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Welcome back to our fifteenth
consecutive year of Kayaking for Cancer!
The following is an email that we received
WHO'S IN THE BOAT?
For many of your past 14 years of Kayaking For Cancer, I have watched your dedicated troop of participants work year round fund-raising and preparing for this event. I've seen them jubilant and exhausted as they hand over their hard won funds to the Cancer Society with the smiles that only a committed loving family could muster. You have created something rare and important with your struggles, blisters,aches, pains and tears. Well Done!
This year is a little different for me because last year the gnarled claw of cancer touched my face. Cancer is many things..... and extremely expensive! I'm sure some of your $ helps get specialists on salary at places like the Ottawa General Hospital where I got a diagnosis. Your dollars aid in research and lab work. Thank you. It's your money that went towards machinery like Ct Scans, MRI, and radiation tubes. I needed a specialized radiation tomography machine... there are only 11 in Canada and the Ottawa General has 2 of them. Thank you. After my surgery, attended by 4 specialized doctors, I was put in Surgery 6 Care Unit. The bed alone costs $35,000 to purchase. Thank you. The nursing staff was also specialized and I've never seen such compassionate, competent and professional care in my life. It takes bags of money to assemble all these nurses, technicians, technologists, Speech Therapists, Dietitians, Dentists, plus administrative staff to make things move smoothly. Thank you. The cost of the medicines needed is frightening. Thank you.
So who's in the boat? The spirits of all the loved ones who have gone before; the support of all those who believe in what you do; the ground crew; the heart,soul, and bodies of those with the paddles; the God protecting and strengthening each person; and all of us who have received help and care because of what you do. Thank you. I'm in the boat!
When it's too cold, or hot, too wet, too dry, too rough, too windy, too still, too buggy; you're too sore, too sunburned, too blistered; or too discouraged to go on..........please remember….....Who's in the Boat?..........HOPE is in the boat.
M.J. Halpenny
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