Golf club, sponsors raise $87,750 for cancer centre
Representatives of the Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club and its tournament sponsors were at the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Centre to present a cheque for $87,750 to the new facility opened in September.
The golf club hosted its 21st annual Breast Cancer Golf Classic in July — co-sponsored by Royal LePage, Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and the Yuill Family Foundation — to raise funds for cancer treatment and research in Medicine Hat.
MHGCC general manager Cam Jacques says the funds raised from the tournament are matched by the Yuill Foundation, so the $87,750 comes from both.
“This is the total donation from the golf tournament and the Yuill Family Foundation,” he said.
Jacques says the golf club’s portion of the donation comes from entry fees, auctions, 50-50 draws and donations from sponsors.
With the opening of the centre’s new location, it was important for the tournament to step up its game.
“The needs are there,” said Jacques. “Unfortunately, cancer isn’t going away any time soon.”
Bill Yuill from the eponymous foundation said cancer is a cause that strikes close to home for his family.
“My mother passed away some years ago (from cancer),” he said, adding that she is the Margery the centre is named after.
Yuill said the new centre offers “a very nice environment to be in if you’re not well.”
“They’ve done a nice renovation here at the hospital,” he said. “You don’t think of a treatment centre as a nice place to come, but if you have to go through that process and all those procedures, it’s far more comfortable than the old facility.
“From that point of view, it’s a vast improvement.”
Dan Thomas, the cancer centre’s manager, agreed the new facility offers a much more positive experience for patients.
“It really enhances their experience here and helps them through their journey,” said Thomas.
“We don’t want it to feel institutionalized for the patients. That comfort factor is what we’re looking for.”
The upgraded facility has room for 12 treatments to occur simultaneously, he added.
Thomas is looking for patient feedback to determine what projects the new donation will go towards.
“Specifically, nothing named yet, but (we’re) really getting the patient feedback of how we see this space and what enhancements we could add to the space to make that comfortable environment,” he said.