Keeping it local

Before her son Connor was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, Kelli Gothard-McKinnon said she didn’t realize the Canadian Cancer Society gave back locally.

"I really thought it was a national organization, that it went into a big pool that we never saw in Northwestern Ontario," she said. "But it really does impact here."

Through events like the upcoming Kicks for Kids with Cancer, a 24-hour charity soccer game, the society raises funds for pediatric cancer research and programs, particularly their transportation program.

It was something she learned firsthand when Connor was diagnosed at the age of six with a rare form of cancer; they immediately had to go to Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital for further diagnosis and treatment.

During the first year of Connor’s treatments, Gothard-McKinnon said they’d have just a couple of days here and there to go home and visit her husband Brad and their then six-month-old younger son.

"The Canadian Cancer Society, we’d phone them that day and say we have a chance to come home for the weekend before Connor has to start treatment again," she said. "They’d have flights arranged for us that night. We didn’t have to put the money out-of-pocket, so Connor and I could come back and visit my husband and other son and then head back down to Toronto again."

Gothard-McKinnon said it was a huge worry off their backs. The program also helped with transportation between their accommodations and the hospital and groceries.

Cancer Society fundraising co-ordinator Dana Levanto said they put more money into the community each year than they raise through events like Kicks for Kids. He added that it’s important to remember that living in Thunder Bay means people might not be able to access the type of cancer treatment you need locally, especially for children.

In two years, Kicks for Kids has raised more than $35,000 and Levanto said they’re hoping to match last year’s $15,000.

The game starts on March 6 at 9 a.m. and runs until the following morning at 9 a.m. at the Sports Dome. There is room for up to 96 teams to participate.

Registration is open from now until Feb. 22 and time slots are given on a first-come first-serve basis. To register and for more information visit http://www.cancer.ca/kicksforkids.