Nov 05, 2009


Etta Cerisano, Joanne Franke and Anita Alton at the Sydehman fundraiser for the new Gilda's Club of Southeastern Ontario

Keeping in the spirit of the late Gilda Radner, the comedian of Saturday Night Live fame who succumbed to ovarian cancer at the age of 42, Anita Alton and Etta Cerasino of Sydenham joined forces once again to organize the 3rd annual Hallowe’en Benefit Dance, a third party fundraiser benefiting the newly formed Gilda’s Club of South Eastern Ontario.

Since 1991, 21 Gilda’s Clubs have been established all over Canada and the United States, providing emotional and social support for 50,000 cancer patients, their friends and families free of charge.

The new centre is one of nine that is still in the preliminary developmental stages and it will serve a population of roughly 480,000, in the west from Peterborough and Cobourg, east to Perth, Smiths Falls to Brockville, Cornwall and south to Lake Ontario.

In attendance at the Friday night fundraiser was Sydenham resident Joanne Franke, founder and president of the new Gilda’s Club of South Eastern Ontario.

She explained exactly what Gilda’s Clubs are: “They are not research or treatment centres, nor hospices but rather social and emotional support communities open to anyone and everyone affected by cancer.’

Franke took on the task of establishing a Gilda’s Club in November 2005 when a close friend of hers was diagnosed with cancer. Franke, who had teenagers of her own at that time, watched as her friend’s teenage children began to flounder and realized that there were no resources around to help.

Franke recalled, “It soon struck me that the troubles they were having were being experienced by countless others. I started looking into different organizations available and saw that what my friend and her kids needed was not available. Then I found out about the Gilda’s Clubs and realized that we need one of these here.”

While the task has been a time-consuming and all-encompassing one, Franke and her six-member board, plus a number of committed volunteers, have made significant headway towards making the new club a reality.

The club’s office moved from Franke’s home to 774C Baker Crescent in downtown Kingston and it received a $50,000 advertising pledge from Corus Entertainment.

Soon club volunteers will be servicing the canteen at the K-Rock Centre in Kingston and acquiring some of those proceeds. There have been many other important firsts this year for the club, including a number of cheque presentations from various groups including a "Gildathon" presented by Corus Entertainment, a feature article in Kingston Life, a first Gilda’s Golf tournament, and countless other first time workplace fundraisers.

All proceeds raised from the Hallowe’en event in Sydenham are being directed towards the purchase of a permanent home that will house the club, which Franke says they are hoping to locate close to the Cancer Centre of South Eastern Ontario at KGH.

According to Franke, “Right now we are in the process of screening people to head up that capital campaign which we anticipate will be launched in the spring. We‘d love to see something concrete open and running within two years of that launch date.“

The clubhouse will be very home-like and relaxed, and equipped with kitchen facilities, a library and resource centre. There will be spaces reserved for administration, exercising, and arts and crafts projects. A “noogieland” (a play area for younger children) and a teen area will also be incorporated.

Franke has visited Gilda Clubs in Toronto, Buffalo, Dallas, and Palm Springs to get ideas and to learn what works best.

Most importantly, the club will house professionally administered programs geared to members of all ages, programs designed specifically for children, teens, and adults who have been touched by the disease, and programs for cancer survivors.

Other more specific programs include “wellness sessions” where members can talk about their personal journeys, bereavement support, social events such as potlucks and karaoke nights, symposiums, and a guest speakers series that will include oncologists, pharmacists and nutritionists.

There will be an arts and crafts component to the program and a “team convene“ program where members can meet with their own personal support group to set up a specific timetable to assist them through their treatments.

Franke says that the programs address the “here and now issues” that face those touched by cancer, which she stresses will likely be every single person in the catchement area. For more information about the club and related events, please visit www.gildasclubsoutheasternontario.org

 

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.