Standing out

Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/06/2023 (850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cancer is a disease that touches everyone in some way, and it can often leave people feeling very helpless.

However, there are many different ways to donate to, fundraise for or cause a stir about the need of cancer research, and they doen’t always have to be bleak. Sometimes, what you do to help can even be fun.

Lemonade Stands for Hope is a province-wide fundraising program of CancerCare Manitoba. The program encourages people of all ages, from far and wide, to pick up a free lemonade-stand starter kit at the CancerCare Manitoba home base (825 Sherbrook St.) and set up their own, personalized stands at home to raise funds to support those who have been affected by cancer.

CancerCare Manitoba is encouraging people to set up stands and sell lemonade on the the weekend of July 14-17, but those interested are welcome to participate anytime over the summer, depending on what suits them.

“We always say, ‘give your passion a purpose,’” said Sherelle Kwan, manager of community events at CancerCare Manitoba, a job she describes as “the fun stuff.”

The mantra was the inspiration behind the lemonade stand concept that CancerCare came up with a couple years ago.

“We thought that, well — if we could provide a little kit, maybe that would encourage people to get out there and do a little fundraising,” Kwan said.

The first year was overwhelmingly successful, with over 100 stands set up and spread across Manitoba.

Kwan was also surprised by the broad age range of those who too part. She said they expected interest from a younger demographic, but were pleased with how many adults were stopping by to pick up kits for their own stands.

There was also lots of creativity present in the the displays. Some families even brought their stands out to the cabin with them to cover more ground.

“It really put the ‘fun’ in fundraising,” said Kwan, who said that 2023 is just the second year CancerCare has been able to run the Lemonade Stands for Hope campaign, owing to the pandemic.

Kwan said that, as a parent herself, she understands the importance of teaching kids that giving and devoting time to community work can be a genuinely good time.

“It’s an opportunity to do something when you feel somewhat helpless,” Kwan said. “Time and time again, we hear ‘Oh, we’re fundraising for our grandma, our dad, our brother, our cousin, or our friends our neighbours.’

“These types of fundraisers really provide a way for people to show how much they care and how much they want to do something when people are touched by cancer.”

Free kits are available for pick-up, and are limited to one per family. More information can be found at cancercarefdn.mb.ca

All proceeds collected from Lemonade Stands for Hope go to the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.