Lions Golf Tournament helps campers and cancer victims

Fernande (Fern) Jean- Haying in the ’30s Director and Lions President Tina Gougeon.

by Lucie Roy

The Lions Club of Morinville held their annual Lucien Beaupre Golf Tournament in July with proceeds to Camp He Ho Ha and Haying in the ’30s Cancer Support Society.

Cheque presentations of $1300 to each organization was made at the regular Lions Club of Morinville meeting this week by President Tina Gougeon on behalf of the club.

Haying in the ’30s Cancer Support Society, out of Mallaig, Alberta is a voluntary Non-Profit Society formed to provide financial assistance to those being treated for cancer and undergoing treatment with costs such as transportation, fuel and lodging.

Haying in the ’30s Cancer Support Society Director Fernande (Fern) Jean said, “The money will go to somebody who will really need it. At the present time, we are helping out 35 cancer victims per month. Unfortunately, we are putting on the back burner or rejecting 40-50 every month. That is hard to do but unfortunately, we don’t have the funds to help that many victims every month. This {cheque} is very much appreciated”

Their annual huge fundraiser is the long weekend in August.

Camp He Ho Ha Greg Nielsen and Lions President Tina Gougeon.

Camp He Ho Ha- Camp Health, Hope and Happiness

Since 1960 Camp He Ho Ha on Lake Isle, approx 82 km from Edmonton and within Ste Anne County provides safe recreational opportunities to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities.

Greg Nielsen and Kelly French of Camp He Ho Ha were on hand for their cheque presentation.
Nielsen said they “ran the summer programs this year with 730 campers from across Alberta, the majority from Central Alberta, Edmonton and surrounding area. They all came to spend six days. We had a great summer.”

He said they had many great comments from their staff and from the campers this year about the quality of the experience they had.

“I want to thank the group of people in this room and the rest of the members who are not here, for their continued belief of the services we are providing Albertans with disabilities.

Nielsen said these programs are important to Albertans because a lot of the campers come from homes that are on social assistance, they do not have lots of funds and for a lot of them this is the only opportunity to have any kind of a vacation and so look forward to it.

For the caregivers, it is a break for them to have some respite and some parents will take the opportunity to go on a vacation. it is a break they would not get otherwise, so it is important.
They are not only impacting 730 campers but the community that they impact, it is much greater than that for family members, to caregivers and to people that are involved with these campers.
Next year they are celebrating 60 years in the province of providing these programs for campers with special needs with an Open House in June.