Hike for Hospice raises $150K in its seventh year

Longtime Sudburian Jim Cook cried this morning.

He is grieving the loss of his wife, Cecile Cook, who passed away Oct. 23, 2012 after 55 years and four days of marriage. Cecile lost her battle with pancreatic cancer three months after her diagnosis.

She spent the final two weeks of her life at Maison Vale Hospice.

About two months prior to her diagnosis, the couple went on a cruise of the South Pacific. At the time, they knew there was something terribly wrong with Cecile's health, Jim said. They just didn't think it would be as serious as pancreatic cancer.

It was on their doctor's behest that they went on the cruise.

“It was a wonderful cruise, and it was great to be able to spend that time with her,” he said. “We had a beautiful marriage and a beautiful life together.”

Both were born and raised in Sudbury. Jim spent 27 years as a teacher; Cecile was a homemaker, “the most important job,” considering they raised four boys, he said.
It was the fact she spent her final days at the hospice that brought Jim out to Bell Park on a beautiful, sunny afternoon.

He joined about 1,000 other people for the seventh annual RBC Hike for Hospice, an event designed not only to raise much-needed money for the hospice's operational costs, but to honour and remember the hundreds of people who found comfort at the hospice in their final days.

Jim said he and his oldest son have prepared an aquarium to be installed at the hospice. It will be his way of saying thanks to the staff for the care they provided, and a way for them to remember his wife.

“It will be a great memory of Cecile,” he said.

Melanie Spurr and Denis Daoust were sporting black armbands that read RIP Paul, in honour of their friend who died in February from a brain tumour. He was 31.

“We were all part of a baseball team, and we decided this year that we would wear these armbands throughout the baseball season,” Daoust said, explaining the armbands.

Paul also spent his final days at Maison Vale Hospice, and that's what drew them to the hike.

“Every year, we've walked by when (Hike for Hospice) was taking place, and we've always wanted to participate, and we really wanted to do it after Paul passed away,” Daoust said. “Paul was a very outgoing guy – he loved to fish, and he loved to play baseball.”

Daoust, Spurr and Cook all contributed to this year's fundraising grand total of $150,001 — $1 better than last year, even with a drop in the number of participants.

Last year, about 1,200 people walked in Hike for Hospice. This year, about 1,000 people walked, said Maison Vale Hospice fund development co-ordinator Nathalie Depatie.

“We surpassed last year's total by $1, and even though we had less people come out, it was still a fantastic turnout,” Depatie said. “Our community supports us so much. Every year, we have to raise $700,000, and we just raised $150,000 in one day.”

The only costs covered by any type of funding is the nurses' salaries, she said. All other costs are covered through donations and fundraising events like Hike for Hospice.

Hike for Hospice takes place the first Sunday of May every year, so people can mark it on their calendar in advance and plan to participate, Depatie said.

Since the hospice opened its doors in 2006, it has helped comfort more than 600 people in their final days of life, said Maison Vale Hospice executive director Leo Therrien.

Honorary Hike for Hospice chair Bill Bray, regional vice-president, RBC Personal Financial Services, said more than 50 RBC employees and their families participated in today's event.

He said they were able to donate another $5,000 through the fundraising efforts of those employees, and that RBC has just signed on for another three years as the title sponsor.