Dozens of people turn out to watch tree lighting ceremony

A9

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

The November chill wasn't enough to deter dozens of people from gathering outside the Dr. Léon-Richard Oncology Centre in Moncton last night.

They were there to applaud the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree outside the centre to launch the annual Tree of Hope Campaign and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research, equipment and services for cancer patients.

Last year, the annual campaigned raised a record $1,525,664 through two radiothons and community and individual projects throughout the year.

This year is the Dr. Georges-L-Dumont Hospital Foundation Tree of Hope's 20th anniversary, with more than $11 million raised to date.

For Luc Hébert of Edmundston, Andrée Boulanger of Bathurst, Linda Noel of Lameque and Bonita Carson and Winston Trevors of Miramichi, the oncology centre and Mgr. Henri-Cormier Lodge, where they resided while in Moncton, have been a godsend.

All are recovering from cancer and are thankful of the services offered to them.

The evening ceremony last night was marked by testimonials as well as Christmas carols and a pep rally, as campaign chairman Martin Latulippe and stars of the radiothons announced details of the campaign.

Trevors donated the 14-foot Christmas tree for the Bathurst Tree of Hope lighting ceremony. This was his first time participating in the Moncton ceremonies.

Live broadcast of the English-language radiothon over CBC Radio's Information Morning will be held from 6 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, from the New Brunswick Community College Dieppe campus, with Dave MacDonald, Vanessa Blanch and Brent Taylor hosting the show. Guests will include artists Lenny Gallant, Teresa Ennis, Ivan and Vivian Hicks and the Sussex Avenue Fiddlers, members of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, Nathalie Renauld, Pascale Lejeune, Alex Madsen, Danny Roy and Jason "J-Byrd" Nicholson.

The morning show has raised in excess of $815,000 over the past nine years.

The more ambitious French-language radiothon, held on Radio Canada's Première Chaîne live at the NBCC campus, begins at 6 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 27 and runs until at 8 p.m. with Samuel Chiasson and Martine Blanchard hosting the 14-hour event.

A long list of artists are expected to take part including Lenny Gallant, Wilfred LeBouthillier, Monique Poirier, Danny Boudreau, George Belliveau, the Blue Grass Diamond, la Chorale africaine, la Chorale CCNB, la Chorale Voce Dell'anima, Daniel Léger, Dominique Dupuis, les Frères Smouthe, Hert LeBlanc, Les Jeunes Chanteurs d'Acadie, Kevin McIntyre, Les Particulières, Marie Philippe Bergeron, Mario Lebreton, Natasha Richard, Noémie Auffrey Jones and L'Orchestre des Jeunes du Nouveau-Brunswick.

The last hour of the radiothon will also be broadcast on Radio-Canada Television.

More than 400 volunteers donate their time and efforts to ensure the success of the campaign each year.

An estimated 4,500 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in New Brunswick this year and about 2,000 deaths are expected as a result. Money raised by the Tree of Hope campaign has gone towards equipment, treatment, research for a cure and the Mgr. Henri-Cormier Lodge, which provides accommodations for 65 oncology patients and 20 companions.

The Dr. Léon-Richard Oncology Centre treats about 1,500 new cancer patients and offers nearly 25,000 radiotherapy and 5,000 chemotherapy treatments each year.