These Vancouver Island grocery stores are coming together to raise money for cancer patients

Shop for a good cause!

From Friday, February 28th to Thursday, March 20th, some of Vancouver Island’s grocery stores are once again coming together to raise money for cancer patients.

Participating grocery stores in the Grocers Go Beyond campaign include Red Barn Market, Country Grocer, Thrifty Foods, Fairway Market, and Tru Value Foods.

All of the above will be collaborating on a special fundraising campaign to support the BC Cancer Foundation, with all proceeds going toward the development of the new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo.

Now in its fourth year, this campaign focuses on raising funds through the sale of potted gerbera and cyclamen plants, and the net proceeds will go directly towards the new facility.

The BC Cancer – Nanaimo Centre will expand access to essential cancer care, bringing much-needed services closer to home for those living north of the Malahat. 

The facility will offer radiation therapy, PET/CT imaging, exam rooms, a CT simulator, and an ambulatory care unit. 

According to a media release, it’s set to complete 20,000 radiation treatment visits annually, drastically improving the experience for cancer patients in the region.

Plus, with an estimated 6,000 new cancer cases diagnosed annually in BC, nearly half of those cases are said to come from the Island’s northern regions. 

BC Cancer Foundation highlighted Joanne Falvai, a former patient of BC Cancer, who is all too familiar with this struggle. 

Falvai was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020, and her treatment required her to travel from her family home in Qualicum Beach to Victoria for care. 

Had a facility like the BC Cancer – Nanaimo Centre been available, it would have significantly lessened the emotional and logistical burden on both her and her family.

She is one of the many that highlight the importance of initiatives like Grocers Go Beyond.

If you would like to participate, you can purchase yourself a potted gerbera or cyclamen at the participating stores, or by donating on the BC Cancer Foundation’s website. 

Let’s all come together to make cancer care more accessible for our Vancouver Island community!