THUNDER BAY – Health News – ‘Handlebar’. ‘Toothbrush’. Or even the ‘Borat’. No matter the name of the moustache, it was grown in support of a great cause. Thirty-three members of the Thunder Bay Police Association took on the challenge of growing a ‘stache throughout the month of November, all in support of the Northern Cancer Fund of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation.
“Cancer touches us all in some way,” said police officer Rob Miller. “Our force is a pretty close-knit family and we’ve known several people who have passed away from cancer and several who are fighting it right now. This is our way of showing them and others in the community how much we care.”
On November 28, both Miller and fellow officer Greg Stephenson were on hand to present a cheque for $1000 from the Thunder Bay Police Association to support ongoing cancer treatment and research for prostate cancer.
Dr. Kevin Ramchandar, Radiation Oncologist, Regional Cancer Care Northwest, who was also taking part in the November cause, gratefully accepted the donation. “Donations like this from our community are integral to our cancer program here in Northwestern Ontario. They ensure that we have the leading-edge equipment, like linear accelerators, that we need to treat patients with prostate cancer.”
It’s not the first time that the Thunder Bay Police Association has directed their support to the Northern Cancer Fund – this past summer, they also donated the proceeds from their Golf Tournament.
“As police officers, we have an obligation to protect our community, and we do that in many ways,” said Stephenson. “Ensuring that our community has world-class healthcare is one more way that we can ensure residents are protected.”
“The Thunder Bay Police Association has shown great leadership in advancing healthcare for our whole community,” said Dan Bissonnette, Senior Development Officer, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “We’re very grateful to the thirty-three members who took it upon themselves to grow moustaches this November to continue to make hope possible for cancer patients here in Northwestern Ontario.”
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