Daffodil campaign goes virtual

The Canadian Cancer Society’s annual daffodil campaign looks different this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the importance of the cause remains the same.

The annual spring campaign — which started 70 years ago — is an invitation to all Canadians to rally around the symbol of the daffodil and provide hope and support to people who are impacted by the disease.

“Typically, this time of year Canadians would be used to seeing us and our volunteers selling live daffodils … but we’ve pivoted to everything being virtual this year as a result of the pandemic; we have no face-to-face activities, so we’re really encouraging people to support the daffodil campaign in whatever way they can,” says Halifax-based Kelly Wilson Cull, director of advocacy for the Canadian Cancer Society.

People can still support the research cause by purchasing digital daffodils or daffodil pins. The pins are also being sold in select pharmacies throughout Nova Scotia.

This is the second straight year that due to the coronavirus the CCS has suspended its face-to-face fundraiser that generates about $13 million annually.

“I don’t think anyone imagined we would still be experiencing the same thing in 2021,” says Wilson Cull. “Our organization, like many charities and organizations, has been heavily impacted by the pandemic. We are a charitable organization and we are heavily reliant on communitybased fundraising.”

Other major CCS fundraising initiatives, such as the Relay for Life and CIBC Run for the Cure, were also reduced to virtual events in 2020 and had a significant impact on both the organization and patients, says Wilson Cull.

“Certainly, cancer has not stopped being a reality during the pandemic and so for the thousands of Canadians dealing with the cancer diagnoses throughout the pandemic this has been a really stressful, difficult time. So, we work to understand what the needs are of the cancer patients, but we also know they’ve been relying on our services more than ever before.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the CCS has helped more than 60 million people access health information through its website. It has also offered online support through cancerconnection.ca, has conducted research focussing on reducing COVID-19 symptoms on cancer patients, and has advocated on behalf of patients to government agencies. The society is also offering breast prothesis and wigs online, replacing an in-person service from The Lodge That Gives in Halifax.

“So, while it’s been challenging there’s also been some interesting silver linings and new ways of doing things,” says Wilson Cull.

April is Cancer Awareness Month. To make an online donation to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Campaign, visit action.cancer.ca.