SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
On top of raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society, the Daffodil Days campaign also gets people talking and raises awareness for the cause, says Casey Adlem, general manager at Larga Kitikmeot, a residence for people coming from Nunavut to the city for medical treatment.
Casey Adlem: Says volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society is one of the ways she can help honour the memory of her friends and family. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo |
"My mom was diagnosed with cancer 19 years ago and luckily it hasn't come back," said Adlem.
"One way we thought she might be able to heal is by helping other people with cancer."
Adlem has been volunteering with the Canadian Cancer Society for about 12 years, starting with volunteering for the cancer support line. Adlem eventually began getting more and more involved with the Canadian Cancer Society and now sits on the Daffodil Days committee.
"I don't know if you ever really fully heal from having cancer emotionally and mentally because for (my mother), there's always a constant fear that it might come back, so that was one way we started trying to deal with it," she said.
The Daffodil Days campaign kicked off in Yellowknife with the first batch of deliveries on March 8.
For $6, people were able to pre-order batches of fresh daffodils.
"They go out for the people who want them before Easter," said Lorna Deveau, revenue development and volunteer engagement co-ordinator for the Alberta/NWT division of the Canadian Cancer Society.
"On April 2, we do the second set of deliveries. After that, we just continue until there are no flowers left," she said.
So far, $24,000 worth of pre-sales have originated in Yellowknife. Last year, the campaign raised $77,000 across the NWT. The daffodils have also been distributed to 13 other communities in the NWT.
On top of fresh yellow flowers, businesses and organizations have ordered boxes of pins people can wear to show their support for the cause. The campaign leads up to National Daffodil Day on April 27 where there will be a public barbecue in the Larga Kitikmeot parking lot.
"When we have the barbecue, everybody loves it," said Adlem.
"I think it's also a time to remember those we've lost and it helps people with their own healing because when you lose someone from a small community, everyone is touched."
Adlem also recently lost her close friend to cancer.
"It's a scary disease, but you need to talk about it. It was hard to say goodbye, but we were grateful for the time. Some people don't make it home. At least we had a couple of years to talk about it."
By wearing the bright yellow daffodil pins, both Deveau and Adlem hope people start talking about the disease, learning more, and come out to support further research.
"If you sell a $2 pin and millions of people buy that pin, that's millions of dollars going right to cancer research," said Adlem.
"I think of people who won't be lost because this could be the money, this could be the year that they find an actual cure. The way I see it, my chances of getting cancer are pretty good. And if we all look at it that way, I think we'd all fight a little bit harder to find a cure."
