Proudly Presented the
Canadian Cancer Society Northern Lodge Lottery
Winning lottery ticket drawn on Monday by Ron Epp, Managing Partner
of KPMG. In Background witnessing the draw is Lorraine Grant, Director Canadian Cancer Society BC-Yukon Division, Tom Sentes of Wood
Wheaton, Les Waldie, Campaign Manager - Northern Lodge, Kelly
Hall, Free Press Group Publisher and Craig Wood of Wood Wheaton.
Receiving the grand prize cheque for $25,000 is Bob Redden and
Jason Yarmish, both with Environmental Dynamics Inc. (EDI) Cheque
is being presented by Lorraine Grant (left) Craig Wood (inside right)
and Tom Sentes (right)
The Canadian Cancer Society Northern Lodge Lottery was spearheaded and presented by Craig Wood and Tom Sentes, both of Wood Wheaton Supercentre
along with other community minded individuals. There were only 100 tickets printed and selling price was $1,000 each of which the majority were purchased
by local businesses. The goal was to raise $75,000 from ticket sales and hopefully the winner would donate some or all of the winnings back to The Northern
Lodge fund. The wish came true for the lottery organizers when it was announced by Bob Redden of Environmental Dynamis Inc (EDI) that they would be
donating $15,000 directly back to the fund. The remaining $10,000 will also be directed back to cancer related community initiatives by the family of EDI
employee Jason Yarmish. If anyone understands the importance of the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the North and the Northern Lodge, it is Jason Yarmish,
his wife Jennifer and their young family. They had to spend six months in Kelowna while Jennifer underwent treatment for cancer of which she had been
diagnosed within a few days of giving birth to their third child. It was not easy for the family of five to find adequate accommodation for their stay.
Northern Lodge Another Community Milestone
Patients at the BC Cancer
Agency’s Centre for the North
will be getting the best of care
while they are in the centre.
What about when they
aren’t in the centre, but are
still waiting treatment? What
about caregivers who have
travelled to Prince George
with them?
As providing care to people with cancer is central to
our mission, in support of
the Northern Cancer Control
Strategy, the Canadian Cancer
Society’s (CCS) B.C. & Yukon
division will build and operate a 36 bed Lodge adjacent to
the Centre for the North. This
new Lodge will provide a
“home away from home” for
individuals and their caregivers traveling to Prince George
for treatment.
Clients and their families
face very difficult times physically and emotionally dealing with cancer treatment,
particularly when they are in
large unfamiliar centres. The
Northern Lodge will become
a special place for the wide
range of trusted and effective Canadian Cancer Society
support programs. It will welcome people who are fighting cancer from communities
throughout northern B.C.
CENTRE NEEDED
The need for a full-service
cancer treatment centre in
the northern region has been
identified for many years,
and the fact this project is
now coming to fruition is
very important and exciting
for all residents of the North.
The Canadian Cancer Society is planning to open the
Northern Lodge coincident
with the opening of the B.C.
Cancer Agency’s Centre for
the North by the end of 2012.
CREATING A HOME
AWAY FROM HOME
CCS-operated lodges have
been providing accommodation for patients in an
appropriate and supportive
environment at low cost and
near cancer treatment centres since 1980. In 2009 nearly
1,200 people from northern
B.C. stayed in CCS lodges
in Vancouver, Kelowna and
Victoria.
While the key beneficiaries
of the Northern Lodge will
be those who travel to Prince
George for treatment, the
Lodge will also offer a variety
of patient support services
so there will be a meaningful benefit for Prince George
residents as well. Due to
regional demographics and
population distribution, it is
anticipated that up to 20 per
cent of the Northern Lodge
clients will be Aboriginal.
Should excess capacity be
available in the Lodge from
time to time, patients or their
caregivers from outside Prince
George requiring the services
of the University Hospital of
Northern British Columbia
also may be accommodated
in the Lodge.
Operational costs will be
covered in a similar manner to the other CCS-operated Lodges in B.C. which
involves an annual grant from
Northern Health through the
Provincial Health Services
Authority and Lodge user
fees with any shortfall being
absorbed by the CCS.
NORTHERN LODGE CAMPAIGN
The campaign goal is $10
million. Fund development
is receiving oversight from a
campaign cabinet chaired by
Henry Novak. The detailed
work is handled by CCS staff
and their cadre of volunteers.
The City of Prince George
in conjunction with the Province of BC and School District
57 has donated to CCS the
land for the Lodge.
The Canadian Cancer Society is absorbing the administrative costs of the campaign
so that 100 per cent of donated
dollars that are targeted for
the construction and furnishing of the Lodge will go
to the Lodge. All donors to
CCS will receive a charitable
receipt for income tax deduction purposes. Donations
Architect’s concept design of “The Northern Lodge”
of $10,000 and over will be
recognized on a donor wall
prominently displayed in the
Lodge.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY
The Northern Lodge plays
an integral role in the final
chapter of the Northern Cancer Control Strategy implementation. The Northern
Lodge will provide a viable
and attractive alternative as
a home away from home for
people across the North when
they need to travel to Prince
George for treatment
Canadian Cancer Society personnel are most prepared to meet with interested
groups or their representatives in the communities
across the North to brief
them more fully on the Lodge
and to explore how they can
become partners in this very
important and long overdue
service for cancer patients
across the north.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, communitybased organization of volunteers whose mission is to
eradicate cancer and enhance
the quality of life for people living with cancer. We
invest in outstanding cancer
research, provide reliable
information on all cancers,
deliver community-based
support programs and lead
cancer prevention initiatives.