Derby raises funds for children with cancer

BY MARIE LITALIEN

Azilda's Whitewater Lake was the place to be on Saturday as 65 teams of anglers let their lines drop, hoping to snag the biggest pike.

The Northern Ontario Families of Children With Cancer (NOFCC) hosted the pike derby and raised more than $17,000 for their organization.

Father and son team Jim and Jason Patry's eight hours of fishing paid off as they accepted the grand prize cheque of $5,000 at the Club D'accueil D'or in Azilda for the highest overall score - calculated from the number of fish caught and their sizes. The second place cheque, of more than $1,000, went to Louise and Jacques Carré of Sturgeon Falls, who caught the biggest fish.

Many more prizes were given out, including barbecues and sporting equipment. A 50/50 draw and raffle for a GPS system, as well as pizza and beer, were waiting for participants as they came off the lake after a long, humid day of fishing.

Registration for the derby was $200 per boat for a team of two, with proceeds going to the NOFCC.

The fish were measured and weighed by derby officials on the lake and then released back into the water.

Ernie Boeswald, co-ordinator of the derby and board member of the NOFCC, said the success of the pike derby is due mainly to one thing, community support.

"We are a privately funded organization," said Boeswald, who lost his 10-year-old daughter, Reniessa, to cancer.

Donations from places such as Pizza Hut and the Club Accueil Age d'Or, helped with the expenses of putting on the pike derby, therefore raising the profits for the NOFCC, he added.

At least two mothers who use the services of the NOFCC attended the event to support the organization that has helped them throughout their childrens' battles with cancer.

Melanie Moreira's two-year-old daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, at the age of one.

In 2002, Shannon Primeau's son Jordan, was diagnosed with leukemia and in January 2006, he relapsed. 

Both mothers emphasized the incredible amount of support and assistance they received from the NOFCC.

The NOFCC provides families like these with services such as parking, phone, food, gas and taxi funds while they are away with their sick child for treatment. The organization also offers support, advocacy and education to families of children with cancer.

Throughout Ontario this weekend, license free fishing was in effect, which meant that participants without a permit could still enter the derby.