
PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA
2025 FATHERS DAY VIRTUAL WALK/RUN
SUNDAY JUNE 15TH
Please join our PCS Windsor/Essex Team and/or donate to show your support at this link:
Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex
Helping Prostate Cancer Survivors and Their Families Through Support and Awareness
PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA
2025 FATHERS DAY VIRTUAL WALK/RUN
SUNDAY JUNE 15TH
Please join our PCS Windsor/Essex Team and/or donate to show your support at this link:
May 13th, Dr. Caroline Hamm (Medical Oncologist, Cancer Program, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH)) presented to our group.
From your Steering Committee, we hope everyone had a great April and didn’t gorge too much on chocolate bunnies. We continued our winter program with a great presentation in April by Dr. Colvin Springer, a Windsor based Radiological Oncologist. We look forward to an upcoming presentation by Dr. Caroline Hamm in May and our spaghetti dinner get-together at Legion Branch 594 in June.
TUESDAY 13 MAY 2025 MEETING
We are planning to have Dr. Caroline Hamm (Medical Oncologist, Cancer Program, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH)) present to our group. Dr. Hamm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology at Western University. She is the Chair of the Windsor Division Oncology at Schulich School of Medicine and the Chair of WRH Academic and Research Committee, fostering academic excellence in the Windsor Essex region. She founded and leads the Clinical Trials Navigator program since inception, working with national partners to improve patient access to clinical trials including Prostate Cancer patients. Dr. Hamm will discuss the Clinical Trials Navigator, and how we work, our successes to date; and review the prostate clinical trials available in Ontario, Canada and National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda Maryland.
The meeting is planned for 7pm on Tuesday 13 May at the Windsor Hospice Auditorium (6038 Empress St.) You can also attend remotely via ZOOM; please use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
Play For A Cure (Friday 9 May 2025) –
This year’s Play For A Cure Tournament will be held on Friday, May 9th at Vollmer Recreation Centre, LaSalle. Thanks to all who participated in last year’s event. It was another tremendous success, raising over $400,000 for local cancer research. It was also a great opportunity for us to promote awareness of our group, and get our message of “Get Checked” across to a key demographic for us. Event organizers are always very appreciative of our involvement.
Thanks to those who have already offered to help this year.
This year, Play for a Cure – Pro-Am Hockey Tournament, will also host a Cancer Research Symposium prior to the beginning of the event.
This Play for a Cure sponsored Symposium will focus on the state of Cancer Research and will provide an opportunity to hear directly from experts who are leading the fight against cancer – locally, nationally and around the world. This 1.5 hour Cancer Research Symposium will be held at Caesars Windsor in the Augustus Room on Thursday May 8th at 2:30pm.
It will feature the following:
Jennifer Jones, Past President of Rotary International, and currently serving as a Trustee on Rotary International’s Rotary Foundation.
Dr. Andre Veillette, Executive Director of Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre Network, will discuss the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre Network arrival in Windsor.
A panel discussion focusing on cancer research projects and care in Windsor.
For more information and/or to register, Ctrl +Click on this link:
Symposium Event Registrationplayforacure.ca
Please feel free to share this information with anyone you think might be interested in attending.
YOUR FEEDBACK ON OUR MONTHLY COMMUNIQUE FORMAT
As you are aware, we send out monthly communiques to update everyone on upcoming meetings and events. We also forward a link and summary of the monthly National Group Newsletters. We don’t always get the National Group Newsletters in time for our communiques and we also know that many of you already signed up to receive them. We would like hear your comments on the format and content of our monthly communiques including whether you like the summary of the National Group’s Newsletters.
EVENTS REQUIRING VOLUNTEERS
Thank-you to all of you have volunteered for the Hospice Dove Pin Fundraising Campaign (24 to 27 April), upcoming Play for a Cure event (Friday 9 May), and the Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Golf Tournament (Wednesday 21 May).
