April 2013 marks the 75th Anniverary of the Canadian Cancer Society and the local chapter is marking the occasion with a dinner and dance, trivia competition and a silent auction April 6.
In September cancer society volunteers planted over 750 daffodil bulbs along the Jubilee Parkway Trail and another 75 in the memorial garden at Rotary Park and then a number of society members also planted 75 bulbs in their own gardens so come April there will be daffodils everywhere. They are now up about three inches, already.
Meanwhile, the society needed to do something extra special for this year so they are planning a dinner and dance for April 6 to help celebrate 75 years. It will include a prevention trivia to promote their prevention information and a silent auction. All funds raised will go to support research, prevention education and support programs locally, financial support, information and rides for those that need it.
The dinner and dance for their 75th Anniversary Celebration will be a catered roast beef buffet dinner at the Ealges Hall, a prevention trivia, silent auction followed by dancing from 9-1 to music by The Impalas. Tickets can be picked up at the Cancer Society office at 1423B-16th Ave. and are $60 each, discounts for two or more, so you can bring some friends. A couple is $55 and a table of eight is $200. Funds raised go to support research and local support services.
It was 75 years ago on March 28th that a bunch of volunteers in Ontario got together to raise money to improve the lives of those diagnosed with cancer. Later, April was declared cancer awareness month and the daffodil because it is such a bright cheery spring flower was declared their emblem.
They have now gone from less than 20 per cent survival rate to more than 85 per cent for some. They still have more than 220,000 volunteers across Canada working together to raise money for cancer research, prevention education, and support programs. The society spends over 60 per cent of funds raised on research to find a cure and to improve treatments. This month they are opening a new lodge in Prince George so those diagnosed with cancer in the north can stay there instead of traveling to Kelowna or Vancouver for treatment. The society also has wigs, scarves prothesis and lots of good credible information.