Joan King wears two hats when she volunteers for two very different but important causes in Niagara-on-the-Lake — she is equally passionate about both of them.
One, an annual Christmas project she initiated, has just come to a conclusion.
With help from a team of volunteers, King was able to deliver more than 200 Christmas stockings to residents in the three long-term care homes in NOTL, and their response was that the stockings are always very much appreciated. Representatives of each of the homes told The Local that despite the weather, and COVID outbreaks, the stockings were a bit of brightness for seniors, and they thanked King for her initiative.
King began her stocking project in 2020, when long-term care homes were dealing with restrictions that made traditional holiday celebrations impossible. She says she was concerned about the impact those restrictions would have on lonely seniors when visitors were not permitted, and decided there was a way to deliver some Christmas spirit to them from the outside world. Staff at all three homes were supportive, and helped make it happen.
She has done it each year since, with an increasing number of volunteers, including Kindergarten kids at Crossroads School helping to fill stockings for seniors.
When this year’s stockings were delivered, King thanked all those who helped, saying, “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. This community certainly put a lot of love into this initiative.”
As did King.
She can now take off her Santa hat, and put on her — well, not exactly a hat, but her Terry Fox T-Shirt, as she begins planning events for the annual September run, which she organizes, to help raise the annual total contribution from the municipality to the Terry Fox Foundation.
“Terry passed the torch to us, and when I found out an organizer was needed in 2007 in our Niagara-on-the-Lake community, I knew that this event was worth keeping alive,” said King.
“A few of my very close friends and family members have suffered and lost their lives to this dreaded disease. The Terry Fox Run is a way to raise money for cancer research. It is also about hope, determination and inspiration. It’s about remembering those we lost, supporting those who still fight and honouring those who won the fight.”
King, a retired school teacher, says each September “I would tell my students the story of this courageous young man who believed ‘anything is possible if you try.’”
"There is something magical about the Terry Fox Run,”she adds, “and it doesn’t matter how young or old you are. Every September people all over Canada gather to work toward making one young man’s dream come true . . . a world without cancer.”
The power of one man to make a difference is undeniable, says King. “How could I not be inspired when I see all the efforts of this community, and the impact research has had on our cancer survivors.”
Terry, she adds, “taught us that together we can outrun cancer. He makes us proud to be Canadian and me committed to volunteering for the Terry Fox Foundation.
"Thank you Terry Fox for being an example to me. Your humbleness, self-sacrifice and courage benefit all human beings. You inspire me with your actions and words: 'The answer is to help others.'"
The community of NOTL has raised more than $1 million for the Terry Fox Foundation over 30 runs, including $115,079 in last year’s event.
When the town held its first volunteer awards ceremony after pandemic restrictions were limited, a special award was created for King, for all she has done for the town, especially her stocking initiative and the annual organization of the Terry Fox Run.
“I don’t volunteer to receive recognition, I volunteer because I am passionate about what I do, and what I believe in,” she said when she received her reward.
“I am very fortunate to be in the company of so many admirable and inspirational volunteers here in NOTL who have helped me shape my way of thinking, and believing that each and every one of us has the potential to make a difference,” she said.
“It really is a pleasure to volunteer in this community where there is so much kindness, generosity and support. People say to reach your highest potential you should surround yourself with people who make you feel better about who you are. That is what this community does for me.”
