With the help of 15 team captains and 107 canvassers, the Huntsville (and surrounding area) Canadian Cancer Society has raised more than $50,000 this year. Funds were raised through both their annual daffodil pin fundraiser as well as the door-to-door campaign which alone raised $10,000 more than in 2017.
In April, which is cancer awareness month (a.k.a. daffodil month), various businesses around Huntsville and the surrounding area are given blue and white boxes filled with yellow daffodil pins to put on their counters. When customers make a cash donation they are able to take a pin.
Meanwhile, canvassers in the door-to-door campaign take to the streets, knocking on doors to ask residents to support the Canadian Cancer Society by donating some money, and issuing tax receipts to those who do. (Read an earlier story on volunteer Murray Ruby, who has been canvassing on Main Street for 21 years, here.)
The Huntsville branch of the Canadian Cancer Society began in 1953 and the door-to-door canvas has been active since the 1990s.
The money raised each year goes towards cancer research as well as the cost of transporting patients to their cancer-related medical appointments at several clinics and hospitals across Ontario.
Last year in the Huntsville area, nine volunteer drivers travelled a total of 90,757 kilometres to take 37 clients on 632 trips to appointments as part of the Wheels of Hope transportation service.
“We really would like to let all our volunteers know how much we appreciate the time and effort they put in helping us raise funds,” said Mathews. “We would also like to express our appreciation to all the businesses in our area who willingly take our daffodil pin boxes during the month of April.”
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Thank you Laurie for your kind words. Our volunteers appreciate all the support they receive from the community.
A big thank you to all the volunteer drivers that have been involved in assisting local patients get to out -of-town appointments. Thank you to the community canvassers getting out during this snowy April as the community donations go a long way to help support this program each year. Thank you to the organizers of the campaign, the dedicated team captains and the local C C Chapter treasurer who have continued this important tradition for cancer patients in our community this year. And thank you Sydney for writing this article for Doppler.