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the HERALD Home Newspaper of Halton Hills Welltravelled Community career News page 15 page 17 Till- llhHMI March SI IMS Page SECOND SECTION Volunteers pitch in Cancer Society kicks off campaign Local Cancer Society includes Acton Georgetown branches April Is Cancer Month and the Hills unit of the Canadian Cancer Society has set Itself a goal of to be raised in a month of special events and canvassing The Canadian Cancer So offers a great number services to cancer patients and their families the local level through the Hills unit The Herald met recently with members of the to discuss the services provided by he cancer society or pa and lor families and also of the cancer society need for funds and additional volunteers The cancer society is run strictly by volunteers at the local level although specific services such as home nursing ore provided by professionals Fourteen volunteers are on the executive in Acton and in Georgetown and coordinate programs such as education service to patients lion campaigning leers are needed particularly who would be willing to drive Princess Mar Hospital in Toronto for their treatments til I The cancer society is little different from many of the health related charities Georgetown area campaign chairman Smith said in that a larger portion of its funds go into service lo patients as opposed to re search A large portion of the funds are also spent on lion with the emphasis on prevention The goal of Halton Hilts unit this year is to knock on every door In town and reach every resident of Hills be they homeowners business owner or factory owner Daffo dil Day is also a mijor fund raising event and will be held on April and in Acton and Georgetown this year Private pre orders are accepted for dozen daffodils but the society would prefer that a group of people gel together to order a dozen each to minimize he driving involved in delivery Service to patients is a large of the regular lies of the cancer society Services Include drugs for palients in financial need dressing home and hospital vlslllng nursing services housekeeping In cases of and financial need home nursing in easel of patient transpor tatlon for treatment visits and other assistance to mnstcc patients and other vices to assist patients and their families in coping with cancer People aware of he services we are prepared lo supply Merry Little George own service to patients chair man said The cancer society is almost unique In its level of service to Photos and stories by Taylor The Hills unit main tains an office at Wesley an Street In Georgetown in the and Hyde building office Is located on the second floor and is open Mon day Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1pm to During campaign month Ihe office will be open every afternoon Nan staff secre tary said the office contains a great deal of educational in formation on cancer and dents looking for information for projects are welcome lo stop in at the office and look through the literature The office also has articles made by the activity group ing knitted items designs and ceramics which can be purchased The pro ceeds go cancer society since the items arc oil made and donated by volunteers The cancer society has 24hour answering service which can contact members in case an emergency phone number if 1124 The response of the people or Hills to past requests for funds has been excellent members of the unit executive agree and they are hoping town will continue to be sup portive of society and enable it to continue lo provide the services that cancer pa need so badly Campaign goal serat The goal of ihc Hills of Canadian Cancer Society is raise this year to help support the many programs and services pro vided by and the campaign will bo kicked off April 1 with an Egg McMuffin at McDonalds in Georgetown McDonald will be donating most of the cost of Egg purchased Sunday morning the cancer society and patrons must buy an Egg for McDonalds to makeadonalion TomSargcnl farms of Milton Is supplying eggs Claudetle Smith campaign chair man emphasized that it Is the cost of Egg fin and no Just the profit which is being donated LIMITED TIME Mrs Smith also emphasized that those people wishing to buy on Egg McMuffin must visit McDonalds between am and 11 a m After Ham the grills will be switched over for the lunch menu and ihe Egg will no longer available Last year the society received over MOO from McDonald The following weekend Ap ril and will be devoled to sale of daffodils throughout Hills Volunteers will be stationed In strategic spots in Acton and Gcorgelown such as the GO station Cinemas 3 and banks In both towns The high schools will be targets and the will also be taking industrial orders and order from Individuals The society would prefer that groups of people get together to place lo simplify the delivery of flowers The rest of the month of April will be devoted lo condu cting a door to door canvass of entire town with the goal of being lo knock on every door in Hills Acton is responsible for con ducting Ihe canvass in that area and a large rural area as well Gcorgelown will handle the town itself and the rural areas from Line east and from the town line at Sidcroad Mrs Smith said the Indus rial canvass Is being handled by Judy Gocbclle and Dee will be handling the canvass of the commercial areas in Georgetown The door canvass provides an opportunity for the volunteers to reach households for educational and this year the canvassers will be carry envelope which can be used lo submit a donation to register with the as a or to volunteer for work with the sociely The envelope also explains some facts about cancer the cancer and scr Ices it performs PUBLIC SERVICE The canvassers will be quipped with educational ma and were trying to make our campaign a public service as well as a request for funds Mrs