Motorcycle Ride for Dad (Sunday 25 May)
We will need as many folks as possible for the Motorcycle Ride for Dad on Sunday 25 May 2025. The primary effort is in the morning to help register hundreds of participants and direct motorcycle traffic. After the main “launch” of motorcycles, most volunteers can go home. There will be a need for a handful of volunteers at the “finish line.”
The “launch” is from 7am to 10am at Thunder Road Harley Davidson (2100 Ambassador Dr). If you’re volunteering, please try be there at 6:30 am and park at the Williams Food.
The “finish line” will be at the Bourbon Tap and Grill in Belle River (405 Notre Dame St). We ask volunteers to head over for around 11:30 before the riders arrive. If you are volunteering, please bring a folding chair.
FUTURE MONTHLY MEETINGS
Tuesday 10 June 2025 Spaghetti Get-Together – The Tuesday 10 June 2025 meeting will NOT be held at the Hospice, but we will instead have a Spring Get-Together at Legion 594 (Howard Ave.) starting at 5:00 pm. As with our Xmas get-together, this will coincide with that Legion’s bi-weekly $10 all you-can-eat spaghetti dinner; in the past, this has proven to be a very successful and affordable.
OUTREACH EVENTS
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada Father’s Day Walk/Run (June 15th, 2025) – This annual PCFC fundraising campaign is very important to us since the National Group provides immeasurable support to us. Simply put, we could not operate without their help and support. In addition, we get up to 50% equivalent return on money our members raise or donate.
Please join our PCS Windsor/Essex Team and/or donate to show your support at this link:
Register | Father’s Day WalkRun
OTHER NEWS
NATIONAL GROUP – PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA (PCFC)
National Group Website (www.prostatecanada.ca)
Monthly Newsletter – Please remember that PCFC (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
April 8th, Dr. Colvin Springer, a Radiation Oncologist at Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, presented to our group. Dr. Springer is a graduate of University of the West Indies (BSc. 1985), University of Michigan (MSc. 1991 Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis) as well Queen’s University, (MBA 2003).
From your Steering Committee, we hope everyone had a great March and didn’t indulge too much in green beverages, “special” coffees, corned beef, and cabbage. We continued our Winter program with a great presentation in March by Dr. Ryan McLarty, a Windsor-based Urologist, and we look forward to other upcoming presentations by medical and other specialists.
Tuesday April 8th, 2025 Support Group Meeting – Dr. Colvin Springer (Windsor Radiation Oncologist)
Dr. Springer, a Radiation Oncologist at Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, is a graduate of University of the West Indies (BSc. 1985), University of Michigan (MSc. 1991 Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis) as well Queen’s University, (MBA 2003). He will be presenting, Prostate Cancer Prevention in the Black Community: Fostering Culturally Competent Care to gain a better understanding to:
Appreciate the higher prevalence and severity of Prostate cancer among Black men
Recognize the risk factors that make Black men more likely to develop prostate cancer
Understand prostate cancer screening guidelines for high-risk groups
Identify appropriate patient and physician resources for awareness, screening, and detection
The meeting is planned for 7pm on Tuesday April 8th at the Windsor Hospice Auditorium (6038 Empress St.).
Everyone is also welcome to attend remotely via ZOOM using the following link Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
We would like to give special thanks to Brian Robinson who volunteered his time to set-up and man our awareness booth at the Kingsville Seniors Expo on Wednesday 5 March 2025. These opportunities are very important for us. The organizers were very thankful for our participation and we were able to get our awareness brochures out to the community.
Springtime is our busiest time of the year with multiple outreach events requiring volunteers for events such as Play For A Cure and Motorcycle Ride For Dad. All of these events are very critical as they help advance our cause including spreading the word of our existence to those diagnosed and advocating early PSA testing. If possible, please look at the list of events below and help out by volunteering. In most cases you are treated to a meal or two and these are also great social opportunities with the community. Organizers always praise us for our involvement and our members have always found helping to be very rewarding.
