Annual Tree of Hope fundraiser taking place tomorrow and Friday

A5

By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff

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If you've been waiting for your chance to contribute to this year's annual Tree of Hope campaign, this is it.

The campaign is the major fundraiser for the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Hospital Foundation, and tomorrow's and Friday's two radiothons are the easiest and most entertaining way to do your part to help those living in cancer in this region.

The Tree of Hope campaign aims to raise a record $1.6 million this year. The campaign furthers the development of the Dr. Léon-Richard Oncology Centre, improves the quality of care for patients staying at the Mgr. Henri-Cormier Lodge and enhances cancer research efforts at the Moncton-based Atlantic Cancer Research Institute. Since its inception in 1989, the Tree of Hope Campaign has raised more than $10 million thanks to the generosity of men and women who find hope through their donations towards the well-being of their community.

The radiothons are one key to the campaign's success. The English radiothon will be broadcast tomorrow morning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The broadcast, on CBC Radio One, is live from the New Brunswick Community College campus in Dieppe and everyone is invited to attend to hear and see the entertainment, but also to hear the tales of perseverance in the face of this terrible disease affects everyone, either directly, through a loved one or someone they know.

The French version takes place Friday and will be broadcast on La Première Chaine de Radio-Canada Acadie from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., also at the Dieppe NBCC campus. And for the first time ever, the last hour of the radiothon will be broadcast live on television across New Brunswick on Radio Canada.

Funds raised during this year's campaign will help finance a five-pronged approach to the fight against cancer.

For example, some of the money will go to support the oncology centre's endowment fund, which helps patients from all over New Brunswick recover in a homey atmosphere at no charge, thanks to the Tree of Hope Campaign.

Funding will also go to the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute to conduct research. The institute has benefited from New Brunswickers' generous donations to the Tree of Hope for 20 years.

Money will also go towards the purchase of an endoscopic ultrasound which can conduct two tests at the same time while offering better comfort to the patient plus a more accurate diagnosis.

Part of the money raised will go towards the purchase of an orthovoltage, which allows medical staff to administer very large doses of radiation at a relatively low volume while avoiding healthy tissues and sensitive organs during the treatment of skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer with 75,100 new cases predicted in Canada this year.

Finally, some of the funds will go towards awareness, prevention and education, including a partnership with the Fédération des jeunes francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick, to better target youths.

More than 400 volunteers donate their time and efforts to the campaign every year, and untold numbers carry out their own fundraising activities throughout the year, all over the province.

It is estimated that about 4,500 New Brunswickers will be diagnosed with cancer this coming year, with the Dr. Léon-Richard Oncology Centre treating approximately 1,500 new patients and offering almost 25,000 radiotherapy treatments and 5,000 chemotherapy treatments.

* For more information on the Tree of Hope Campaign and to offer a donation online, click on www.treeofhope.ca.