Doctors will soon be able to detect and diagnose the smallest cancers in their earliest stages as the Victoria Hospitals Foundation launches its聽spring campaign to fund new breast-imaging equipment for Victoria General Hospital.
The foundation is hoping to raise $420,000 to purchase a mammography and stereotactic biopsy machine for the Breast Imaging program at the hospital.
鈥淭he machine will have a significant impact on outcomes for women with breast cancer in our community,鈥� said Dr. Brent Lee, a radiologist and clinical section head of the program. 鈥淚t offers women two procedures in one: digital mammography to detect cancer and a minimally invasive biopsy in the same appointment to confirm the diagnosis. By pinpointing and biopsying even the smallest of cancers quickly and accurately, we can immediately begin lifesaving treatment and rule out serious problems with confidence.鈥�
The equipment will ensure patients receive the highest standard of care.
鈥淎s the quality and capability of medical imaging technology continues to advance, so does the need to keep our medical professionals equipped with the absolute best tools to do their finest work,鈥� said Gord Macatee, board chairman for the foundation.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The Breast Imaging program at Victoria General Hospital performs more than 25,000 imaging procedures each year and is the only full-service diagnostic breast imaging department in south Vancouver Island.
The campaign launches this week throughout Victoria. Donations can be made by returning the direct mail letter that residents will receive at home, by contacting the Victoria Hospitals Foundation at 250-519-1750 or online at victoriahf.ca.
Fundraising auction to聽benefit running club
Hear local coaches and experts, including elite runners Bruce Deacon and Lucy Smith, discuss training, racing, injury prevention and sport science at a fundraising event hosted by the Harriers Running Club today.
Along with the panel discussions, there will be an auction to raise funds for the Harriers Foundation and athlete travel fund.
Auction items include a two-week trip of a lifetime to the Rift Valley Marathon in Kenya; a week of accommodation in Burgundy, France; coaching sessions with elite athletes and Olympians Simon Whitfield (yoga session), Reid Coolsaet (coaching), Brent McMahon (run/bike and breakfast), Hilary Stellingwerf (track) and Bruce Deacon (marathon coaching).
The Harriers Foundation has donated more than $290,000 to 71 community projects in the past 31 years. This year funds will also go toward support for the Youth Team competitions, along with a presence at the Canadian 10K Road Race Championship and the World Mountain Racing Championship in Spain.
Tickets $25 (includes dinner, auction and panel discussions). The event starts at 5 p.m. at the 6聽Mile Pub, 494 Old Island Highway (at Six Mile Road). For more information, go to pih.bc.ca.
Rotary Club鈥檚 patriotic fundraiser returns
It is easier to show your patriotism on Victoria Day, sa国际传媒 Day and Labour Day, as the Rotary Club of Oak Bay returns with a fundraising program that sees volunteers temporarily erecting a flag on a subscriber鈥檚 lawn leading up to those three holidays.
鈥淭his is a simple but an effective fundraiser,鈥� said Joan Peggs, chairwoman of the sa国际传媒 Flag project. 鈥淚n 2013, when we first launched the program, we had 131 subscribers. Last year we had 209. During these two campaigns we have generated subscriptions worth $17,000.鈥�
The service club is hoping to place 250 Canadian flags on lawns of homes throughout the city this year.
An annual subscription is $50. Call Joan Peggs at 250-598-1716 or email [email protected]. Details at oakbayrotary.com.
Streams Society annual聽dinner Friday
The Peninsula Streams Society is hosting its annual dinner and silent auction on Friday.
Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the society, which champions environmental stewardship, helps co-ordinate stream restoration and promotes habitat conservation on watersheds in the Saanich Peninsula.
People attending the event will be treated to an evening of delicious food, delightful music and spirited bidding on auction items such as dinner with MP Elizabeth May, a whimsical watercolour by Vivian Kuhn and a Golf and Dine package from the Prospect Lake Golf Course.
Tickets are $40 each or two for $75. Drinks and social hour starts at 5, buffet dinner served at 6聽p.m. May 8 at Prospect Lake Community Hall, 5358 Sparton Rd. Reserve tickets at [email protected].
For more information, go to peninsulastreams.ca.
