Natasha Fall
Senior Reporter

The Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Month bloomed this weekend, marking the beginning of the annual event with the Daffodil Days Campaign.

Volunteers were stationed around the country selling daffodils to raise money for cancer research.

Volunteer Audrey Schaub, 80, of Etobicoke, has been donating her time for over 10 years and said she’ll continue to do so for as long as she can.

“We all have people in our family and friends that have had cancer and it’s nice to be able to do something for someone else,” she said. “The more research, the more we can get, the better it’s going to be for the people who get the cancer.”

According to Angela Zin, community services co-ordinator for the Toronto West unit of the Canadian Cancer Society, Daffodil Days originally began in the mid 1950s.

Daffodils were chosen to decorate tables at a tea, held in Toronto, to raise funds for the society.
The success of the tea sparked the plan to begin selling the daffodils.

In 1957 an anonymous donor paid to fly 5,000 daffodils from British Columbia so volunteers could sell them in Ontario.

That year Daffodil sales jumped approximately $1,200 in Ontario and marked the birth of the annual event.
Kim Brent, 28, a local resident bought daffodils at the Woodbine Centre last weekend.

“I’ve always given to the cancer society, my grandmother had cancer 20 years ago, so I think ever since then, we’ve supported the cancer society,” Brent said. “It helps save lives, anything that can help is important.”

Schaub’s fellow volunteer and friend, Marguerite Coats, 80, also of Etobicoke, said her best friend died of ovarian cancer about five years ago.

She said that helped inspire her desire to volunteer.

“If we can do anything that promotes the cause for a cure, then that’s why we’re here.”

Zin said it’s important that cancer patients know there are people willing to help.

“I think when cancer patients see people out there raising money . . . it helps them know that they’re not alone in their fight against the disease,” she said. “There’s a whole army of people behind them.”

Last year the Canadian Cancer Society raised $3.2 million during Daffodil Days by selling approximately 9,700 boxes of flowers.

According to Zin, the Toronto West unit of the society, raisedmore than $100,000 during the Daffodil Days campaign, this past weekend.