FUTURE MONTHLY MEETINGS
Tuesday 13 May 2025 Meeting – We are planning to have Dr. Caroline Hamm (Medical Oncologist, Cancer Program, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH)) present to our group. Dr. Hamm is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology at Western University as well as Chair of the Windsor Division Oncology at Schulich School of Medicine and Chair of WRH Academic and Research Committee, fostering academic excellence in the Windsor Essex region. She founded and leads the Clinical Trials Navigator program since inception, working with national partners to improve patient access to clinical trials including Prostate Cancer patients.
Tuesday 10 June 2025 Meeting – We will likely have a Spaghetti Dinner at Legion Branch 594 as we have done in the past before we break for the summer.
OUTREACH EVENTS
WE-SPARK Health Research Conference (Saturday 22 March 2025) – Garry and Jim attended. WE-SPARK Health Institute is an innovative partnership between Erie Shores HealthCare,
St. Clair College, University of Windsor and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Windsor Regional Hospital, that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the Windsor-Essex region. This event, which included research related to Prostate Cancer, aimed to showcase, connect, and strengthen health research excellence.
National Group Annual General Meeting (Wednesday 26 March 2025) – Garry attended the Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (PCFC) Annual General Meeting.
National Group Townhall Meeting (Saturday 5 April 2025) – Garry will attend. This town hall event is for support group leaders to interact with PCFC Board members and have questions regarding support groups answered.
Hospice Dove Pin Campaign (Thursday 24 April to Sunday 27 April) – The Hospice is a wonderful organization and they let us use their facility for free. They always appreciate our members volunteering a few hours of their time to participate in their annual fundraising campaign. If you are able to volunteer, please let us know or you can call the Hospice directly at (519) 974-7100. You can also volunteer on-line at the following link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944ACAF22A4FAC43-46291245-3rdannual#/
If you are volunteering, please let us know.
Play For A Cure (Friday 9 May 2025) –
This year’s Play For A Cure Tournament will be held on Friday, May 9th at Vollmer Recreation Centre, LaSalle. Thanks to all who participated in last year’s event. It was another tremendous success, raising over $400,000 for local cancer research. It was also a great opportunity for us to promote awareness of our group, and get our message of “Get Checked” across to a key demographic for us. Event organizers are always very appreciative of our involvement.
Thanks to those who have already offered to help this year. If you are able to volunteer some of your time to the event this year, please let us know by Friday April 4th. We need volunteers from 8:00am to 4:00pm. If you can only be there for the morning or afternoon shift, please indicate which one.
Thanks! Jim Fair 519-890-8525
For more information on this year’s event, call me, or check out the Play for a Cure Website:
Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation Dr. Richard Boyd Men’s Health Program Golf Tournament (Wednesday 21 May 2025) – We will need 12 volunteers over two 2-hour shifts as follows:
Hole-in-one Contests – 2 holes.
We will need 2 volunteers per hole, per shift.
Total of 8 volunteers
Beat the Pro Contest
We will need 2 volunteers for this, per shift.
Total 4 volunteers
Thanks to those who have already volunteered. If interested in helping out, please let us know as soon as possible.
Motorcycle-Ride-for-Dad (Sunday 25 May 2025) – Details to follow. The primary effort is in the morning to help register hundreds of participants and direct motorcycle traffic. Those who stay to help out at the “finish line” are treated to a meal. Like the above campaigns, all funds remain local in the Windsor area.
Presentation to Canterbury Elder College (Thursday 5 June 2025) – Garry will be presenting to the Canterbury Elder College
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada Father’s Day Walk/Run (June 15th, 2025) – This annual PCFC fundraising campaign is very important to us since the National Group provides immeasurable support to us. Simply put, we could not operate without their help and support. In addition, we get up to 50% equivalent return on money our members raise or donate.
