Relay For Life 2009

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
Post Reply
User avatar
RedShoes
Posts: 820
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2003 10:49 pm
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Relay For Life 2009

Post by RedShoes »

It's been awhile since I've been on here asking for support, and I hope you don't mind me starting a new thread on this topic once again. I've set my goals higher than ever this year, and I'm looking for your support. I'm aiming to raise $750 before event day - which is a mere 10 days away.

Sadly we all have our personal connection to cancer, and this year it feels closer than ever for me and my family. Unfortunately, I have a new reason to Relay. In November, a dear family friend's 13-year-old son Daniel was rushed to the emergency room after he experienced severe headaches and his eyes became crossed. After a number of tests, they found he had a malignant tumor wrapped around his brain stem. It was inoperable, and their only hope was to try to reduce it in size, and the outlook looked pretty good. The doctors were optimistic that they could reduce it enough for him to overcome this obstacle. Less than a month later, before chemotherapy had even fully begun, Daniel began experiencing severe symptoms again and was rushed to the ER. That night - December 23, 2008 - the tumor burst and he passed away.

This year I Relay so no more parents have to lose their children to this disease. I'm devoting 12 hours to Relay For Life to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer and fight back against this disease.

You can visit my personal fundraising page and donate online here: http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/CariRelay. Keep in mind that all donations are in Canadian dollars, and any donation $20 or more gets a tax receipt via email.

All of you lovely EC forum folks have been a wonderful support to me in the past. Thanks to all of you who have donated to my past efforts - and to those of you who have already helped me reach 65% for this year! With your help, I can get that number to 100%.
User avatar
pophead2k
Posts: 2403
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 3:49 pm
Location: Bull City y'all

Re: Relay For Life 2009

Post by pophead2k »

Happy to help Cari, and I urge anyone else who can to help out as well. Doesn't matter what country finds the cure!
User avatar
Mr. Average
Posts: 2031
Joined: Sat Jun 28, 2003 12:22 pm
Location: Orange County, Californication

Re: Relay For Life 2009

Post by Mr. Average »

I am a cancer patient in and out of remission. God Bless You, Redshoes, for your estreme acts of kind philanthropism. Sadly, over 90% of the money that is collected by the majority of these groups goes to propaganda, administrative support and materials, and < 10% goes to cancer research, familes of victims, and patient care. Restated, more than a few are getting rich off the overt kindness of the likes of Redshoes, who will give of herself unselfishlessly with the notion that she may allay or abate the pain of a single patient, a family of a lost loved one,... or maybe more.

The sad reality? An tiny fraction is distributed to the people that you collect for. The majority is to squash beleif in alternative, natural therapies that work.

When you give to a Cancer charity, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your due diligence and research. If you give a penny to the American Cancer Society, or the National Cancer Institute, you would do better for patients with cancer if you threw your money in the river and went to vist and hold the hand of just ONE of these patients.

I have done the research. I live the research as I have been randomized into a treatment trial. You can derogate my politics, but think before you give.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
User avatar
BlueChair
Posts: 5959
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:41 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: Relay For Life 2009

Post by BlueChair »

Under the risk of coming off as nepotistic, I should point out that Red has been working tirelessly as a volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society over the past two years. She'd love to work for them, but the reality is that they rely heavily on volunteers because they can only justify putting so many people on payroll.

The Canadian Cancer Society is involved in loads of important initiatives. Not only do they place a significant amount of money towards research for all types of cancer, they also offer a huge support network for people living with cancer (including recruitment of volunteers to take people to the hospital, medical appointments, etc.). Having heard some of these survivors speak, I am more than convinced that the Canadian Cancer Society is doing important things for the field.

It's easy to assume that the Canadian Cancer Society is a carbon copy of the American Cancer Society, transplanted in Canada instead of the United States. But it's not. I also can't really comment on what percentage of dollars raised by the American Cancer Society goes to fund cancer research because it's a different charity and we simply haven't done the research.

In the case of the Canadian Cancer Society, however, we have done the research. They make this information very available to anyone who wants to see it, which helps justify supporting the organization: http://www.cancer.ca/ontario/about%20us ... sc_lang=en
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
User avatar
RedShoes
Posts: 820
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2003 10:49 pm
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Relay For Life 2009

Post by RedShoes »

I just wanted to send a heartfelt thank you to all of you for donating to this year's Relay For Life. The event was a great success - and each donation helped in a big way. The event as a whole absolutely shattered our fundraising goals. Not only did my team have a personal best this year (over $1600 raised - wow!), but the overall numbers were phenomenal.

Relay For Life 2008 brought in $130,000.

This year's goal was $154,000.

The grand total for Relay For Life 2009 was $203,000!!! Amazing!

Thanks again.
Post Reply