Insurance company donates $7,000 to annual Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser
By
Mark Schadenberg
The
timing is ideal for local organizers of the Canadian Cancer Society’s (CCS) Relay
For Life.
The
three co-chairs for the 2014 major fundraising event for the Oxford Unit of the
CCS all used the word ‘exciting’ when discussing the recent announcement
regarding a $7,000 corporate donation from Western General, a division of Economical
Insurance.
“It’s
exciting to know we have a financial commitment of this size at the beginning
of our planning for the 2014 event,” said Sandy Smith, co-chair of the steering
committee alongside Debra Moss and Bob Axon.
“To
receive this level of support is a real inspiration to our organizing
committee,” continued Smith.
Western
General will be the ‘event sponsor’ in 2014.
Relay
For Life in Woodstock raised $297,000 last year, which is an impressive number
(seventh place in the province), but actually a reduction from the previous
year. The number of teams was also slightly lower last year.
The
12-hour all-night event in 2014 is scheduled once again for College Avenue
Secondary School, June 13-14.
With
more than 65 teams participating last year and as many as 300 volunteers
involved in various facets, Relay For Life is a significant money-raising event
– dollars directed t various areas -- cancer research, advocacy, education, and
also for volunteer drivers to bring patients to appointments.
The
2014 theme in Woodstock will be ‘Rediscover A Decade’.
"We
want teams to pick a decade and celebrate that decade," says Axon, as he
is encouraging costumes and fashions, plus music to represent past eras.
The CCS already has placards which note the scientific advancements
or cure accomplishments over the years.
Moss notes that the $7,000 sponsorship will help tremendously
in reaching their goal of $300,000 for 2014.
On the provincial level, both participation and money
raised declined last year, so the Ontario-wide theme is ‘Rebuild’.
“Rebuild and recruit,” says Moss. “Recruit more volunteers,
sponsors and participating teams.”
As sponsorship chair, Axon used a comparison in talking
about the importance of the Western General donation.
“It’s a thrill to receive this contribution. It equates to
having the money raised by five new teams. This is fantastic as it’s the
biggest donation we have received from one corporate citizen in a number of
years.”
The key to receiving the Western General donation came from
a company employee, Dawn Alexander, an agri-commercial underwriter, and also a Woodstock
Relay committee member. She played an important role in writing and submitting
a community-giving request to support the 2014 Relay.
“Economical
Insurance has been a great supporter of many chapters of the Canadian Cancer
Society and we’re excited about this new commitment,” said Ken Worsley,
operations manager of Western General from its Woodstock office at 959 Dundas
St.
More details, and information about registration, may be
found at www.relayforlife.ca/woodstock, www.woodstockrelay.blogspot.com, by calling the Oxford CCS
unit office at (519) 537-5592, or on the Facebook group page: ‘Canadian Cancer
Society’s Relay For Life in Woodstock’
PICTURED: Debra Moss, Relay co-chair; Sandy Smith, Relay co-chair; Tracy Bucholtz, Oxford unit Canadian Cancer Society; Heather Irwin, Western General; Dawn Alexander, Western General and Relay committee; Ken Worsley, Western General operations manager Woodstock; Bob Axon, Relay co-chair.
()()()()()()()()()()
Relay For Life
To learn more about Relay For Life in Woodstock
– June 13-14, 2014, plus background information on Oxford County events in
Ingersoll (June 20) and Tillsonburg (June 6) as well, be sure to read other
posts on this blog site. Many updates will appear as Relay approaches,
including reminders about the Kick-Off Rally on Thursday, March 6 at Quality
Inn (7 p.m.), the two captain's nights at Fanshawe College, background details about
registrations, sponsorships, luminary sales, volunteering, silent auction,
registering as a survivor, entertainment, and the logistics of setting up the over-night
camp at CASS.
To sign up or sponsor a participant, see:
www.relayforlife.ca/woodstock or call the Oxford unit office at (519) 537-5592.
If you would like to contribute a story (Why
you participate) or promote a Relay team fundraiser, send details to: tbucholtz@ontario.cancer.ca
or mschadenberg@rogers.com.
Celebrate . . .
Remember . . . Fight Back
CONTACTS:
Sandy Smith
Relay For Life co-chair
Email: megzmom@hotmail.com
(519) 456-5270
Bob Axon
Sponsorship committee
and co-chair
Email: raxon@rogers.com
(519) 421-0806
Deb Moss
Relay For Life
co-chair
Email:
mmoss905@rogers.com
(519) 539-2288
Mark Schadenberg
Public relations
committee
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter:
markroyallepage
(519) 537-1553
Tracy Bucholtz
CCS – Oxford unit
fundraising
Email: tbucholtz@ontario.cancer.ca
(519) 537-5592
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