HAVE A CUP OF JOE WITH JOE – The 2024 Grow On Windsor Campaign
Throughout the month of November — aka Movember throughout many parts of the world — an annual community campaign takes place in our region known as the Grow On Windsor Campaign.
Brave and selfless men grow a moustache and/or beard, and women step up to support them, all to raise awareness and funds for men’s health for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and other male specific diseases. It is a signature campaign of the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation (WindsorCancerFoundation.org) and was first launched in 2014. The campaign supported the purchase of the multi-million dollar DaVinci Surgical Assisting Robot, a groundbreaking tool used to perform robotic assisted, minimally invasive surgery for local cancer patients. “Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto” (lyrics in the 1983 Styx song)!
The Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation (WCCF) is the official fundraising arm for the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre (WRCC), fulfilling requests of the Windsor Regional Cancer Program for such things as the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, patient initiatives — such as the Patient Assistance Fund — and Seeds4Hope, which supports excellent local cancer research. And 100% of funds raised stay local, ensuring the Cancer Program remains one of the leading programs in Ontario!
Hospital foundations play a vital role in bridging the funding gaps the provincial government does not cover for medical care. Through donations and annual fundraising events and campaigns, foundations
provide a steady source of funds, which hospitals can rely on for ongoing and future projects.
Brandy Coulsey, WCCF Marketing and Communications Manager explains it this way: “For example, a chair is provided by the province for a cancer patient as they receive hours of chemotherapy, but the foundation improves the experience by upgrading it to a more comfortable reclining chair — and one for the patient’s family member or friend who stays with the patient throughout the treatment.”
The 2024 Grow On Windsor campaign was launched on October 7 at the Ambassador Golf Club before a packed house of media and civic leaders, along with staff members from WRCC and Windsor Regional Hospital. Those in attendance listened to some compelling stories of personal cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival, from Jim Durling, Jill Laframboise and Gemma Badalamenti, three of the five 2024 Ambassadors for the campaign — supported by their fellow ambassadors George Gidden and Rod Mazza — and their families and friends. (Refer to: WindsorCancerFoundation.org/grow-on-windsor to read their personal experiences about the world class care and treatment they received close to home).
For 2024, the WCCF’s Grow On Windsor campaign is raising funds to support the purchase of the DaVinci Xi Surgical Robot, as well as other vital lifesaving equipment.
Thanks to tremendous community partnerships and generous contributions, the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation has already secured $1.6 million to start this year’s campaign to raise $2.7 million.
Generous supporters include Lisa and Brian Schwab, The Scott Family Foundation, Ground Effects Ltd., The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation, The Toldo Foundation, Barry & Stephanie Zekelman Foundation, and Polonia Centre (Windsor) Inc. The DaVinci Xi Surgical Robot is setting the standard as the most widely used multiport robotic surgical system in the world. This medical marvel extends the capabilities of a surgeon’s eyes by delivering 3D-High-Definition views, magnified by 10 times what the
human eye can see.
The robot also extends the capabilities of a surgeon’s hands, using only tiny instruments inside the patient that are controlled by the surgeon adjacent to the operating table.
The foundation is calling upon our community to “Team Up For Grow On Windsor” and help raise the balance of $1.1 million in support of the purchase of this robot and other vital lifesaving equipment for cancer patients in Windsor and Essex County.
Addressing the full house of community leaders at the kick off, Houida Kassem, WCCF Executive Director stated: “Our mission goes beyond raising funds; it’s about providing hope. It’s about ensuring that every cancer patient has access to the innovative technology and treatments close to home. This collaborative effort exemplifies what we can achieve when we work together for a shared purpose.”
So join a team, create your own or make a donation on: GrowOnWindsor.com. (Note: Donations are accepted beyond the month of November for anyone wishing to participate). Let’s all do our part to
help reach their fundraising goal!
