The Prince George Citizen - Tuesday, August 26,1997 -11 A HOME AWAY FROM HOME COMMUNITY CONNECTION Have an idea for a story or human interest feature? Got something to tell about your club or organization? Do you know an Unsung Hero? Or is there a special event you’d like our readers to know about? BERNICE TRICK 562-2441, Local 395 Residents have by BERNICE TRICK Citizen Staff Prince George’s Joanne Medley was terrified when she had to go to Vancouver for cancer treatment. “I was by myself. I knew no one in Vancouver. I was scared and I anticipated being very lonely,” Medley, who’s still undergoing treatment, told The Citizen recently. She was referred to the Vancouver Lodge, located across the street from the B.C. Cancer Agency, and soon found a home away from home. “Staying in Vancouver is no problem. Don’t worry about not knowing anyone,” said Medley, a UNBC student who will soon start her fourth year of studies toward a degree in arts. “There’s lots of support and networking here at the Lodge, and you make a lot of good friends at the same time.” Vancouver Lodge offers accommodation for 64 residents which may include a family member if space permits. Cost per day, including meals, is $26 for patients and $50 for non-patients. The double rooms are furnished with twin beds and en suite bathrooms, and residents en- a place to stay when they travel south for treatment Citizen staff photo Cancer patient Joanne Medley from Prince George found a home away from home at the Vancouver Lodge. joy a dining room with meals provided, lounges, games rooms, library, hair salon, gift shop, onsite laundry, pay phones and elevators. There’s a large sun deck, garden and the lodge cat, Charlie. The average stay is from six to eight weeks, and the facility is open seven days a week with the exception of Christmas and Easter when medical personnel take a break, said manager Linda Andrews. Call 604-879-9131 for more information. The Lodge, owned and operated by the Canadian Cancer Society and subsidized by the Ministry of Health, is geared to adult residents, but there are alternate places for patients to stay. Easter Seal House, located on Oak Street and across from B.C. Children’s Hospital, is for both adults and children while Ronald McDonald House, 4114 Angus Drive, is designed for children. There are also guest houses, beds and breakfasts, motels and hotels within walking distance of B.C. Cancer Agency which offer medical rates. The local cancer unit has all the information available to the public at 1839 First Ave. Call 564-0885. Transportation available for cancer patients by BERNICE TRICK Citizen Staff They’re little-known and rarely make the news. They’re unsung heroes who serve thousands of British Columbians receiving cancer treatment in the Greater Vancouver area. These 250 members of the Masonic Lodge voluntarily drive cancer patients to and from treatment centres, the airport, the bus depot, and B.C. Ferry terminals whenever there is need. The need is great. The Freemasons chalk up more miles than Carter has little liver pills, save patients a bundle of cash in taxi and bus fares, and, most importantly, take way the fear of BROWN being thrust into a huge, unfamiliar city. Last year the Masons drove 470,000 kilometres transporting 29,400 patients to and from treatment. They have seven vehicles to do the job which are provided, fuelled and maintained by the Freemasons who offer the service in Port Moody, New Westminster, Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver. On Vancouver Island, there are five vans at work.' Vancouver drivers, the majority of whom are retired workers, transport an average of 60 patients daily to and from treatment centres such as the B.C. Cancer Agency, B.C. Children’s Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital and other facilities where cancer is dealt with. The driving service began in 1989 when the Ancient Free and Accepted Freemasons of B.C. and the Yukon were seeking a way to promote public awareness through service, said Dave Brown, chairman of the project. “We struck a 15-year partnership with the Cancer Society to do this. Our motto is to help Larry Parent is one of the Masonic Lodge volunteer drivers. people who need help,” Brown said from the dispatch centre located across the street from the B.C. Cancer Agency on West 10th Avenue. The annual budget is about $120,000, which is raised by Masonic Lodges and their 16,000 members across B.C., by community donations of materials and cars, and bequests. Brown, who has been involved since Day One, has humorous, sad and satisfying stories to relate. “Like the time a driver went to pick up Mrs. Jones at a chronic care home and mistakenly got into a wrong building. He escorted a lady, smiling and nodding her approval, into the car and began the trip. Then he got a call from me telling him that Mrs. Jones was still waiting and the lady in his car was listed as missing. He had the wrong lady that day,” Brown recalled. There was also that frightening experience when a driver and patient, waiting at a traffic light, were struck by another vehicle. “The car was totalled, but both the driver and patient survived,” Brown said. Areas outside of Vancouver such as Chilliwack and White Rock have their own volunteer driver service. Drivers willingly transport patients to and from Vancouver and Surrey as often as needed. Anyone who must travel south for cancer-related appointments or treatment can call 1-800-663-2524 for information on the service. In Prince George, the Canadian Cancer Society provides a driving service to transport cancer patients to and from the chemotherapy unit at Prince George Regional Hospital. Call 564-0885 for more information. The Prince George unit is seeking an additional driver who can volunteer time during week days. Here’s chance to drag race with RCMP ‘Supercops’ car by GORDON ROEKSTRA Citizen Staff What an opportunity. Come out to North Central Motorsport Park Friday and try to beat the heat in a car race. Legally. The three-day drag event features the Edmonton RCMP SuperCops drag car and allows people with street-legal vehicles a crack at defeating the police team’s 1970 Nova. “It’s a really great thing,” said track representative Nancy Wilkinson. “And when you race, you do it safely and on the track.” “It’s a real positive alternative,” said ICBC road safety spokesperson Doug MacDonald, adding it’s safe, fun and teamwork is a big part of it. The Alberta RCMP racing team was first formed in 1996 and was modeled on similar American programs that have been running for decades. Police forces, especially in the Los Angeles, Calif, area, used racing to find common ground with young people involved in gangs to combat crime. While the Alberta police racing team is not targeting gangs, they are hoping to attract the attention of young drivers that carry the street race to its extremes. “The program is to stop street racing and get it into a controlled environment where we can educate and communicate,” said SuperCops member Cpl. Nigel Douglas in a letter outlining the program. Racing begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and it costs $15 to race. Spectators get in by donation. The SuperCops will also be racing in the regular schedule of events on Saturday and Sunday when admission is $8 per day. Children 12 years old and under - with an adult-get in free. The track is nine kilometres down Chief Lake Road from Highway 97 North, beside the Park Drive-In Theatre on Raceway Road. For more information call the track at 250-967-4130. Police forces, especially in the Los Angeles, Calif, area, used racing to find common ground with young people involved in gangs to combat crime. SUMMER THEATRE FUN — Andrea Westway, 13, left, and Katie Anderson, 15, demonstrate their juggling skills learned for the play, The Clown of God. Performances of the Summer Theatre Camp production run Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church at Fifth and Victoria. Admission is $5. Children 12 and under get in free. . SAVE to 1/2 Fine Furniture ”3? ...and Mattresses too! -niur.&Fii. ioam-9pm IS FINANCING & DELIVERY AVAILABLE_jg Prince George • 4130 Versatile Place • 564-2700