The third, annual Stronger Than Cancer fundraiser takes to the bleachers at the basketball court in MacNeill secondary next Monday.
Started in 2014 by MacNeill food and nutrition teacher Lauren Valiquette — after the loss to cancer that summer of her father, Jessy Belonio — the awareness event is timed to coincide with the school’s basketball season home-openers.
Valiquette teamed up two years ago with her friend and senior boys basketball coach Steward Siy, who, himself, has felt the touch of cancer’s cold hand with the loss of his wife last year.
Understandably, the fundraiser holds a special place in the hearts of both Valiquette and Siy.
And they’re now gearing up for the third Stronger Than Cancer event on Nov. 28 and have hopes of beating last year’s $2,000 fundraising total, with a banquet of food supplied by the local Filipino community, t-shirts for sale and donations from spectators at the home-openers.
“I felt like we could raise more awareness of cancer at the school — we only had the Terry Fox Run,” said Valiquette of her initial motivation to organize the event.
“When the senior basketball program is about to start, the whole school gets behind it and turns out to watch.
“So, I thought this was a great opportunity to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. The home openers are big events at the school.”
The MacNeill secondary basketball home-openers are open to the public and donations upon admission will give people a chance to win gift basket prizes.
The first game starts at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 28, with the last tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
All funds raised go to the BC Cancer Foundation.