Counselling centre gets a聽Herowork makeover
After 25 years, the Greater Victoria Citizens鈥� Counselling Centre will be receiving a much-needed renovation this month, thanks to Herowork.
The centre counsels the working poor, people with mental-health issues of all ages. The facility, which also houses the Schrizophrenia Society, is on its last legs.
The renewal to the facilities will be undertaken by the Herowork Program Society. It helps other charities by renewing and refreshing their physical infrastructure through events called Radical Renovations.
The events are akin to barn-raising, where a community comes together to put up a structure. Money, resources and people are leveraged to achieve transformations at a small fraction of traditional costs and time.
This will be the first Radical Renovation for the society in 2015. To date, they have completed four projects, valued at聽about $1 million, mobilizing the聽support of more than 150聽companies and 1,000 volunteers in the process.
There is still time to volunteer to take part.
The reno kicks off May 29, with construction taking place Saturdays and Sundays in June. The project is expected to be completed June 14. For more information, go to herowork.com.
United Way honours philanthropy at awards
The United Way of Greater Victoria recently recognized the best examples of philanthropic leadership at its annual Spirit Awards.
The generosity of more than 8,000 donors positively impacted the lives of individuals and families facing social issues. More than 90 non-profit services were available to help people in need because of the 500 worksites that ran United Way campaigns.
鈥淚t is because of these individual and workplace champions that United Way raised $5.7 million and that we are able to support a network of programs and services that assisted nearly 80,000 people in our community,鈥� said Patricia Jelinski, CEO of the agency. 鈥淧eople in crisis often require more than one service to get the assistance they need to improve their lives. At United Way we work hard to ensure a continuum of services is available at all times for individuals, families, children and youth.鈥�
The top honour, the Chair鈥檚 Award of Distinction, was presented to Malcolm Barker, general manager and vice president of Seaspan Victoria Shipyards.
Other Spirit Awards recipients included: National Research Council sa国际传媒 (Naden Band Spirit of Excellence), RBC Royal Bank (Financial Challenge Cup), University of Victoria (Post Secondary Challenge), Victoria Shipyards (Outstanding Workplace Campaign) and HP Advanced Solutions and BCGEU 1201 (Labour Partnership).
For more information about the United Way鈥檚 Spirit Award recipients, go to uwgv.ca/ chairs-award-of-distinction.
Avenue Gallery artists pitch in for Hospice
More than 20 painters who display their works at the Avenue Gallery have come together to produce more than 100 miniature masterpieces for A Little Something 鈥� in May?, an exhibition and fundraiser for the Victoria Hospice on Thursday.
The annual exhibition of small pieces, usually held in the winter, has been moved to the spring to coincide with Mother鈥檚 Day.
Pieces start at $95. The gallery will be donating a percentage from the sale of each painting. Many of the artists will also donate a percentage, some up to 100 per cent, to support the work of the Victoria Hospice, which relies on the community for half of its funding. It provides palliative care for individuals and their families.
The event runs 6 to 8 p.m., May聽7, at the gallery, 2184 Oak Bay Ave. Hospice representatives will be attending the opening to accept donations in person. The exhibition continues until May 10. For more information, go to victoriahospice.org.
Women Who Care look to聽make a contribution
A group of women from the Saanich Peninsula are holding their first meeting on Wednesday with the hope of donating $10,000 to a local charity every time they meet.
The group, 100 Women Who Care Saanich Peninsula, are hoping to emulate a successful formula. The idea is for 100 women committing to meeting for one hour four times a year. At the meeting, three charities are randomly drawn from those nominated, with one ultimately selected by a vote.
If 100 members donate $100 each, the group raises $10,000 in that one hour. It is a formula that has proven successful locally. The Victoria chapter, which has close to 300 members, has raised more than $60,000 in its first three meetings.
鈥淲e were so impressed and excited by the success of the Victoria chapter that we wanted to do something locally for our community,鈥� said Debra Bartlett, one of the founders or the group. 鈥淭his is such a simple effective way for busy women to get together, socialize, network and make an impact on our community.鈥�
The first 100 Women Who Care group was formed in 2006 in Michigan. Today, there are more than 83 chapters in North America, including more than a dozen in sa国际传媒.
For more information, contact Bartlett at 250-893-5098 or go to 100womensaanichpeninsula.com.