Smith said The society will be holding other fund raising events dur the course of the year The main event coming up is Bill Smith golf tournament at the North Golf and Country Club on June Lost year the tournament raised over for the society Participants pay a required donation which covers the green fees and a dinner The prizes in the lour ore donated but com pomes and individuals con buy holes forJlOO per company and per individual The people of Halton Hills arc extremely generous in terms of money and time Mrs Smilhsold The support is good for us It s seldom you run into somebody who won help Just about everyone we is very supportive of us Thai what makes my job so easy While campaign man said much of the credit for the smoothness with which campaign runs and Ihe success each year is due to hard work of canvas Mr White has been cam paign chairman for five years and he said that although has grown in those years Ihe canvassers have been able Increase their efforts The first year he was campaign manager branch in Aclon raised last year It was Just under ACTON BRANCH The Acton branch is holding a social evening March to kick off their campaign but tickets arc pretty well sold out now Aclon branch president Gloria Coals said it is possible the branch will be holding other dances and social even later in the year It an honor to belong lo such a group of people who really work to raise the money we need Mr White sold The donors ore per of the campaign and volunteers are the other 40 percent Without them we be nowhere As chairman I Just a little cog in a mighty machine really makes things tick for cancer society In Ap ril he sold The nation wide goal of the cancer this year is million with million of thai coming from Ontario Of each dollar raised cents goes to research IB cents service to patients 14 cents to education to cents campaign expenses and cents for the construction and maintenance of lodges for cancer patients who live loo far from the hospital to drive in daily for Education is important to local society LITTLE Education is an important part of Canadian Cancer Sociely program combat tear which prevents people from seeking a doctor advice immediately when they begin to suspect they may hove cancer Mary Ellen Bridge is the education chairman for the Georgetown branch and Cathy McGilllvray Is the chair man In Aclon These two wo men are responsible for organ wing the education to reach young people adults and industry The purpose of the education program is to In form people about cancer Mrs Bridge said The cancer society has kits for different grade levels in schools with kits for kin to grade three grade four to grade six and a new kit for grades seven and eight The public school kits stress mainly the advantages to not smoking and also good health habits SCHOOLS KITS There ore kits for the high school level as well which provide Information on breast selfexamination among other topics The cancer oclety pro literature to the schools and will arrange for speakers come lo the school to talk various aspects of the disease and research The educational programs for involve mainly such as the cancer forums which have been held In the past couple of years and special displays the fall fairs during Pioneer Days Back to Aclon Days and on any other occasion at which the education chairman thinks it would be appropriate for society to take part The society provides speak to service clubs and other organizations on any aspect of cancer and will provide films for any group who wishes to contact hem The industrial education pro gram involves placing of the appropriate literature on cancer In each factory or industry in the community A registered nurse visits factor les and industries across the province showing Dims and giving talks on health care with emphasis on cancer emphasis in our educa tion program is prevention Mrs Bridge said campaign chairman Claudetle Smith from left shows other members of Ihe Gcorgelown executive the nr folder which will be used or tint time year for collecting donations In the cancer society annual canvass The other members the executive are from left to right Diane racket Hugh Patterson and Dee llulucll Unique level of patient service includes drivers counselling The Canadian Cancer socie ty is almost unique In Its level of service to pallcnls ding to service to patients chairman Merry Little of Georgetown People t aware of Ihe services we are prepared to supply Mrs Little said Any problems they hove anything we can we do lo moke lifo easier for patients Among the services offered to active treatment patients by local units of the cancer socie ty arc to patients home and in the hospital the provision of dressings advice from cured palients to some one who has Just undergone the same operation such as a breast cancer patient or colostomy patient providing drugs In cases of financial need home nursing house keeping and transportation lo hospitals or clinics for treat ICES VARY The services provided vary from unit to unit and within units White the Acton branch of the Hills unit has two volunteers who make periodic lonely the Georgetown unit has not started a home visit program as yet Mrs Little said they think It might be best to have registered nurses or retired nurses to visit patients at home so they know what not to say to patients Mrs Coats said the situation is very delicate and must be handled carefully The Georgetown branch has three women who having had breast cancer themselves vis breast cancer patients lowing surgery and assist them with to cope with the situation Acton has one worn an who visits the patients at the hospital or home These women help the patient to accept situation and aid her with such things as purch a sing a prosthesis The Georgetown branch viced patients last year and while had fewer patients both branches are always ready for volunteers to assist in