On a beautiful warm Saturday, the 26th of May 2018, the Beer Store at Dupont and Symington Ave (Store # 2318, at 323 Symington Avenue) joined all the other locations across Ontario in their annual Returns For Leukemia fundraiser. This charitable ‘bottle drive’ initiative is made possible by efforts from the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 12R24 and The Beer Store, and it is quite remarkable how well it integrates with the community. Many different businesses come together in partnership with The Beer Store to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. Amico’s Pizza is just one of many sponsors.
In 2016 the annual Returns for Leukemia Bottle Drive campaign raised $1,652,012.24 , and in 2017 the charity $1,804,912.24. Who knows how much they raise this year, but it was a beautiful day on Saturday and so we expect big totals from across Toronto! Over the last twelve years, the Beer Store and UFCW Local 12R24’s contributions have raised over $12 million dollars for this worth cause.
Read the sign: pizza is one dollar per slice during the Returns for Leukemia bottle drive! That’s the best price anyone could ever pay for real Italian pizza, served hot and fresh, anywhere in the city.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Returns for Leukemia bottle drive. These local ladies are the bosses; they are each conduits for independent business and education institutions’ participation. These multilingual young charity workers are having fun doing good work, being part of the fundraising . They counted empties, cooked burgers, and washed cars as necessary throughout the day until 4pm. Car washes were five dollars each, and very comprehensive.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) is the largest voluntary cancer research agency specifically focused on finding cures and better treatments for blood cancer patients. With the scope and scale to fund many projects at the same time, LLSC supports hundreds of cancer scientists around Canada.
What exactly did Amico’s Pizza donate? and Why?
Frankie, our faithful leader worked hard to create a half dozen pizza pies that hot Saturday morning and then he drove the food to the location and helped set-up the dispensary in such as way as to keep the supply hot and fresh.
If you follow the money, the proceeds from our pizza donation will help encourage scientists around the world to pursue blood cancer research. Grants to young scientists help grow research talent even as federal research funding becomes increasingly limited. The latest push is for more “targeted therapies” that kill cancer cells selectively because by hitting specific molecular targets, the treatments don’t harm patients’ healthy cells, resulting in fewer dangerous side effects. Our donation will also help test immunotherapies. Immunotherapies strengthen a patient’s own immune system so their own bodies can better fight infections and attack cancer cells, reducing the need for damaging chemotherapy.
But perhaps the most important work that LLSC does is provide a wide array of programs that link newly diagnosed patients with trained volunteers that help cancer patients in day to day life and help families make informed decisions. LLSC supplies information and counseling to help guide patients through their cancer journey and access current treatment and clinical trial options.
You Can Also Help Fight Leukemia at The Beer Store
Keep your eyes open for this unique medical mission – your own donation of time, money or beer bottle empties can help the fight against blood cancers at The Beer Store on this special weekend in May every year across Ontario.