As host of the sixth annual Fishing for a Cure in Memory of Noah event, Sudburian Shawn Scott proves you don't need much to do the right thing - just a nice piece of ice, a drill and a supportive community.
Scott said he had never hosted a fundraiser before the inaugural Fishing for a Cure event in 2014, but was inspired to do so after hearing of a local boy's diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. Noah Borgogelli, 4, passed away from cancer last year, but his memory continues to inspire the event as well as its new beneficiary, Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer (NOFCC).
The NOFCC is a charitable organization designed to provide hope, support, advocacy and education to families who have a child with cancer. Through sponsorship and community support, Scott said his summer and winter fishing derbies have raised over $40,000 for the NOFCC.
More than 100 community members participated in Saturday's event, including Miners for Cancer co-founder Wayne Tonelli and two of its executives, Denis Deforges and Yijing Sun. Founded in 1996 by Tonelli and the late Alan Epps, Miners for Cancer is a charitable organization which has raised over $1.3 million for the Northeast Cancer Centre since its inception.
Tonelli said that Miners for Cancer has attended the Fishing for a Cure derby since its inception and plans to continue in years to come, because in addition to being a great winter activity, it is an opportunity to support "another great charity".
For the cost of $40, participants were given the choice of drilling their own hole or having one drilled for them; with first, second and third prizes available for a variety of species. Once awards had been distributed, the remaining prizes were raffled off to participants.
While Scott said the "biggest support is the community coming out and taking part in the event," the derby's success is due in part to its dedicated sponsors. Moxy's Bait and Tackle for instance, volunteered their time to assist in the event, in addition to providing bait for the first 100 competitors.
Scott said he looks forward to hosting the event in following years, so as to support more Sudbury families in their fight against cancer and provide a legacy for his own small children.
To find out more about Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer or to show your support, visit them online at nofcc.ca.