Please join our PCS Windsor/Essex Team and/or donate to show your support at this link:
Register | Father’s Day WalkRun
OTHER NEWS
PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA (PCFC)
National Group Website (www.prostatecanada.ca)
Monthly Debrief – Please remember that PCFC (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
February 2025 Support Group Newsletter
The following is a summary of the newsletter highlights; please see the newsletter for further details:
Researchers at Nova Scotia Health are seeking participants to share their experiences living with metastatic cancer who have received either targeted therapy or immunotherapy.
Have you been interested in leading a nationwide support group? Our Advanced Prostate
Cancer Support Group meets monthly, and we are seeking a compassionate and dedicated
individual to help foster a supportive community. Austin and Nitasha from Support Services will
be there to guide you throughout the journey.
A new study led by Dr. Richard Wassersug is gathering patient opinions on alternative Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) options. If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, take this quick, anonymous survey to help improve future treatments.
Butts in Motion is a weekly yoga program focused on mindful breathing, mobility, stability, and strength in a supportive and rejuvenating practice
Christmas is just around the corner. We hope everyone will enjoy a wonderful holiday season. Remember, we do NOT meet in January. The next formal meeting will be on Tuesday 11 February 2025, but we are having a holiday social get-together on December 17th. The following is a quick summary of some relevant information and a link to the latest National Group’s monthly newsletter.
UPCOMING/CURRENT EVENTS
Tuesday 17 December 2024 (NOT 10 December) Holiday Dinner – We decided to again have our holiday dinner at 5:30 pm coincident with the Royal Canadian Legion 594 (5030 Howard Ave) bi-weekly all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner. This has previously proven to be an excellent event for our group in the past. These spaghetti dinners, which cost $10/person, are open to the public and include all-you-can-eat pasta, salad, and buns. The Legion segregates a separate section for our group with dividers. Please join us and, if possible, bring pot-luck desserts. When you enter the Legion, look for the sign indicating where our area is and join the group. Whenever you are ready, grab a ticket and get your pasta.
Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Grow-On Windsor/Essex Campaign
Through the month of November, we have been helping out with the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Grow-On Windsor/Essex Campaign that is raising funds for the new DaVinci Surgical Robot at Windsor Regional Hospital. This year, our PCSWE Team set out to raise $6,000 towards the Foundation’s considerably larger overall goal. Thanks to your support to date, we have raised $7,790!
The DaVinci Surgical Robot has been a key factor in the treatment and survival of several of our members and this campaign will directly benefit local prostate cancer patients going forward. The WCCF also provides direct support to our group by helping us defray some of our operating costs. Many thanks to our members who supported the Grow On Campaign, and especially those who joined our PCSWE Grow On Team, and/or helped out in the background.
There are still a few days left before the campaign wraps up. If you would like to donate, you can do so at this link:
https://fnd.us/a2SK0d?ref=sh_cDiXx1
RECENT EVENTS
Tuesday 12 November Meeting – Dr. Junaid Yousuf (Windsor Radiation Oncologist)
November’s monthly Hybrid-ZOOM meeting was excellent. Dr. Yousuf’s presentation on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) was fascinating; it also included a summary of most Prostate Cancer treatments and he used real-patient examples that made the presentation relevant. Again, special thank-you to Dr. Sorensen for arranging.
Thursday 14 November 2024 – Play for a Cure 2025 Kick-Off Event
Garry Loeper attended the Play for a Cure 2025 Kick-Off at the University of Windsor that included a briefing on the upcoming spring event and a tour of the research facilities that also include Prostate Cancer related research. We look forward to helping out again this spring.
Play for a Cure 2025 takes place on Friday, May 9th, 2025 at the Vollmer Recreation Complex, LaSalle.
FUTURE EVENTS
January 2025 – We do NOT meet in January.
Tues 11 Feb 25 Meeting – Dr. Fernanda Berto (Chatham-Kent Urologist) will speak about complications following radical prostatectomy/radiation therapy and the treatment including urine and continence and all dysfunction and structure. And once again, special thanks to Dr. Sorensen arranging.
