Communities in Bloom partners with Cancer Society to create Garden of Hope
By Contributor
The daffodil is more than a simple flower. It’s a bright and hopeful symbol for people living with cancer. It says no one has to face cancer alone, and it promises we won’t give up until cancer is defeated. We celebrate the “power of the flower” all year round – Please help support the Castlegar Communities in Bloom (CIB) and the Canadian Cancer Society by purchasing daffodil bulbs and helping to plant them in the Garden of Hope on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. at the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce.
Who better to bring more beautiful flowers to the Castlegar community than Castlegar Communities in Bloom? CIB is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to “Planting pride in our Communities.”Our committee came up with the idea of this colorful fundraiser in support of the Canadian Cancer Society where 100%-per-cent of the proceeds received from the sale of over 1,000 daffodil bulbs will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Every daffodilrepresents hope. Every donation helps the Society in the fight for life,” said CIB chairperson Darlene Kalawsky.
Allison McCarthy, revenue development coordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society, said, “Funds raised during a fundraiser such as the Garden of Hope have an amazing impact on those dealing with cancer in their lives. They also enable progress to be made against cancer. Today, over 60 per centof Canadians diagnosed with cancer will survive at least five years after their diagnosis. Survival rates for some cancers are much higher – with childhood cancer at 83 per cent, breast at 88 per cent and prostate at 96 per cent.”
“A Garden of Hope is the perfect way to honour, pay tribute or host in memory of someone dear to them who is on a cancer journey or has succumbed to this horrible disease. It is a way to help fight back against cancer,” added McCarthy.
How it works?
Castlegar CIB, whose mandate is to beautify the Castlegar community, purchased 1,000 bulbs to be sponsored and planted. The initiative, which begins with the official planting on Oct. 29th, has two purposes. The daffodil garden will benefit the cancer society as well as allowing participants to honour individuals on a cancer journey or in memory of loved ones whose lives were claimed by the terrible disease.
The Castlegar CIB and Dragon Boat team members, will be selling daffodil bulbs for the nominal price of $1 per bulb.A tax receipt can be issued for a donation of $25.You can purchase your daffodil bulbs at the Heritage Credit Union located at #100 630 17th St. in Castlegar on Friday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We then hope you would help plant your purchased bulbs from 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 29 in a planting ceremony held at the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce located at 1995 6th Avenue in to inaugurate a daffodil ‘Garden of Hope’. Participants are being urged to come dressed for the weather conditions as well as bringing gardening gloves, kneeling pads and rakes. If you cannot attend the public planting, you can leave your purchased bulbs with the Castlegar CIB and they, along with Dragon Boat members, will plant the bulbs in the Garden of Hope.
As a result of the public planting, the Garden of Hope is expected to come alive with magnificent, yellow daffodils next spring.
Kalawsky asks anyone who is interested in purchasing bulbs or becoming involved in the project in any way to telephone her at 250-365-1653. She can also be contacted by e-mail at: darlene@kalawsky.com
For more information on the Canadian Cancer Society visit cancer.ca
