Daffodil Day boosts Cancer Society
Last Friday more than 12,000 volunteers took to the streets around the country for Daffodil Day.
In Te Awamutu, more than 100 people offered their time picking, bundling and selling daffodils.
The flowers were sold from seven spots around Te Awamutu, raising more than $7900.
Every dollar dropped into collection buckets, donated online, or in any ANZ branch will be spent on supporting New Zealanders with all types of cancer and helping prevent future cancers through research.
Te Awamutu coordinator Kathy Keighley thanked the community for supporting the annual appeal.
Among the thousands of daffodils donated, about 5000 were from a Cambridge couple, and hundreds from Waikeria Prison.
Kathy says it’s now time for the next generation to step up to volunteer for next year’s Daffodil Day.
“We always welcome new people to get on board. It would be great to see new enthusiasm and new ideas.”
Cancer Society of New Zealand CEO Mike Kernaghan says the money raised from Daffodil Day allows the charity to provide practical support to those affected by cancer — patients as well as family and friends.
“When someone hears that they or a loved one has cancer, it is devastating,” Mike says.
“The impact of a diagnosis can be far-reaching. There are often so many unanswered questions and so much to consider that it can be overwhelming for everyone involved.
“It might be how they will get to hospital, where they will stay during treatment, how they will feed their pet while away from home, or who they can talk to about their cancer.
“Thanks to the generosity of New Zealanders on Daffodil Day the Cancer Society can step up with practical and emotional support.”
The Cancer Society offers accommodation close to all major hospitals in New Zealand for patients and their carers if their treatment requires frequent hospital visits, but they do not live nearby.
During 2017, the society provided 49,000 bed nights and drove almost 4700 patients to and from their treatment, covering more than one million kilometres.
Since the service began in 2007, the Cancer Society’s free information helpline (0800 CANCER) has had over 95,000 calls, and its staff of cancer nurses has spent over 4540 hours providing support and advice to New Zealanders affected by cancer in 2017.
“When you put your money in the bucket on Daffodil Day, you might not be a researcher or scientist, but you are actively taking part in ground-breaking cancer research and supporting a person with cancer. Our donors can be very proud of the impact they are having in their own communities.”
“By coming together as a nation on Daffodil Day, and raising much-needed funds and awareness, we can help beat cancer together.”