Tues 11 Mar 25 Meeting – Dr. Ryan McLarty (Windsor Urologist) – Ryan McLarty will be giving an update on Robotic Prostatectomy. And once again, special thanks to Dr. Sorensen arranging.
OTHER NEWS
Facebook Page
Olav is currently developing a Facebook Page for Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex. If you are a Facebook aficionado, please search for our Group. Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex
If you have any suggested changes or ideas for what you would like to see on a Facebook Group, please let us know.
NATIONAL GROUP – PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA
Reef Knot Kit Survey
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada Reef Knot Kit information packages are free to prostate cancer patients, their loved ones, and health care providers’ offices anywhere in Canada.
Each Reef Knot Kit includes important resources to aid you in understanding your diagnosis, making difficult decisions surrounding your treatment options, and improving your quality of life with your cancer. We encourage anyone going through this journey to take the time to learn more about prostate cancer and take advantage of the resources provided in these kits.
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada is looking for feedback on their Reef Knot Kits. Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada is looking for feedback on their Reef Knot Kits. Please see the following link if you are interested in participating in their quality survey. Prostate Cancer Foundation CanadaReef Knot Kit Survey
Monthly Debrief – November 2024
Please remember that Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information and help that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/prostatecanada/your-monthly-debrief-for-august-16528800?e=3d4e61964d
The following summarizes some of the more significant subjects:
The Inaugural PCFC Scholars Future Leaders Forum, December 10th 2024, 11AM PST.
Highlighting Outreach, Awareness, Advocacy, Support, and Education – this includes a quick summary of our Group’s November Speaker;
Reef Knot Kit improvement survey;
Meet Nitasha Nair – our new Support Services Coordinator;
University of Toronto is Recruiting for iSTRIDE – iSTRIDE is a Prostate Cancer Research Study focused on the benefits of Exercise;
Coast-to-Coast Seminar for November is cancelled; and
The Inaugural PCFC Scholars Future Leaders Forum, December 10th 2024, 11AM PST.
November 12th, Dr. Junaid Yousuf, a Radiation Oncologist at Windsor Regional Hospital, presented to our group. His focus was radiation options for treating prostate cancer, with an emphasis on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), which was recently initiated at Windsor regional Hospital.
Fall is here and our program planning is doing very well; so, things are looking good. The following is a quick summary of some relevant information and a link to the latest National Group’s monthly newsletter.
UPCOMING/CURRENT EVENTS
Tuesday 12 November Meeting – Dr. Junaid Yousuf (Windsor Radiation Oncologist)
Dr. Junaid Yousuf will be presenting. His focus will be radiation options for treating prostate cancer with an emphasis on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), which was recently initiated at Windsor regional Hospital. Again, special thank-you to Dr. Sorensen for arranging.
Dr. Yousuf is a Radiation Oncologist at the Windsor Regional Hospital where he leads a busy clinical practice across a number of disease sites including GU, breast, GI, thoracic, cutaneous and hematologic malignancies.
He is an award winning medical educator and is actively engaged in training the next generation of physicians and allied health care professionals. Dr. Yousuf is a sought after and dynamic speaker on various topics within Oncology. He is a spirited leader and seasoned mentor who takes a keen interest in topics related to physician wellness and clinician burnout.
Dr. Yousuf is a graduate from the University of Ottawa with his MD, and completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at Queen’s University. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Western University and Adjunct Professor at the University of Windsor.
As always, this meeting starts at 7pm at the Hospice (Empress St.). For those who would like to attend remotely, please access via ZOOM.
For Zoom—click the following Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Grown On Campaign – Through the month of November, we are helping out with the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Grown-On Campaign that is raising funds for the new DaVinci Surgical Robot at Windsor Regional Hospital.
