Flower power

When the truck delivering 120,000 daffodils to the Thunder Bay branch of the Canadian Cancer Society arrived with the flowers alive and healthy, fundraising co-ordinator Dana Levanto breathed a sigh of relief.

There have been times where the weather hasn’t co-operated and the flowers have arrived frozen or dead after travelling from Vancouver to the city.

The flowers will be sold from March 24 to 28 throughout the city as part of the Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days, which accounts for about 10 per cent of the organization’s overall fundraising efforts, said Levanto
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"In 2009, we raised $2.9 million and this year in Northwestern Ontario we will raise $75,000 over the next few days," she said, adding Daffodil Days are also an important symbol of hope to cancer patients and their families.

"It’s a reminder to everybody that the Canadian Cancer Society is there for those patients and available with a variety of support services for them," said Levanto.

Daffodil Days began in Toronto in 1957 with a few volunteers selling flowers to raise money for the society.

"An anonymous donor flew in 5,000 daffodils from Vancouver and it’s grown from there," Levanto said. "Yesterday in Thunder Bay we had 120,000 flowers arrive."

The money raised supports all of the Cancer Society’s services including transportation and research; every dollar raised in the region will stay in Northwestern Ontario to support local cancer patients.

Volunteers gathered at the TBayTel Warehouse Monday morning to wrap the daffodils for sale later this week. Levanto said they wouldn’t be able run the event without the hard work of hundreds of volunteers.

Margaret Fydirchuk has been volunteering for Daffodil Days for the past five years and said she enjoys coming down to socialize with the other volunteers while helping out a worthy cause.

"I like the research they do; I’ve known people with cancer," she said.

The daffodils are sold in bunches of 10 for $7 or two bunches for $12.

They can be found at various locations around the city including Arthur St. Market Place, Confederation College, Intercity Shopping Centre, St. Joseph’s Heritage, Westfort Foods, Lakehead University, Swiss Chalet and Wal-Mart. They’ll also be available outside all LCBO stores on Friday and Saturday.