providing patient services Georgetown in parti Is in need of volunteers to drive active patie nts to Princess Margaret pita in Toronto for treatment Mrs Little figures Ihey could use fifteen more drivers lo more evenly distribute the trips among the drivers Georgetown volunteers made about trips lo Toronto last year Drivers are paid a mileage fee of 18 cents a Many volunteers are cone emed lhat they would have to spend lengthy periods of time waiting for to receive their treatment Cynthia Green who is a volunteer driver In addition to being chairman of the Daffodil Day sold that while she tries not to have any other activities plan ned for the days she is going lo Toronto the trip rarely takes more than the morning REALLY ROTTEN The patients sometimes feel really rotten following their Mrs Little said and sometimes just want to relax on the trip home She said they may want to talk or they may not depending on how the treatment went I find Its a very worth while thing to do helping people Mrs Green said The patients are all so it not a matter of helping people In and out of wheel choirs Very few patients are ill following their treat ment Mrs Green said If the patient has a bad reaction to the hospital will keep them there for on The patients want to have somebody to talk to said Mrs Green Patients some limes talk about their illness but unless they bring It up I don t mention it Our drivers ore very nece ssary people Acton branch president Gloria Coats sold Patients from Acton are taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and also to Hender son General Hospital In ton The Acton drivers travell a total distance of mites last year Some of the services provid by the society arc restricted to cases of financial need The society is allowed to provide drugs if the palients Is in need but only certain kinds usually pain relievers Housekeeping services are also available In cases of financial need when Ihe Is disabled because of cancer but the service can only be provided for a maximum of four weeks Home nursing is to patients for period of hours and is provided professional nursing com pan A public health nurse usually visits the patient at the request of the patients doctor and assesses the situation to determine if the need exists MUST CONSULT Before providing almost any service to cancer patients the patient physician and a pub health nurse must be consulted Mrs Little said CANCER SOCIETY ACCEPTS BEQUESTS and donations In ere becoming sn Increasingly larger percentage of the funds raited by the cancer society and both and Georgetown have people who will accept donations can be made lo the cancer society In memory of a departed friend or relative can be Included In will la leave money the society Those wishing lo make donations In commemoration can contact lira Ida In at or Clark In cortcetnun IK CANCER FACTS The Incidence of cancer tins been increasing over the post few years as average life expectancy is prolonged since the risk of cancer increases with ago The survival rate for individuals has Increased In some areas and remains be do searching the prevention dla gnosis detection treatment of the disease The prevention early detection and treatment of cancer is your personal responsibility the Canadian Cancer ijRJ Society says Many cancers can be prevented or successfully treated if you practice the seven stepa to health 1 Have a medical and dental check up Watch for any change In your normal state of 3 Find out about any lump or sore that does not heal Protect yourself against too much sunlight AT C Do not smoke SIGN Have a Pap test Do a monthly breast selfexamination The doctors are aware of the services cancer society provides she said and they call on the cancer If one of llieir patients is in need The cancer society has a medical advisor who is avail able in case of emergency and will advise the society If the need arises The Hills unit has a 24hour emergency answering service and If a patient has a medical and can get in touch with their own doctor they can contact the cancer s answering service and be put In touch with the medical advisor Most patients see their doctor first when they discover symptoms they can t account for Mrs Little said before going on to a specialist in cancer Ireatment so that the medical advisor usually isn t called out although he is empowered to order an lance or have a patient to hospital If he feels it is necessary The medical advisor also provides for liaison with the medical community Mrs Lit tie sold the doctors have been very helpful lo the society Mrs Coats sold the Acton branch is always looking for volunteers particularly In the areas of education and ALWAYS Volunteers arc always wel come she said feel It good tor our society to get new volunteers with new Ideas The Acton branch has about volunteers for drivers and service to patients Activities people make knit led Hems ceramics or macr articles for sale with the proceeds to go to the cancer society The society pays for the necessary materials but the volunteers do the work for free Mrs Coots said the Acton branch has a tea In the spring for the activity workers lo express the society lion for their efforts Mrs definitely needs more volunt The more people we have the better Job we can do she said We can use people who would be willing to campaign or do emergency driving or man display booths assist in education programs There are Jobs for people who can commit of their time jobs for people who have more lime to give The Georgetown branch holds an appreciation night In June for its volunteers Includ ing canvassers and other sup porters losaylhankyoutothc people who have devoted their lime to the society during the year We ve been very fortunate In having people caring Mrs Coals said of the Aclon volunteers 1 feel Ices are the heart of the society the patients needs are our concerns help them W 11 do it