Run Cancelled In Vernon; Society Closing Office

The Canadian Cancer Society has cancelled this year’s Run For The Cure in Vernon.

Last fall’s event at Marshall Field drew about 300 people and raised about 20-thousand dollars for breast cancer research and awareness.

Maya Gardiner, senior manager of volunteer and community engagement for the society’s BC-Yukon division, says the numbers were simply too low.

“When the assessment was done (by society and CIBC), the Vernon site wasn’t coming across with the right amount of  engagement for it to go, so we deactivated the site for this year.”

It could return in future years, but for this fall, Gardiner says supporters have a few other options.

“They can go to (the event in) Kelowna, and there is also an online program called ‘My Run Anywhere Anyway,’ and then you can do through the whole process sort of virtually.”

The Cancer Society also will be closing its Vernon office in the People Place Sept. 15 in an unrelated decision.

“The two are completely unconnected. The two decisions were made separately, and because Run For the Cure is the CIBC Run for the Cure, those decisions are made in partnership with CIBC as well,” adds Gardiner.

“The Vernon office is closing because we are finding that most people are assessing our support services and our fundraising activities from a distance, and our bricks and mortar offices, we’ve been assessing those based on wanting to make sure we’re not spending on administrative costs where we don’t have to be.”

Gardiner says people need to know the society is still there to provide services and support in Vernon.

“They can still fundraise through third party events, We still will have the Daffodil campaign in Vernon. We have a lot of successes around advocacy and research. This just means more money for the mission.”