Canadians recently came together to celebrate the Tragically Hip: A National Celebration! Fans gathered for the love of the iconic band but also to raise critically needed funds for brain cancer research. Participating venues, including the Royal Theatre and the Arlington Bar & Grill in Trail, the Element Club Bar & Grill in Castlegar, the Civic Theatre and Mike’s Place Pub in Nelson and Clyde’s Pub in Grand Forks, broadcasted the concert that was live from the band’s hometown of Kingston, Ont., on Aug. 20th.

The Canadian Cancer Society was welcomed into participating venues across the country, to ask for voluntary donations to the newly established Brain Cancer Research Fund in Honour of Gord Downie. Together, West Kootenay Boundary communities raised desperately needed funds toward the national campaign, which is still being tallied across the country but was well received locally with $5,000 total raised. Alongside, a text to give push garnered $8,705 nationally in donations on Saturday night – the program since its inception July 1st has raised $12,055 and continues to be live until September 1st. Donors can still text the word FIGHT to 20222 and choose to donate $10, $20 or $25, or give via cancer.ca/brainresearch or by calling 1-800-268-8874.

Without the support of venues and also Canadians who gave, the Society’s effort would not have been possible, and the message to tens of thousands of people would not have been heard. Because of Gord Downie’s very public confession of Glioblastoma, a cruel and incurable brain cancer, it has become a national topic of conversation. The Hip campaign was an exciting opportunity for the Society and is just one example of the many revenue development initiatives managed and supported by the Society’s staff and amazing volunteers.

The Canadian Cancer Society is a volunteer organization that strives to eradicate cancer and support individuals in their fight against cancer. The office located in Trail serves the West Kootenay Boundary as a landing pad for connecting locals with services such as financial support for those traveling for treatment or wigs for those undergoing chemotherapy. The office also works to raise funds for such support services, cancer research, and prevention education through community events such as the Daffodil Dash and Relay For Life and other means of revenue development like the Daffodil campaign.

Here’s a look at support statistics for the Southern Interior for 2015/16:
– Cancer Information Service Inquiries: 775
– CancerConnection matches: 112
– Camp Goodtimes participants: 42
– Financial Support clients: 210 (Note: the CCS provides the most financial assistance to residents in the Southern Interior. The next highest is the North with 118 clients.)
– Lodge: 1,352 clients

The Canadian Cancer Society values the Trail and District Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber connects like-minded business professionals and organizations that share a common goal of serving its communities and providing a service to residents.

To follow the local office, check out its Facebook page.

Dr. Brenda Gill is a speaker, writer and female natural medicine doctor. With over 20 years of experience, she focuses on solving health issues rather than providing a band-aid solution. She became interested in naturopathic medicine after she witnessed her father’s treatment for colon cancer and felt there must be better way. Brenda then made the huge leap from teaching high school to being a student herself. After graduating, she wanted to live in an area that was vibrant, had small town caring & involvement and access to outdoor activities… so Rossland it was!

Dr. Brenda’s amazing ability to connect ALL the pieces of information that make up a person’s unique situation is the key to getting clients to feel the way they want to feel. People describe Dr. Brenda as a smart cookie. She’s known for giving the best specific tools and strategies that work while coaching with compassion and understanding.  Her solutions have amazed clients at how quickly they turn around.

As a regular contributor to the Rossland Telegraph, the Trail Times, and the Nelson Daily, Dr. Brenda is always looking for interesting topics to feature in her articles or talk shows. Herself and her work have been featured in many health magazines such as HANS and have been aired on the station CJLY-FM. At a local college, she often teaches “How to” courses as well.

She’s been answering health questions for over 20 years, but her commitment is to accurately inform the public. She doesn’t just believe in giving fantastic solutions, she wants them to make educated decisions and take charge of their health. Dr. Brenda will do everything in her power to create a healthy, pro-active client that has the energy to take on the world!

Contact: Dr. Brenda Gill at drbgill@outlook.com, 250-362-5035 or getbetterhealthonline.com

Shoppers Drug Mart in Trail has been hosting their bi-annual Beauty Gala for over 10 years, with half their proceeds going towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC and Yukon division. The money is earmarked for the purchase of three digital mammography vans that travel to rural areas such as our own community.

The first Gala of the year is on Saturday, April 30th. With the purchase of a $10 ticket, you will receive a skin consultation and makeover. Sounds great right? Well, there’s more! After you attend your appointment, you will receive a $5 in-store coupon and the other half of the ticket price will be donated.

Linda Seib has been the store manager (and Associate Owner) of the Trail Shoppers Drug Mart since 2005. She belongs to the Chamber because she wants to support any group that looks out for the business community in Trail. She is proud to live, work and raise her family here, and she feels fortunate that to have a career that allowed her to come back to her hometown.