The Parade of Choirs 2012 will help to raise funds for a new digital mammography unit for Cariboo Memorial Hospital and help the Hough Memorial Cancer Society to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.
Since being registered as a society in 1972, Hough Memorial’s sole purpose has been to raise funds to purchase cancer detection equipment for Cariboo Memorial Hospital.
During the past few years, vice-president Jim Fraser says the Parade of Choirs has been the society’s primary fundraiser.
“Last year we were excited that the Parade of Choirs raised $2,500 all by donation,” Fraser says. “It is usually a packed house so we are hoping we can do equally well this year.”
The Parade of Choirs takes place at Cariboo Bethel Church on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. The choirs featured include Eclectica from 100 Mile House, Cariboo Senior’s Choir, Angelkeys Children’s Choir, Quintet Plus, Willow, and the Cariboo Men’s Choir. Admission is by donation.
This year he says Hough Memorial is joining forces with the Cariboo Foundation Hospital Trust to help raise the $700,000 needed to purchase a new digital mammography unit for the hospital. The Cariboo Regional Hospital District is contributing the remaining $300,000.
So far about $200,000 has been raised for the unit, “so we will need a lot of help for a while,” Fraser says.
Fraser says the new digital mammography unit is so advanced that it can detect a cancer the size of a pin head in younger women where breast cancer is harder to detect.
Between 2,500 and 2,700 women have mammography examinations each year in Williams Lake.
“With the new machine they will be able to detect cancer immediately,” Fraser says.
At the same time he says Hough Memorial is also trying to keep up with replacing all of the scopes at the hospital as they need replacing.
“It’s a bit of a struggle but a necessary one,” Fraser says.
He says that in celebrating its 40th anniversary year, the Hough Memorial Cancer Society could also use a few new board members so that some of the middle aged members who have been at it for a while can retire.