Vancouver Island grocers raise money for “critically needed space” to improve care for cancer patients
Photo via Red Barn Market on Facebook.
From March 1 to March 21, grocery stores from across Vancouver Island came together to support BC Cancer by organizing the third annual Grocers Go Beyond campaign. During the campaign, participating grocers donated a portion of proceeds from flower sales to support BC Cancer-Victoria’s new Integrated Care and Research Pavilion on Richmond Road, across the street from Royal Jubilee Hospital.
The campaign first launched in 2022, when Dean Clarke from Tru Value Foods organized the group to benefit the community, and since then, they have raised over $130 000 to support BC Cancer.
In an email, William Litchfield, executive director of BC Cancer Vancouver Island, told the Martlet that “this initiative was the first time these grocers have put competition aside and come together to jointly support our community.”
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. The 2023 Canadian Cancer Statistics report estimated that 2 in 5 people in Canada will be diagnosed with cancer, and approximately 1 in 4 will die from cancer in their lifetime. The Canadian Cancer Society also reported an estimate that “an average of 655 people in Canada would be diagnosed with cancer and 238 people would die from cancer each day in 2023.” In British Columbia alone, it was estimated that there would be 30 400 cancer cases.
BC Cancer has a long history in the province. The first BC Cancer treatment center, originally called the British Columbia Cancer Institute, opened in 1938 with an anonymous gift of $50 000 to the British Columbia Cancer Foundation. The Victoria Cancer Clinic, which is now BC Cancer Victoria, then opened in Royal Jubilee Hospital in 1952. BC Cancer now has six regional cancer centers providing a variety of services, including assessments, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and supportive care.
During the Grocers Go Beyond Campaign, $2.65 from every potted gerbera, cyclamen, violet, or begonia went directly towards funding and renovating BC Cancer’s new Integrated Care and Research Pavilion in Victoria.
This new space is also the first completely donor-funded BC Cancer building in the foundation’s history. BC Cancer is committed to raising $11.3 million for the purchase and renovation of this building.
The Integrated Care and Research Pavilion will improve patient access to supportive care services, create a separate space to house these services, and establish critically needed infrastructure for BC Cancer in Victoria. Litchfield says a separate space for these services will help support patients in Victoria, because “returning to the place where they received treatment can be extremely triggering.”
The new building will house numerous programs and services, including patient & family counselling, psychiatry, and hereditary counselling. Additionally, this building will “create a healing environment for cancer patients and families while accessing supportive care services.” Supportive care programs and services are invaluable for both patients and families to help manage the challenges associated with cancer treatment, from diagnosis to survivorship or palliative care.
The new Integrated Care and Research Pavilion is only 250 meters from the current BC Cancer facilities in Victoria, across the street from Royal Jubilee Hospital. Along with the supportive care services for patients and families, some clinical and administrative teams will also work out of the new building.
Last year, the Grocers Go Beyond Campaign raised $27 000 for the BC Cancer Foundation to improve early detection of cancer for patients on Vancouver Island.
“Cancer impacts all of us and it’s important that the latest life-saving technology and treatments are available here on the Island,” the group said in a joint statement last year. “We look forward to what can be accomplished as we continue working together towards a world free from cancer.”
Each year, the group jointly decides how to most effectively support BC Cancer through their annual fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation. Participating grocers include Red Barn Market, Country Grocer, Thrifty Foods, Fairway Market, and Tru Value Foods.
“The Integrated Care and Research Pavilion is the number one priority for BC Cancer Victoria, as this will create critically needed space both for supportive care services in the new building and free up space in the existing BC Cancer building for treatment,” Litchfield explained.
If you did not have the opportunity to buy flowers during the Grocers Go Beyond Campaign, donations can be made online on the BC Cancer Foundation’s website or by contacting William Litchfield.
