Heart & Stroke celebrating 60 years of door-to-door fundraising; volunteers needed

London Community News

Next year marks the 60th anniversary for the local Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Person to Person Campaign. It’s the organization’s oldest and most successful community fundraiser and organizers are actively recruiting neighbourhood volunteers to raise funds, increase awareness, and educate the community about the foundation. Door-to-door fundraising is acknowledged as the most rewarding community engagement program for volunteers and in generating donations, which continue to increase each year. In 2011, the local foundation raised $199,000 and in 2012, they raised more than $236,000. In February 2013, Heart Month, their goal is to break that record as they celebrate their 60-year milestone. More than 2,000 volunteers fill the roles of canvassers and captains, a leadership role to support canvassers. Canvassers spend approximately two to three hours, at their convenience, during the month of February. Organizers say the campaign is a good way to meet neighbours and can help teenagers gain volunteer hours needed to achieve their secondary school diploma. “In 2013 we’re celebrating 60 years of leading the way to better cardiovascular health for Canadians through research, health promotion, and advocacy,” said Mary Lou Crowley, senior area manager for London and area. “Hundreds of thousands of Canadians help us make a difference every year by fundraising, volunteering, and donating to our cause the foundation has funded the placement of 3,030 Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) in public places throughout Ontario, such as arenas and shopping malls, which have saved 41 lives.” Heart disease and stroke takes one in three Canadians before their time and is the number one killer of women — taking more lives than all cancers combined. In London and surrounding area, 4,600 people are hospitalized each year for heart disease and stroke related conditions. The foundation has injected $4.5 million into research and health promotion activities in our local area. This includes $1,466,928 to London Health Sciences Centre, $1,416,659 to Robarts Research Institute, and $1,674,650 to University of Western Ontario. Plus, they have funded 600 researchers across Ontario in local hospitals, universities, and research institutions. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Person to Person Campaign should contact the Heart & Stroke Foundation at 519-679-0641. Find us on Facebook: London Community News