a high-energy school event into a resonant, human-centered narrative.

The Approach

Stemstories utilized an immersive, on-location documentary approach to capture the varied perspectives driving the event. The strategy relied on weaving together multiple distinct voices—from the provincial youth coordinator and a faculty adviser, to a student utilizing his hair to raise funds, to individuals sharing profound personal losses and battles with cancer. By conducting on-site interviews, the project aimed to ground the event’s fundraising metrics in raw, authentic human stakes.

The Execution

On-Location Documentation: Embedded within the school community to capture the authentic energy and environment of the Relay for Life campaign, ensuring the visuals reflected the grassroots nature of the fundraising.
Multi-Subject Interviews: Conducted a diverse range of interviews that spanned the logistical (teachers and provincial coordinators) and the deeply personal (relatives of those diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and severe metastasized cancers).
Emotional Editorial Packaging: Navigated the delicate post-production challenge of balancing high-energy school fundraising efforts with the heavy, emotional gravity of cancer battles. The editing process distilled hours of interviews and b-roll into a tight, two-minute narrative package that flows naturally from lighthearted community efforts to profound realities.

The Impact

Voices Behind Relay for Life moves beyond a standard event recap, serving as a powerful testament to community resilience. By expertly pacing multiple interviews into one cohesive emotional package, stemstories delivered a documentary that highlights the transformative power of a school uniting for a cause. The final piece effectively reminds viewers and future participants that behind every dollar raised is a deeply human story of struggle, survival, and hope.