April is Daffodil Month

Submitted by
Missy Jenson

To some the daffodil is just a flower.
To us, it is a symbol of strength and courage. it says we will not give up. it says we will fight back, it says we will beat cancer.
April, commonly known as Daffodil Month is the month to fight back against cancer. it’s a time when thousands of volunteers across Ontario work together to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society by selling bright, yellow daffodils, pins and knocking on doors in their community to collect donations.
This April, our new daffodil pin will be available in many locations in our community as part of the Daffodil Month campaign. We are asking all Ontarians to unite behind those living with cancer by making a donation and wearing the iconic yellow flower.
In honour of Daffodil Month, here are a few quick facts about our annual fundraising campaign and the latest cancer statistics.
Did you know?
·The Canadian Cancer Society has been selling daffodils to help fight cancer for more than 50 years.
·Last year in Ontario, Daffodil Sales raised more than $2.4 million for the Canadian Cancer Society.
·In 2011 in Ontario, $6.1 million was raised during Daffodil Month.
Cancer Stats
·Researchers funded by the Canadian Cancer Society are making a bigger scientific impact than other researchers in Canada. A recent evaluation of the Society’s research grants program found that researchers funded by the Society publish more papers, publish these papers in the most prestigious scientific journals and are referenced more often by other researchers.
·Survival had increased for all cancer combined from 56% to 62% in the last decade. Thanks to Society-funded research, the treatment has dramatically improved.
·In 2011, an estimated 27, 800 people will die of cancer in Ontario, and 66, 900 new cases will be diagnosed.
·For Ontario men, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer (an estimated 10, 600 diagnosed in 2011), followed by colorectal cancer and lung cancer, respectively.
·For Ontario women, breast cancer is the most frequent diagnosed type of cancer (an estimated 9, 000 diagnosed in 2011), followed by lung cancer and colorectal cancer, respectively.
·In both men and women, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. An estimated 6, 700 Ontarians will die of lung cancer in 2011.
What we do
Thanks to the work of our volunteers and staff, and generosity of our donors, the Canadian Cancer Society is leading the fight against cancer. We fight back by:
·doing everything we can to prevent cancer from ever happening in the first place
·funding research to outsmart cancer
·empowering, informing, supporting and improving the lives of Canadians living with cancer
·advocate for public policies to improve the health of Canadians
·rallying Canadians to make cancer history