The value of one, the power of many.
Happy National Volunteer Week! We welcome the opportunity to shine a spotlight on just a few of the dedicated and tireless volunteers who commit countless hours of service to Bladder Cancer Canada (BCC). This year’s theme is The Value of One, The Power of Many, and according to Volunteer Canada, “reflects on the awe-inspiring acts of kindness by millions of individuals AND the magic that happens when we work together towards a common purpose.”

The pandemic has created a world in which social distancing and isolation have become critical for the safety and wellbeing of people around the world. However, these restrictions have not stopped our passionate community of volunteers from continuing to help BCC to provide much-needed support for new and existing patients, and to raise awareness for those not yet diagnosed.

Please join us in celebrating our volunteers as we highlight a few examples of their contributions throughout this newsletter.

If your bladder cancer journey has been positively impacted by a BCC volunteer, we invite you to recognize their efforts by sharing your experience on social media –  be sure to tag us and/or use #VolunteersBringChange and #bladdercancer. You can also send us an email at info@bladdercancercanada.org.
Ongoing strong governance through a committed Board of Directors 
Many thanks to Ferg Devins, board chair for BCC, for this inspirational message as he kicked things off for us during National Volunteer Week.
BCC is led by a Board of Directors comprised of a volunteer group of bladder cancer patients, caregivers and skilled professionals from across Canada.  The Board is responsible for governing the activities of the organization, overseeing the budget, strategic planning and goal setting. This dynamic team collaborates to fulfill the mission and vision of BCC – the only Canadian patient advocacy organization dedicated to bladder cancer issues.

The challenges arising from the pandemic over the past year have been significant, unprecedented, and unrelenting – as has been the case for all people and organizations around the world. But ensuring the sustainability of a charity, and one that supports cancer patients who are particularly vulnerable, has presented a range of unique and demanding tests of perseverance, collaboration, and open-mindedness. We admire the way these devoted volunteers have risen to the occasion, and we are grateful for their commitment and expertise – it’s thanks to them that we can look forward to realizing our vision to create a world where bladder cancer is just a memory. 
BCC volunteers pivot to virtual meetings
Over the past year, we’ve witnessed the dedication and adaptability of our volunteer team, as they’ve reimagined their roles in support of our mission throughout these turbulent times.  As expected, our One2One Peer Support Volunteers rose to the occasion as we saw a spike in requests for support in the early days of the pandemic, but we worried that our Support Groups may not be as viable.

It was only due to the perseverance and passion of a group of committed Support Group Facilitators that we were able to continue offering Support Group Meetings in a virtual format – an important alternative for those who crave a sense of community during these isolating times. Certainly, there have been kinks along the way, and more support required to help patients and caregivers to access video conferencing technology, but in the end, the efforts of these volunteers resulted in a successful new means of support for the community we serve. Not only do members find the virtual format convenient, but these groups are now more accessible for those who previously could not attend in-person meetings due to their remote locations. 

Special thanks to the following Support Group Facilitators for their on-going commitment throughout the pandemic:

·      Alex Huang – Hamilton
·      Bette Thom (and her team of co-facilitators) – Edmonton
·      Joe Aiga* and Keith Bell – Vancouver
·      Kit Schindell – National (meetings held as needed)
·      Snookie Lomow – Ottawa

*Not pictured is Joe Aiga – one of our Support Group Facilitators in British Columbia – but his efforts and commitment are equally appreciated and valued. 
Make an impact in your community - become a virtual walk coordinator
If you live in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Kingston, Hamilton or St. John's NFLD, and you’re seeking a volunteer opportunity to network in your community, to support local fundraisers and volunteers, and to collaborate with a dynamic national team, then consider joining our team as a Virtual Walk Coordinator. The Bladder Cancer Canada Awareness Walk (#BCCWalk) takes place in communities across Canada every September. Funds generated from the annual event account for about 60% of BCC's annual revenue, so it’s critical to the organization’s sustainability. This year’s walk will take place virtually across the country, and the BCC team is cooking up some fun new ways to get involved. Contact us at info@bladdercancercanada.org or 1-866-674-8889 for more details.
Helping to improve on the delivery of our programs to Francophone communities across Canada
For the past 34 years, Dr. Alain Bergeron has been involved in translational and applied research in bladder cancer and, more recently, in prostate cancer.  He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Surgery at Université Laval and Associated Researcher in the Oncology Research Centre at the CHU de Québec - Université Laval.

In addition to his dedicated and passionate work in the area of research, Dr. Bergeron began volunteering for BCC three years ago. He has been instrumental in engaging the French community in areas of Quebec, specifically Quebec City, where he has helped co-ordinate our awareness walk for three years. For the past year, he has been an active member on BCC’s social media committee, working tirelessly to curate content and engage followers. Through his efforts, our Quebec Facebook page has seen an increase of 44%. Most recently, Dr. Bergeron participated in a focus group to provide input on BCC's current bilingual strategies, and to identify opportunities for improvement to better serve and represent Francophone communities across Canada.

