For four years, Climb For Cancer has raised money to ease the financial burden of northern British Columbians who require overnight stays while receiving medical treatment to fight the disease.
The pandemic threw a curveball at organizers of the Canadian Cancer Society event and the fifth annual fundraising climb up the Nechako River cutbanks in April had to be postponed . But they’ve come up with a plan to spread the event over four days in August to get people into the spirit to dig in their heels on that steep sandy hill climb to raise money for the Kordyban Lodge.
“It’s such a unique event and the organizing committee has worked so hard to adapt and figure out how we can make this work,” said Aimee Cassie, the Canadian Cancer Society’s manager supporter engagement, BC.
“There will still be signage on the cutbanks and some fun things going on, but it won’t be the big gathering event we’ve had in the past where everyone went up on the same day. We’re just really grateful for the support because with the lodge opening up (after nearly three months of closure due to the virus outbreak), things look very different at the lodge now.”
Teams or individuals are being asked to register on the Climb For Cancer Facebook site or through the event website, climbforcancerpg.ca. Each team/individual will have a choice of which day to do the climb – Aug. 8, 9, 15 or 16 – and will then be assigned a time slot for that day. Then it’s up to participants to raise as much money as they can.
Kordyban Lodge manager Asta Glembotzki said money raised from this year’s climb will be used to replace guest beds and pay for TVs in the rooms of the lodge at 1100 Alward St.
“We definitely will use that money wisely so it benefits the people,” said Glembotzki.
“We are fairly well set but we always have things that break down, like a toaster or simple things like this, or we need to buy a few games for people for activities. Because of Covid-19 we have single occupancy in the rooms and the common areas are locked off so the impact and the contact with the virus is as small as possible. People are very vulnerable for any virus because their immune system is down because of the (cancer) treatment and we have to be doubly careful.”
The 25,000 square-foot Kordyban Lodge first opened in February 2013. At full capacity there’s room to accommodate as many as 37 guests in 18 rooms for overnight stays. The lodge reopened from the Covid-19 shutdown on July 6 and will remain at half-capacity until heath authority restrictions are eased further.
We’re having to put a whole bunch of measures in place to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Cassie. “(Personal protective equipment) has to be worn because we have people with cancer staying there, so we have to do everything possible to keep them safe. “
One of the unique aspects of the Climb For Cancer is all the money raised stays in city to benefit the people of the north.
“The money stays in Prince George but the impact is felt right across northern B.C.,” said Cassie. “We have people coming in from all across the north to stay at the lodge and they have direct impact from Climb.”
Fundraising helps minimize the costs of operating the lodge. The affordable guest rate also includes three meals per day. Guests also have access to the Canadian Cancer Society’s donated wig and breast prosthesis supplies.
“We’ve said this so many times, Covid hasn’t stopped cancer,” said Cassie. “So we still have to bring people in for treatments and their lives are still completely uprooted when they have to travel for treatments and stay away from home. Some are away from home for upwards of six weeks so we really try to give them that home-away-from-home experience at Kordyban Lodge. They can relax there and it’s not that hospital environment.”
Cassie has been working from her home during the pandemic and she said she misses the daily interactions with guests of the lodge, which is just below her office at the BC Cancer Centre for the North.
“One of the best quotes I’ve ever heard (from a lodge guest) was, ‘When I was going through treatment I felt like I was in a bit of a cocoon staying at the lodge and they took care of me until I was strong enough to go home and be on my own,” said Cassie.
On Saturday, Cassie picked up another $900 donation from a participant in last month’s Relay For Life. That brought the total well over the $100,000 mark. The relay and its usual large gathering at Exhibition Park was also interrupted by the pandemic and participants completed their own 24-hour walks for the cause, which, combined with similar events across the country, raises funds for cancer research in Canada. In pre-Covid times the event raised between $400,000 and $600,000 locally.
“We’ve still got money trickling in and I actually think we’ll finish close to the top in the country,” said Cassie. “’It speaks to the heart of Prince George that even in the middle of a pandemic that people still support people facing cancer as best they can and we’re so appreciative.”
In four years the Climb for Cancer has raised $172,000. The goal this year is to add another $75,000 to the total. For more information call organizer Doug Bell at Northern Lights Winery at 250-981-3684 or email him at [email protected].
