SOMBA K’E/YELLOWKNIFE
Daffodils are on the way to Yellowknife, bringing a respite from the glaring white snow of winter.

Nikki Grobbecker, left, and Lorna Deveau, both revenue development coordinators for the NWT branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, show off the daffodil pins that will be part of the upcoming Daffodil Days campaign, which will also feature fresh daffodils for sale next week. The campaign aims to raise awareness and promote discussion about cancer across Canada. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo

They'll be here in time for the Canadian Cancer Society's Daffodil Days campaign, which raises awareness and promotes discussion on cancer research, as well as honouring those affected by the disease.

The society has ordered 170 cases of daffodils, which holds about 85,000 of the flowers.

"I'm bringing the yellow back to Yellowknife," said Lorna Deveau, the NWT branch revenue development coordinator of the Society told Yellowknifer Monday.

Along with the daffodils, the society is also selling daffodil pins by donation.

Last year, the campaign raised about $73,000, with $24,000 in pre-sales before the campaign began and $10,000 coming from the sale of daffodil pins alone.

This year, the society has already raised more than $23,000 in pre-sales.

This is the fourth year Deveau has taken part in the campaign, and this year will be as large a success as last year, she said, adding that the NWT raises the most money for cancer research per capita in the country.

The flowers -- set to arrive Friday -- will go out to 14 different towns and hamlets, with rural co-ordinators handling sales in the smaller communities. Along with the flowers, there are also 130 boxes of daffodil pins to be sold as well.

The flowers will be sold for a week, with pins to be sold for the whole month of April. Volunteers, which Deveau said are still needed, will be set up at the Co-op on Friday and Saturday, before moving on to Trevor's Your Independent Grocer on Old Airport Road, Wal-Mart, Liquor Shop and Stanton Territorial Hospital.

Final year in Yk

It's the final year of taking part in the NWT branch of the society for Deveau, who plans to move south with her husband this summer. She moved to Yellowknife from Victoria, B.C. in 2010 and got started with the society right away.

"I like to plan and organize and talk, and I thought it would be the best thing," Deveau said. "It's the most rewarding job I've ever had because I can make a difference. You can have someone newly diagnosed come in and guide them toward the services.

“At the end of the day, they always have a smile on their face when they leave here."

Taking over for Deveau is Nikki Grobbecker, who recently started training under her and learning the ropes of the one-person job that is managing the NWT branch, with the help of volunteers.

"It's great that I have the opportunity to work with Lorna over these next four months to get a good understanding of the different campaigns, obviously they're very successful, and it's exciting to be part of an office that is run by one-person," said Grobbecker.

Grobbecker, who moved to the North from Ontario in October, said the thought of running the branch alone isn't all that daunting.

"I'm excited for the challenge especially to keep it there and make it higher too. Obviously working for the cancer society it hits close to home for a lot of members of my family, and it's nice to be able to go work and know you're changing peoples' lives and the way they deal with these situations."