Over the past couple of days we have spent a lot of time talking about the End2End fundraiser, but not that much about where the funds go.
The Island Kids Cancer Association is a small frontline charity that works directly with Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands families hit by childhood cancer. Founded in 2017 by Susan Kerr — who lost her own son, Jacob, to the disease — it is made up of people with an intimate knowledge of the struggles such families face.
The End2End effort will help IKCA provide support and connection through every phase of a family’s cancer journey, Kerr says. It will mean more access to the essentials – things like mental health care, gas cards for families driving to far-off hospitals for treatment, food in the fridge for people who often have to give up their jobs to care for their children in far-off hospitals.
Then there are the challenges families face post-treatment. A childhood cancer journey can be more complicated, and costly, than many realize. Cancer treatments themselves can cause other long-term health issues that require dental procedures and surgeries, adding more bills to families already struggling with reduced incomes and extra expenses. IKCA helps them deal with the fallout, providing families with financial and other forms of help. But IKCA itself needs money to provide such aid.
That’s where End2End comes in. That’s why our nine riders spent the past two days gutting their way up and down the island. That’s why their friends and neighbours supported the cause. Like our motto says: Islanders helping Islanders.