The Canadian Cancer Society is asking residents of the Southern Interior to Take A One Night Stand Against Cancer. This campaign encourages people to generously cover the cost of a one-night stay at the society’s Southern Interior Rotary Lodge for someone fighting cancer.

After enjoying the sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we look at the upcoming giving season as a time to encourage activities that think about others, support charities and help those in need. Pay it forward, and join the Canadian Cancer Society’s Take A One Night Stand Against Cancer campaign. Through the Southern Interior Rotary Lodge, the society helps alleviate the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis.

“With support from people all across the Southern Interior, we are able to provide affordable accommodations for people with cancer and their caregivers,” explains Lori Stevenson, Team Lead, Annual Giving, Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon. “The lodge provides welcoming, comfortable accommodations, with three hot meals and snacks daily and is a home away from home for people fighting cancer. For just $100, people can generously cover the cost of a night at the Society’s lodge for someone in need of accommodations during cancer treatment.”

The society subsidizes the full cost of a night at the lodge so that guests only need to pay $50 per night, plus applicable taxes. For qualifying clients, the fee is covered through the Society’s Financial Support Program.

“With the public’s support of our Take A One Night Stand Against Cancer campaign, we can give patients the comfort they need so they can focus on getting better,” adds Stevenson.

From October 31, 2014 to October 31, 2015, residents from the East Kootenay have stayed 1,991 nights at the lodge. The average stay at the lodge is about six nights, but often, stays can extend three to six weeks. That’s a long time to be away from home.

“I will always remember the endless patience and selfless service of the volunteers at the front desk, the thoughtfulness and compassion of the nurses, the great people in the kitchen, everyone connected to the Lodge,” says David Y from Osoyoos. “I spoke to many residents at the lodge during my five weeks there and we marveled at how fortunate we were. We talked about how difficult it must have been for patients, rocked by the cancer diagnosis and treatment and trying to make arrangements for accommodations and transportation in the years before the lodge was built. It was sobering to consider having to commit to expensive accommodations and meals, getting back and forth to the Cancer Clinic before the lodge existed, while enduring the energy-sapping radiation therapy and chemo treatments.”

Let the giving season begin. To support this initiative, please visit cancer.ca/takeastand, drop into your local Cancer Society office, or mail your donation to Take A Stand, Canadian Cancer Society, 19 – 9th Avenue S, Cranbrook, B.C., V1C 2L9.

Lead image: “Staying at the Rotary Lodge gave me an opportunity to spend time with people who understood my worries and supported me. It was one of the best decisions I made.” – Shelley B. Cranbrook

Submitted

Article Share