Make Your Mark in fighting men’s cancer
Campaign will also raise money for agency hard hit by COVID fundraising restrictions
Fighting cancer is a difficult journey any time, but doing it during a pandemic can be even harder.
That’s why Wellspring Niagara has launched its Make Your Mark challenge — a monthlong campaign to raise awareness of men’s cancers while hopefully collecting muchneeded funding for the Niagara agency.
“Cancer doesn’t wait,” said Wellspring spokesperson Phil Gourlay.
“A lot of people dealing with cancer are also dealing with the struggles that come with COVID-19, like not being able to go into meetings at the hospital or not necessarily having the support they always need.
“So Wellspring is always here for those people … and all of our services are free.”
Wellspring Niagara, in Fonthill, provides information and free emotional and psychological support to Niagara residents with cancer and their families and caregivers.
It receives no government funding and is dependent on donations from the community to meet its roughly $625,000 annual budget.
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, known for its Movember fundraisers.
With its Make Your Mark campaign, Wellspring wants men and women to join in by growing a moustache or making one, or setting daily challenges to meet, then posting stories and photos about their efforts to social media using the #MakeYourMark or #WellspringNiagara hashtags.
Because this is the first year for the campaign — and it’s happening during COVID-19 — Gourlay said Wellspring hopes to raise $5,000, but more would be welcome.
Each year, he said, about 1,000 people turn to Wellspring Niagara to take part in its programs.
“I would say we have people of all stages — all stages, all ages, all types of different cancers that come in,” he said.
Some turn immediately to Wellspring for support while others need time to process their diagnosis before they arrive.
Sometimes, Gourlay said, they don’t see the patient at all but a family member or caregiver comes to the regional cancer support centre looking for information or just someone to talk to.
In a year like 2020, he said “we’re lucky we’re still able to offer all the programs” as usual. There have been no reductions in programming or staff.
“Although our centre is closed, we’ve transitioned pretty much all of our programs online and they’re still free for everybody to access.
“That includes patients, caregivers and family members.”
Still, he said, 2020 will be “very hard” financially for Wellspring. Like other community agencies, many of its fundraisers were cancelled or reduced.
For more information on Wellspring programs or to register to join the Mark Your Mark campaign, go online to Wellspring. ca and search Events or email info@wellspringniagara.ca.
Registration ends Nov. 27.