When Kayla McInnes started volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), it was for the fun of the events.
In her first year, she was a team member for the 12-hour Relay for Life supporting a friend whose mother was diagnosed with cancer.
"We camped out for the night and it was so much fun. It was so community oriented. I had just decided then and there that it was something I wanted to do,” McInnes said.
The insurance broker and event planner joined the organizing committee the next year. She's now in her 14th year raising funds for CCS. This is her sixth year directing Run for The Cure fundraisers for breast cancer research and patient support. She volunteered in Guelph for the first three years.
This is her third year directing The Blue Mountains/Collingwood Run for a Cure, which will be held Oct. 6 at Blue Mountain Village. She also organizes the local Relay for Life cancer fundraiser.
"I enjoy being a part of CCS. It's my choice charity," McInnes said.
But now, her motivation is different. Since she's been involved, her mother-in-law was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and died a couple of weeks later.
“It’s funny. I joined the event not having a personal connection to cancer. . . but it changes how you interact with cancer survivors or family members after it happens to you. You speak from the heart more because you have the personal experience," McInnes explained.
“It gives you more push to get out into the community and explain why these events are so important.”
McInnes and the organizing committee of six are so successful at what they do, they won an award from CCS for Outstanding Cost to Raise a Dollar Achievement.
“We essentially try not to spend money on anything. We want as much of the money as possible to go to the cause,” she said.
This is the 20th anniversary of the local run. Last year, The Blue Mountains/Collingwood Run for a Cure raised $56,700 and had 194 participants. This year, the goal is $65,000 and 228 participants.
"We would love for as many people as possible to attend," said McInnes.
There will be one-kilometre and a five-kilometre course, all on flat terrain to make it accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
“We are not just a run. We are a run, a walk, a stroll, a push. Whatever works for people,” she said.
Registration is at 8 a.m. Opening ceremonies is at 9:30 a.m. and the run starts at 10 a.m. There is a fast start for runners and a slow start for walkers.
Run for a Cure is Canada's largest single-day, volunteer-led event in support of the breast cancer cause. Funds raised go to support scientific research and to support people diagnosed with cancer. Funds cover the costs of transportation for cancer treatment, stays at CCS lodges and for items including breast prostheses, wigs and head coverings.
FACTS
- One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
- $507 million has been raised to fund breast cancer research projects since 1992
- 46,000 people across Canada participated in the run last year
- There's been a 47 per cent decrease in breast cancer mortality rates since the late 1980s
- $14.5 million was raised last year through the Run for the Cure campaign
For more information about the local run, visit the Facebook group: RunfortheCureCollingwood or the Instagram page: rftcbluemountain.
For more information about CCS, call 1-888-939-3333 or email [email protected].
