Cancer Foundation lottery funds patient assistance program

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on July 29, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Alberta Cancer Foundation has launched their 23rd annual Cash and Cars Lottery to support the 17 cancer centres across the province with over 1900 prizes to be won.

“Over the last 22 years the lottery has raised $37 million in support to Albertans facing cancer including $2.2 million last year, and we’re hoping to reach that goal again,” said Ryan Campbell, director of corporate relations at the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

He said the funds raised through the lottery helps Albertans dealing with a cancer diagnosis go through it with less worry in their minds, and one of the many ways the foundation helps them is through their patient financial assistance program.

Campbell said that a lot of people understand the medical implication of a cancer diagnosis, but not everybody thinks about the financial implications.

“People might have to take time off work. If they are from a place like Lethbridge where they might have to go to Calgary to get the treatment that they need, that costs gas, hotels and we don’t want people worrying about their bills when they should be focusing on healing,” said Campbell.

He explained that the program is designed to reimburse those patients for the expenses acquired from being able to access treatment, so they can concentrate on treatment rather than stressing about their bills.

Campbell said that in order to raise those funds, through the lottery they are giving away over 1900 prizes worth more than $3.6 million including two grand prize dream homes, one in Calgary and one in Edmonton.

A release from the Alberta Cancer Foundation shares the fact that the lottery’s impact has been felt by brain cancer survivor Scott Gammer, who was first diagnosed in 2014 but remained positive, in part due to the support he received from Alberta Cancer Foundation donors.

“Before the cancer diagnosis, I was working all the time and not really noticing the stars, sunsets, sunrises and the beautiful things all around me, including my kids, my wife, and trying to make memories with them. I know my longevity has been impacted, but I’ll tell you, the impact that it has made on my life has been way more valuable than if I had never got cancer,” said Gammer in the release.

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