The DaVinci Surgical Robot has been a key factor in the treatment and survival of several of our members and this campaign will directly benefit local prostate cancer patients going forward. The WCCF also provides direct support to our group by helping us defray some of our operating costs. We strongly encourage our members to support the Grow On Campaign by joining our PCSWE Grow On Team, and/or donating what you can at this link:
https://fnd.us/a2SK0d?ref=sh_cDiXx1
RECENT EVENTS
Tuesday 8 October Meeting – Dr. Chris Langley (Chatham-Kent Urologist) – October’s monthly Hybrid-ZOOM meeting was excellent. Dr. Chris Langley (Chatham Urologist) presented to the group on the Contemporary Surgical Management of Prostate Cancer. The Sarnia/Wallaceburg, London, and Burlington groups also joined in. We would like to thank Dr. Sorensen for arranging this speaker.
FUTURE EVENTS
Tues 17 Dec 24 (NOT 10 December) Xmas Dinner – We have decided to have an Xmas dinner at 5pm coincident with the Legion 594 bi-weekly all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner. This has previously proven to be an excellent event. We will provide more details in next month’s communique.
January 2025 – We do NOT meet in January.
Tues 11 Feb 25 Meeting – Dr. Fernanda Berto (Chatham-Kent Urologist) will speak about complications following radical prostatectomy/radiation therapy and the treatment including urine and continence and all dysfunction and structure. And once again, special thanx to Dr. Sorensen arranging.
Tues 11 Mar 25 Meeting – Dr. Ryan McLarty (Windsor Urologist) – Ryan McLarty will be giving an update on Robotic Prostatectomy. And once again, special thanx to Dr. Sorensen arranging.
OTHER NEWS
Facebook Group – Olav is currently developing a Facebook Group for Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex. If you are a Facebook afficionado, please search for our Group. Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex
If you have any suggested changes or ideas for what you would like to see on a Facebook Group, please let us know.
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (PCFC) National Conference – PCFC hosted a national conference on Saturday 26 October. The following summarizes the main points of discussion:
Please remember that Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information and help that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
Your Monthly Debrief for October 2024 (mailchi.mp)
The following summarizes some of the more significant subjects:
Prostate Cancer Supportive Care (PCSC) Program:
The PCSC Program is a comprehensive survivorship program developed in 2013 at the Vancouver Prostate Centre for men with prostate cancer, their partners, and families from the time of initial diagnosis onwards. Men can self-refer to this program or be referred by their doctor.
The PCSC Program is a clinical, educational, and research-based approach to care, addressing the challenges of decision-making and coping along the entire disease trajectory to serve both the patient and their partner’s physical and psychological needs.
The PCSC Program currently includes eight modules which men can take part in with more modules in development. These modules include group educational sessions and clinical services in the following areas:
University of British Columbia Bone Metastases and Exercise Hub
The Bone Metastases and Exercise Hub provides access to resources on exercise recommendations for people with bone metastases. These resources created by the Bone Metastases and Exercise Knowledge Mobilization Team are intended to work together to inform and support patients, exercise professionals and health care professionals.
Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials in Canada
National Support Group Meetings including:
National Active Surveillance Support Group Meeting
National GBTQ Support Group Meeting
National Partners in Prostate Support Group Meeting
National Advanced Prostate Support Group Meeting
October 8th, Dr. Chris Langley, a Urologist with Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, presented to our group on the Contemporary Surgical Management of Prostate Cancer.
Fall has arrived and we are looking forward to a fruitful program. The following is a quick summary of some relevant information and a link to the latest National Group’s monthly newsletter
RECENT EVENTS
New Steering Committee Member and Facebook – We are very pleased to announce that Olav Kitchen has agreed to join your Steering Committee. Olav has been managing our ZOOM requirements for our monthly meetings and he is currently developing a Facebook Group for Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex. If you have any ideas for what you would like to see on a Facebook Group, please let us know. Thank-you Olav for agreeing to help our group!
VistatPrint Health/Wellness Fair – We recently manned a booth at the annual VistaPrint Health/Wellness Fair on Friday 13 September. This was a very important activity for us due to the significant printing cost savings that directly benefit us.
