Happy Tory Day, friends. Today we kick off the third year of our fund to provide more comfort to cancer patients, on Tory’s birthday.
If there’s one thing – one trait, one part of her personality — that defined Tory (and that’s awfully hard to do) it’s her love of kids. Of course, the best part of her life was Kate. She loved her more than life itself, no question. And Tory formed an exceptional bond with the kids of her friends and of course nieces and nephews.
It wouldn’t be Christmas if Tory wasn’t planning out the treat table (one rule: kids can eat whatever they want, whenever they want). Or planning a play date with Kate’s friends. Or baking a coffee cake because she knew it was Maya’s favourite.
Kids delivered joy to Tory’s life, plain and simple. They were the greatest gift for her.
That’s what makes today’s announcement so special. In the less than two years since we started The Tory Day Fund, we’ve delivered two major initiatives to improve the comfort of cancer patients. First, the Patient Buddy program at Odette to reduce the overwhelming stress that patients feel on their first day of treatment. Then the purchase of 16 state-of-the-art chemotherapy chairs so more patients can rest comfortably as Tory desperately wanted in the latter part of her treatment.
Today, we’re announcing that The Tory Day Fund is providing $50,000 to Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre in Oshawa to fund its children’s programs for the next two years.
Let me tell you about Hearth Place – a place I hope you never have to visit but if you do you’ll thank God it exists.
In the Durham community for more than 20 years, Hearth Place is a support centre where cancer patients and their families can come and share their experiences, find resources and discover new ways to care for themselves and each other.
Walk in the door and you get an overwhelming feeling of comfort. Maybe because of the home-life surroundings. Or the staff, who ooze warmth. Or because you’re surrounded by people dealing with one of life’s greatest obstacles but who find it in their heart to supporting others in their journey too.
The Tory Day Fund is supporting Hearth Place’s Pediatric Cancer Family Support Program and its children’s programs, which combined give both young patients and kids with family members affected by cancer the support they need when they need it most. They run programs like:
- Monkey in My Chair – a stuffed monkey sits in the place of a child at school who’s receiving cancer treatment as a reminder to fellow students, who can then fill the monkey’s backpack with notes of encouragement
- A puppet program where life-size puppets teach the virtues of courage, compassion, respect, kindness and helpfulness by discussing the challenges faced by puppets who are coping with a cancer diagnosis and the side-effects of their treatment
- Art, music, play therapy to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health
- And many more
Hearth Place since the moment we were introduced seemed like a perfect fit for The Tory Day Fund’s donation. They exist to improve the comfort of cancer patients and their loved ones. It’s run by a large team of volunteers with very few paid staff. They receive no government funding and are very careful to ensure nearly all funding goes to patient programs. It’s in Oshawa, in the community where Tory and her family grew up.
And as it turns out, Hearth Place recently lost the major fundraising program for its children’s programs. Now programs for children diagnosed with cancer, their loved ones, and children dealing with a loved one’s cancer will now be funded for the next two years. Thanks to Team Tory. Thanks to you.
You are what makes The Tory Day Fund what is. In two years you’ve helped us raise more than $200,000 – ten times our original goal – to make Tory’s wish come true. And in the process improve the comfort of literally thousands of cancer patients.
As we kick off the third year of The Tory Day Fund, we ask you to do it again. Millions of Canadians are affected by cancer each year. And while the majority of funds go to finding a cure or better treatment – as they should – we need to ensure that in the meantime patients can find comfort from this merciless disease.
If you can, please:
- Donate today
- Buy a ticket for Tory’s Night of Nonsense on October 19 (tickets are now available!)
- Host a Tory’s Table
- Or organize an event or activity to raise funds (like the photography exhibit on May 29 at Town Brewery where artists are donating their sales to The Tory Day Fund – amazing!)
Thank you.
As for Kate and me, we’ll celebrate Tory’s birthday with a family BBQ, surrounded by nieces and nephews of course. Better get the treat table ready.
Happy Tory Day.