Making the run a better one
Gerrie Wonnacott, centre, received an award for her work as a run director with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and is set to receive another award for her volunteer work this year. She is joined here by Canada AM host Beverly Thomson and Bernadette Dietrich, the vice chair of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Gerrie Wonnacott doesn’t back down from a challenge.
The Oshawa resident is nearing her 15th year volunteering with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, spending most of that time as the run director of logistics for the annual Durham Region CIBC Run for the Cure.
In her role, Wonnacott manages the rest of the group’s volunteers, as well as devoting her time to making the run – and the cause it raises awareness of – more successful. Last year’s event at Lakeview Park saw more than 2,200 people take part.
Wonnacott, like many who volunteer with the foundation, says she is passionate about helping people who have been affected by the disease in one way or another. And as is the case with countless others, she says she dreams of a future without breast cancer.
It is because of Wonnacott’s efforts that she has been rewarded for her work, most notably receiving the Returning Run Director Award at the third-annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Ontario Region Volunteer Awards ceremony. The award honours Wonnacott’s demonstration of leadership, motivational skills and promotion of teamwork.
On top of this, Wonnacott is set to receive the Ontario Volunteer Service Award for her work with the foundation, recognizing her dedicated service and commitment to the cause of raising funds and awareness for breast cancer research.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, founded in 1986, has raised more than $68 million in Ontario alone in the past 15 years, directing the money toward research and clinicians who are contributing to groundbreaking progress in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.
Helping make all of this possible are the thousands of volunteers who help out both at the foundation’s annual events, such as the Run for the Cure, or in one of the many other functions and services the foundation provides.
“Progress in our lifetime is more than possible – it’s proven,” says Sandra Palmaro, the CEO of the foundation’s Ontario chapter. “Real change is happening – change that is saving and improving lives. This is the day we thank our volunteers and acknowledge their extraordinary contributions to our goal of creating a future without breast cancer. We can’t thank them enough.”
This year’s CIBC Run for the Cure is currently set for Oct. 4, with registration opening on June 1. Prospective runners and walkers can tackle either the one-kilometre or five-kilometre course. Those looking to get involved can do so be going to www.cibcrunforthecure.com.