Gillian Larson, contestant on Survivor: Gabon wants to do more with her reality stardom than most. After getting booted off the island, she started planning for a fundraising event that would bring together reality stars and their fans in a fun event that would help out a great cause. And now, on April 15 - 17, her vision will become a reality with the first ever Reality Rally. I had a chance to talk to her about the event, what it means to her, and how Survivor factored into it.

Kristal, RealityWanted: Can you describe what the Reality Rally is for our readers?
Gillian: Reality Rally is a weekend of sun and fun for Michelle's Place, a breast cancer support center. It will bring reality TV stars to Temecula; it's an opportunity to see 120 stars from 36 different shows. I wanted a bunch of shows to be represented because there are so many shows with great followings, not just Survivor and The Amazing Race. it will highlight Temecula and give local businesses a chance to be highlighted all over the world. The website, RealityRally.com, is being visited by 46 countries and the states.

Kristal, RealityWanted: What exactly is Michelle's Place?
Gillian: It's a breast cancer support center. It was set up 10 years ago by Michelle's parents. Michelle Watson died at only 26 years old because she was misdiagnosed when she was 19. She was young, vegetarian and athletic, so doctors told her to not worry about the lump. They all believed it was just a cyst. By the time it was diagnosed as cancer when she was 23, it was too advanced. She went through treatment for 2 years without access to a center for support groups or educational classes. She asked her parents to set up a place like that while she was dying. They followed her wishes and now it's a great resource, completely funded through fundraising efforts.

Kristal, RealityWanted: How did you pick Michelle's Place as the charity for Reality Rally?
Gilian: Four years ago a neighbor was involved there, doing cooking for them and helping out. I went online and looked it up and the story behind it is so compelling and sad. It just struck a cord with me. Here was the young girl who did so much - she reminded me of myself - and she was knocked down because of a misdiagnoses. That could have happened to me. That could have happened to anyone. I approached them 2 years ago, right after I got back from Gabon, to connect them to fundraise. I blew out my shoulder in Gabon and needed 2 major surgeries, so it took a while to recover and then started to plan.

Kristal, RealityWanted: Where did the idea for Reality Rally come from?
Gillian: The idea came when I was in the jungles of Gabon after being booted off Survivor. I wanted to use my 15 minutes - and for me it might have even been less than that! - to have a platform to do more with and to help out where I can.

Kristal, RealityWanted: I noticed Reality Rally is very influenced by The Amazing Race format. Are you a fan of the show?
Gillian: I'm a big fan of the show! While I've been busy planning this event, I always make time to watch Survivor and The Amazing Race. I actually applied to Amazing Race a couple of times while I was trying to get on Survivor, but I held out for my top choice show. Survivor is just the mother ship of reality television. I wanted to get on the most recognized show and I loved the outdoor aspects. I tried for 8 years. In year 4, I went on a face-to-face interview with the casting agents in Boston. They called me back and said I didn't fit what they were looking for this year, but offered me a spot on The Amazing Race. But I wanted to do Survivor, so I turned it down. I also turned down four other pilots because I didn't want to miss Survivor.

The game is patterned after Amazing Race, mainly because ther's a Survivor based fundraiser in Houston already. During my research, I noticed that no body was doing a town-wide Amazing Race style fundraiser. In Louisville, KY, there's a scavenger hunt in Six Flags, but nothing town-wide. I did a lot of research as part of the preperation leading up to this event.

Kristal, RealityWanted: For those who can't make it out to Temecula next month, will this be an annual event?
Gillian: Yes! It will be an annual event, and we may have additional events in other cities. We've been doing a lot of groundwork because this is the first one. Thankfully I have an amazing volunteer board and webmaster to get this together. It's taken about a year to plan, but should take less time from here on out. There will be a Temecula event every year, but we've gotten some interest from other cities that we may expand to. We've trademarked the "Reality Rally" company so we can keep the idea and event ours and take it on the road later.

I just want to say that the Reality Star community is amazing! I've connected with many reality stars and they all are so happy to help lend themselves to charities and events. They're doing a lot of good work with their reality exposure.

Kristal, RealityWanted: Do you have any tips for RealityWanted.com members who want to get cast on Survivor?
Gillian: If you want to do it, you just need to keep trying. Just because you don't hear back from the show, don't give up. The casting people look at every application, so keep applying. You might not have worked for one season, but you may work for a later one. I tried for eight years!  Also, be yourself. They're looking for you, not someone you pretend to be. Also be sure to make a big impression in the first minute of your video interview. Make an impact in the first few seconds, because they watch thousands of videos. You need them to remember you.

Reality Rally will be April 15 -17 in Temecula, CA. In addition to the game, there will be an autograph signing, reality star canines that surf and ride motor bikes, a celebrity reception featuring specialty wines from a local vineyard (Reality Red and Reality Riesling), and more. All of the money is going directly to Michelle's Place. They've raised $230,000 from sponsors to ensure that the ticket money goes towards the center.

For more on Reality Rally, watch the introduction video below and visit the official website RealityRally.com

Reality Rally Revealed! from Reality Rally on Vimeo.

(Image Courtesy of CBS)