NorKam students mark five years of fundraising for childhood cancer research at BC Children’s Hospital

“I’ve had some family members with cancer in the past so it’s a very close-to-heart issue for me,” added fellow Grade 12 student Dominic Benoit. “I think it was very important being around other people who have the same mindset as me towards cancer. Being together as community, I found that was very important for me.”

This year’s event helped raise a little over $5,400 toward the Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program. Since 2022, NorKam students have helped raise close to $30,000 for the program, which helps sponsor fellowships of doctors researching a cure for childhood cancer at BC Children’s Hospital.

“It costs them about $90,000 a year for their training and with COVID and everything, we used to give $75,000 a year, but we’re down to $50,000,” Darlene Smith, the president of the Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program, told CFJC Today.

Smith said the current Kiwanis Oncology fellow is from Mexico City, but in the past these doctors have come from as far away as India, Australia and South Africa. Once they are done their training, they return back home, though if there is room at BC Children’s, they might be able to stay in the province.

“Our first fellow, he was from Namibia and he had a job set up after he finished his training so he went home, then he gave his job away,” Smith said. “He is fulltime at BC Children’s and they’re really lucky to have him. It’s the elite doctors that come in to BC Children’s.”

Thursday’s ‘Ride for Cancer’ was the culmination of months of work for members of the NorKam Key Club, many of whom want to give back to the community they live in. They note riding stationary bikes makes for an easy and accessible way to help raise money.

“I think its really important especially for us in high school, like teens are so quick to separate themselves,” club president Aiden Marks said. “I think it’s a good event that helps bring the community together as well as people of my age because it’s not an opportunity that many people get to get.”

“Our very first fundraiser was our most successful one where we raised over $8,700. It kind of went downhill after that but this year we’re getting back up.”

Similar fundraisers are held in other B.C. communities and Smith said its heartening to see young people get involved to support a good cause.

“It’s always great to come into the schools and see how excited they are to support BC Children’s,” Smith said. “I’ve been doing this job for 16 years as president and I just hope that one day we won’t have to raise funds for kids cancer, that it’ll be gone.”

Until that happens, some of these kids might just keep on pedalling for a cause.

by Victor Kaisar

NorKam students mark five years of fundraising for childhood cancer research at BC Children’s Hospital

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