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•T he IFP• H alton H ills, Thursday, Septem ber 19, 2013 5 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 WWW.GEORGETOWNHOSPITALFOUNDATION.CA Presented by: WANT A SNEAK PEEK OF THE NEW ER BEFORE IT OPENS FOR PATIENT CARE? 877-8990 • FU RN AC E • FI RE PL AC E • BB Q s • AI R CO N DI TI O N IN G 118 Guelph St. Georgetown 905 118 Guelph St.Show Room SYSTEMS GEORGETOWN INC. Stay Warm & Cozy this Fall with Appleby!! GEORGETOWN GARDEN CENTRE 140 GUELPH ST. 905-877-8882 (The former Georgetown Fruit Market building) ROMA TOMATOES GARDEN MUMS (10" Pot) 3 $2000FOR Closed Mondays Great colours & variety from MIXED ACCENT PLANTERS $14.99 25 litre bag Top Soil $1.99 $103 forFresh CutBOUQUETS & Corn Super Sweet Peaches & Cream Local Grown ONTARIO GROWN Bushels of From TomatoesPears Starting next month, new cancer pa- tients who are driven to and from their appointments courtesy of the Canadian Cancer Society will have to pay a one- time $100 fee, but that's not the case with Cancer Assistance Services of Hal- ton Hills (CAShh). The local organization will continue to offer patients free rides to and from their appointments and treatments. "We have no intention of charging for any of our services," said CAShh executive director Sheila Smith. "These are vulnerable members of our society and don't deserve to have added stress to what they're already going through. We want to make their cancer journey as stress-free as possible." Canadian Cancer Society drivers sometimes take one, or several patients at a time. CAShh drivers take only one patient at a time so the patients don't have to wait for others and have their immune system possibly compromised. The fee is considered a necessity said Tanya Nixon, the Society's senior man- ager of transportation, if the program is going to stay afloat amid growing demand and rising costs. "More people are being diagnosed, the population is aging, people are living longer with cancer," she said. "We always knew we'd start to see an increase in demand." The Society's volunteer driving pro- gram cost it $6 million last year, the majority of which goes toward paying drivers for their mileage (currently 30 cents per kilometre, but it fluctuates depending on gas prices), vehicle wear- and-tear, and around 10 per cent of their licence and insurance costs. CAShh pays its drivers 48 cents per kilometre. "It is very important to be fair with reimbursing them (drivers) with their expenses," said Smith. The Cancer Society plans to offer a Compassionate Program for those who can't afford the $100, although Nixon said there is no way to tell at the mo- ment how many people will require it. With files from Torstar News Service CAShh to continue its policy of free transportation service SheilA Smith By LISA TALLYN Staff Writer