November 2024

This year we’re seeing some great community-led fundraising initiatives come together and that’s exciting! 

Here’s a look at a few that are under way, or have already taken place. 

I - Honouring a legacy: BETT Clothing's fundraising initiative for Myeloma Canada  

Salina Bjarnason is on a passionate journey to honour her mother, who bravely battled multiple myeloma for 25 years. Salina keeps her mother’s spirit alive while uniting our community in support of those affected by myeloma. Diagnosed at 45, her mother underwent various treatments, including a bone marrow transplant and clinical trials, before facing multiple cancers.

After losing her in 2021, Salina launched BETT Clothing Company on Mother’s Day to commemorate her mother’s legacy. 

II - Hot news from SavageHot!

Congratulations to Susan and Megan Mcelwain, founders of SavageHot hot sauces, who in partnership with Wildly Delicious, have secured an agreement with Metro Inc. to sell their signature sauces through Metro Ontario grocery stores starting January 2025. Stay tuned for news on Quebec distribution!  

Susan developed SavageHot after being diagnosed with myeloma in 2016 (read her story here).

With tremendous generosity, a percentage of proceeds from every bottle sold will be donated to Myeloma Canada.

Not in Ontario? You can order your sauces online here.

Spice up your meals with SavageHot and support Myeloma Canada at the same time! 

III - A gem of a fundraiser honouring C. Tom Schlegel 

Lisa Elser’s husband Tom was diagnosed with myeloma in April 2014 and sadly passed away in February 2021. Since Tom’s passing, Lisa has been very active in medical advocacy and now serves as a board member on Myeloma Canada’s Board of Directors. 

Before Tom’s diagnosis, Lisa and Tom were able to follow their dreams and build a gemstone business that allowed them to travel, support causes they cared about, and work with beautiful stones.  

In her husband’s memory, Lisa organized an online raffle featuring a stunning 5.89ct rhodolite garnet, cut in Tom’s own “Baroness” design.

This unique gem, valued at $1,600 CAD, was sourced from rough stones they acquired in Tanzania in January 2020. 

Thanks to Lisa’s efforts, this sparkling fundraiser – held Nov 1-12, 2024 – raised $4,700 for Myeloma Canada.

Thank you, Lisa, for your glittering support! 

IV - The Défi Everest Challenge rose to new heights! 

On September 21, 2024, Pierre Laforest and a fantastic team of family and friends made history with the Défi Everest Challenge, raising over $100,000 for Myeloma Canada — a huge milestone!  

This inspiring day brought together 329 participants across more than 50 teams, to run a challenging circuit at Dieppe's Rotary Park (NB). Each 2km lap included a 27-metre climb, with teams racing against time to collectively conquer the height of Mount Everest—8,849 meters! 

Congratulations to everyone involved for making this awesome accomplishment possible, and for helping to raise awareness and critical funds for myeloma.

 You can still contribute to the Défi Everest Challenge by clicking here.