Life After Fifty Be-Well Expo – We recently manned a booth at the annual Life After Fifty Be Well Expo on Saturday 28 September. We also gave a presentation.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The following summarizes some of the presently known fall program activities:
Our Tuesday 8 October Meeting – Dr. Chris Langley (Chatham Urologist)
October’s monthly Hybrid-ZOOM meeting is planned for Tuesday 8 October. Our featured speaker, Dr. Chris Langley, a Urologist with Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, will present to the group on the Contemporary Surgical Management of Prostate Cancer.
After completing his urology residency training at the University of Ottawa, Langley completed a fellowship in advanced laparoscopy, robotics and endourology at McMaster University. Born and raised in Southwestern Ontario, Dr. Langley was pleased to move back to this area and join CKHA in 2023.
It is our intent to invite Chatham area folks and others across the country to this meeting. We would like to thank Dr. Sorensen for arranging this speaker.
The meeting starts at 7pm at the Hospice (Empress St.). For those who would like to attend remotely, please access via ZOOM with the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
Tuesday 12 November Meeting – Dr. Junaid Yousuf (Windsor Radiation Oncologist) – Dr. Junaid Yousuf (Windsor Radiation Oncologist) will be presenting to our group on Tuesday 12 November. His focus will be radiation options for treating prostate cancer with an emphasis on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), which was recently initiated at Windsor regional Hospital. We are very enthusiastic about hearing about this newly evolving program and the patient selection criterion. It is our intent to invite folks across the country to this meeting. We would like to again thank Dr. Sorensen for arranging this speaker.
December Xmas Party – It is our intent to have another Xmas get-together again this year, likely coincident with Legion 594’s bi-weekly all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner. We shall provide more details as we draw closer.
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (PCFC) National Conference – PCFC will be hosting a national conference on Saturday 26 October. We will be participating. Please let us know any ideas you might have on national-level strategic initiatives you feel are important. They will be looking for ideas on what they should focus on this year. Initial thoughts are advocacy/lobbying at the National and Provincial levels such as for having:
Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Grown On Campaign – Over the next two months, we will be helping out with the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Grown-On Campaign that will be raising funds for the new DaVinci Surgical Robot at Windsor Regional Hospital.
The DaVinci Surgical Robot has been a key factor in the treatment and survival of several of our members and this campaign will directly benefit local prostate cancer patients going forward. The WCCF also provides direct support to our group by helping us defray some of our operating costs. We strongly encourage our members to support the Grow On Campaign by joining our PCSWE Grow On Team at this link:
Register to fundraise – FundRazr
Please remember that Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information and help that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
Your Monthly Debrief for September 2024 (mailchi.mp)
Some of the more noteworthy points for this month include:
September’s monthly Hybrid-ZOOM meeting is Tuesday 10 September. We welcome, via Zoom, our guest speaker, Marc Seguin who is a cancer survivor, author, and motivational speaker (www.AdvocacyInAging.com). He will discuss a planning framework, allowing all to live with peace of mind, knowing affairs are well organized, communicated and ready for transition to trusted advocates.
The meeting starts at 7pm at the Hospice (Empress St.). For those who would like to attend remotely, please access via ZOOM with the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
Shine a light on Prostate Cancer
Light Up in Blue is an annual awareness campaign held every September in which landmarks and buildings across Canada light up in blue for prostate cancer awareness month.
MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT, PLEASE VISIT: https://lightupinblue.ca
September 13th
VistaPrint Health/Wellness Fair – We appreciate the opportunity to spread our “Get Checked” message once again via our booth at the annual VistaPrint Health/Wellness Fair on Friday 13 September. In addition to getting our message out to over 1,000 team members, we benefit from significant printing cost savings due to our involvement. There are three (3) shifts beginning at 4:00am – 6:00am, 9:30am – 12:00pm and finishing 5:45pm – 7:00pm.
Please offer to help out, as this has become a very long day for the few members who volunteer. Contact Garry.