We are so grateful for the commitment of Dr. Bergeron to our bladder cancer community - in everything we do, from patient support, to increased awareness and much needed research. 

If you are bilingual (French/English) and have an interest in helping BCC to develop our Francophone presence across the country, we would love to hear from you. Please send us an email at info@bladdercancercanada.org or by phone at 1-866-674-8889.
A driving force in BCC's social media community
Shiluk Fernando has been a dedicated volunteer with BCC for over a year, coming to the organization as a Marketing and Social Media Strategist, with over 20 years of experience working with recognizable brands like Barbie and Fisher Price. In his role within the organization, Shiluk has gone above and beyond to provide communications and awareness support. He has been a driving force on BCC’s Social Media Committee, mentoring a team of 8 volunteers, developing and executing content strategy guides and spearheading the Where’s Mel campaign across Canada. The idea for this campaign, designed to showcase and celebrate the diversity of our volunteers across Canada, came to Shiluk while volunteering his time in last year’s promotional walk video, in which he dressed up as Mel in the lemon costume. 

Shiluk is currently a member on BCC’s volunteer Awareness and Communications committee and is vital in helping to increase awareness across Canada to the 12,000 Canadians that will be diagnosed with bladder cancer this year. Shiluk is pleased to be able to utilize his extensive marketing background in creative, philanthropic ways to support non-profits like Bladder Cancer Canada, as well as small businesses that may be struggling during the pandemic. We are grateful for his support to our organization, on behalf of the 80,000 Canadians that we know are living with a bladder cancer diagnosis.
Versatile volunteers with a can-do attitude
Jacques Spilka has been volunteering with BCC for nearly a decade, and has worn many hats along the way – from Support Group Facilitator to Peer Support Volunteer, and everything in between.  These days, he’s been busy assisting BCC’s staff team with a variety of administrative and operational activities to support our Francophone community.  He emceed a French webinar, helped with minor translations, and he continues to handle French inquiries that come in via our main email and phone lines. Versatile volunteers with a can-do attitude like Jacques’ are instrumental to the daily functioning of our organization, enabling us to allocate more donations directly to our mission to fund research, support patients and increase awareness of bladder cancer.
Doctors sharing leadership, clinical and research expertise
Dr. Peter Black is a Urologic Oncologist at Vancouver General Hospital, a Research Scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, and a Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC). 
 
Dr. Black is a steadfast supporter of Bladder Cancer Canada (BCC) and is a longstanding member of our Medical Advisory and Research Boards. As the current Chair of both Boards, Dr. Black shares his leadership, clinical and research expertise, along with over 30 multi-disciplinary specialists in medical and radiation oncology, urology and other specialty areas from across Canada, not only to advise on evolving scientific and medical matters but to also raise awaress and facilitate BCC support opportunities for patients.
You may recognize Dr. Black from this photo of him and his family at our virtual awareness walk last year, or from his recent video presentation that he did for BCC’s online support group in British Columbia, on COVID-19 in 2021: Focus on Vaccine in bladder cancer patients, which is also posted on our website and our YouTube channel.
Dr. Black, along with his colleagues across Canada, including BCC’s Medical Advisory and Research Boards, is just one of many examples of “the value of one, the power of many”  and we are so grateful on behalf of our bladder cancer community for his tireless efforts in supporting us all!
An opportunity to explore joining our board of directors
As a survivor and volunteer Chairman of the BCC Board of Directors, I am constantly moved by the devotion and commitment of my fellow board members. It is truly an inspiring team of volunteers, dedicated to working towards a world where bladder cancer is just a memory.

To ensure that we have a strong succession plan for our board, I would encourage anyone who might be interested in learning more about our board to contact me personally for a follow up discussion.
We would certainly like to enhance our board with greater French language membership, as well as representation from the west coast, central prairies, far north and Atlantic. We value diversity and inclusivity and are looking for broader representation on our board e.g. age ranges, racial and ethnic diversity, various backgrounds, with or without a [bladder] cancer experience. 

Our current provincial representation includes members from Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta. 
If you are interested in possibly joining our board of directors, please reach out to me at fergd@bladdercancercanada.org. I would love to have that conversation with you.

- Ferg Devins, Chair, Bladder Cancer Canada Board of Directors
Many thanks to our latest fundraisers!
Many thanks to our friends and supporters who recently held personal fundraisers for anniversaries, birthdays and other important life events to support BCC and the work we do.
 
Shout-outs go to Émilie and Simon. We so appreciate all that you’ve done! 

Be recognized! Visit our website here to learn how to host your own fundraiser.
Follow us online
Please join us on social media where we’ll be sharing updates and photos from our bladder cancer community. These social media sites are a great resource for patients, survivors and caregivers.

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