If you want to make a difference this spring, the Canadian Cancer Society suggests signing up to be a volunteer for Daffodil Month.
“We need hundreds of volunteers,” says Sandy McDonald, point of contact for those interested in the Halton area.
Volunteers will be selling daffodil pins across Canada to raise money for cancer research. It’s an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.
This campaign has a rich history. Back in 1929, according to the Canadian Cancer Society’s website, a group of doctors in Saskatchewan raised concerns that their patients were coming to them for treatment too late because they didn’t know the signs of cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society eventually established in 1938 out of the need to promote awareness about the disease.
As one of the strategies to spread awareness and to raise money, according to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days toolkit, women began to hold fundraising teas and decorated the tables with spring daffodils. In 1954, Lady Flora Eaton, who married the son of the founder of what is now the Eaton Centre in Toronto, hosted a Daffodil tea, which greatly increased their popularity.
The legacy lives on. Now, though, instead of live flowers, volunteers sell daffodil pins. “The reason behind the shift was the cost involved with bringing in the live flowers,” said McDonald, adding that the live flowers used to be shipped from British Columbia. “It made more sense to put our donor dollars to research. It better serves our mission statement.”
The society says volunteering for Daffodil Month is a great experience. “It’s like a big family affair,” says McDonald. “It’s a fun campaign. There’s a lot of energy that is generated. You are helping to save lives.”
The Halton Community Office serves the Communities of Burlington, Georgetown, Milton and Oakville. Those interested in volunteering a few hours of time, should contact Sandy McDonald at 905-845-5231 or by email at smcdonald@Ontario.cancer.ca
