As the COVID-19 pandemic winds through its second year, many aspects of normal life are returning, including the annual Rally for Cancer Care golf tournament this weekend in Wrangell.
The rally is a big fundraising event put on by the WMC Foundation, established in 2006 to support the Wrangell Medical Center. Although the borough hospital has changed hands and SEARHC has its own charitable organizations, WMC Foundation President Patty Gilbert said the group continues to serve Wrangell and other small Southeast communities.
The golf tournament helps support two main programs, Gilbert said: The WMC Foundation’s Cancer Care Assistance Program, and its health career scholarships. The event usually draws a large crowd from Wrangell and Petersburg, she said, and is a fun time for a good cause.
“We give those (scholarships) to the graduating seniors,” she said. “And this is how simple our application (for cancer care assistance) is — half a page.”
The assistance program helps to cover costs cancer patients might incur that insurance does not pay, said Treasurer Olinda White. That could include air travel, ferry tickets or hotel stays. Since December 2008, she said, they have given out $118,000 to 160 requests.
The travel assistance is up to $1,200 per calendar year, not just a one-time payout, White said.
“The application is very, very simple,” Vice President Janet Buness said. “The application itself covers one page. It’s just half a page that’s an application and then the bottom part of the page tells people essentially what’s
covered.”
Applications are open to anyone who lives in a Southeast Alaska community with a population under 5,000. Since the pandemic put a pause on many aspects of life, the foundation is eager to bring back the golf tournament and draw more attention to its assistance program.
“If you have to go out for cancer treatment, please apply for funds,” White said. “A lot of people tend to think,
‘Somebody else needs it more than I do,’ but we have plenty of money to give to people, and it’s always hard when
you have to do this. Everybody should benefit from this.”
“This year our requests are way down,” Gilbert added. “So, we want to advertise to let people know if they start traveling for cancer care, please, please apply. We do have the money, we do the work to earn the money, and it’s just sitting in the bank.”
The golf tournament is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Muskeg Meadows. Saturday is for women only, Gilbert said, and Sunday is co-ed. Registration opens at 9 a.m., and golf will begin around 10 a.m. each day.
There is a fee of $40. There will be breakfast and lunch, snacks, a silent auction and a putting contest, Gilbert said.
Those who cannot attend the tournament are still welcome to make a donation, said board member Diana Nore. Donations can be mailed to Box 2175, Wrangell, or contact Nore at 907-470-3288.
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