September 28th
Life After Fifty Be-Well Expo – We will be manning a booth at the annual Life After Fifty Be Well Expo on Saturday 28 September. The organizers may also want us to give a presentation. Please also consider volunteering for this event as this should prove to be an excellent opportunity to get our messages out to a target-rich audience.
As we approach our summer break, it is a good time to reflect on our accomplishments the past year. It has been a very busy and productive year for us that included the addition of new members, numerous public awareness events, our participation in a major national conference, many networking opportunities, and a few social events.
With respect to new members, we were able to match up those with special needs with others who have gone through and are living with similar challenges.
Most noteworthy has been the enthusiastic participation of Dr. Sorensen, an esteemed local urologist who was instrumental in founding our group several decades ago. He has breathed fresh hope into our group this past year and we hope to continue to enjoy his enthusiasm and energy.
We would like to again welcome all new members; we hope to continue seeing you at our meetings. We remind everyone to pass on the word of our existence to anyone you meet who are impacted by prostate cancer. This word-of-mouth approach has been very effective; please continue!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday 11 June 2024 Spring Get-Together
The Tuesday 11 June 2024 meeting will NOT be held at the Hospice, but we will instead have a Spring Get-Together at Legion 594 (Howard Ave.). As with our Xmas get-together, this will coincide with that Legion’s bi-weekly $10 all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner; in the past, this has proven to be very successful and affordable. Whereas this spaghetti dinner is open to the general public in the main halls (to the right), the Legion is giving us the “royal” treatment with white tablecloths and will set up an area just for our group in the main bar area (to the left).
The spaghetti dinner opens to the public at 4:30 pm, but the first 30 to 40 minutes get pretty busy. We suggest folks show up by 5:30 when the crowds reduce a bit. Please bring pot-luck desserts, grab your ticket at the door, proceed to the bar area directly or after you grab your pasta. We have some new members, so please try and make it to this event to make them feel welcome.
SUMMER OFF
Please remember that following our Spring Get-Together, we do NOT meet in July or August. However, we remain “Open for Business” and will continue to welcome new members and support any existing members. We will also continue to provide monthly communiques to let you know what is going on.
If you are aware of any company or organization that might want a prostate cancer awareness briefing or our presence at an event, please let us know.
In the meantime, please continue to “advertise” our existence and have a great summer!
RECENT EVENTS
City of Windsor Donation to our Group – Following several briefings to City of Windsor Firefighters by Jim and Garry, the City of Windsor sent us a financial donation.
Special thanks to the City of Windsor!
WRH Foundation Golf Tournament – This fundraiser for the new Da Vinci surgical robot machine, was excellent and the organizers were sincerely appreciative of the valuable time given by our volunteers.
Motorcycle Ride for Dad (MRfD)
The Motorcycle Ride for Dad (MRfD) event was amazing as always. It is an exhilarating experience surrounded by hundreds of very enthusiastic bikers. The following Windsor
Star link provides a wonderful summary. Windsor Star ePaper
We received the following sincere thank-you message from the organizers Shane and Cori Miles:
“Thank you for everything your group did for us today. We love your help and we couldn’t have done it without your group. What amazing men!”
PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA (NATIONAL GROUP)
2024 FATHERS DAY WALK/RUN, SUNDAY JUNE 16TH
(https://www.thefathersdayrun.ca/)
Our group and others across Canada’s membership receive significant support from Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada, including:
Insurance
The availability of special groups – Active Surveillance Nationwide Support Group, Advanced Prostate Cancer Support Group, GBTQ Prostate Cancer Support Group, Partners In Prostate;
Assistance with the design of our brochures and ads;
Availability of regular newsletters, and speakers over ZOOM; and
Identification of potential speakers, etc.
They have recently announced a fundraising initiative that we should support:
Your participation with this event also helps our group directly as we can receive up to 50% of funds raised by our team to cover approved reasonable expenses relating to our group.
Participate in the Virtual Event:
There will be physical (i.e. in person) events taking place in some locations across Canada but the Windsor/Essex team will be participating in the Virtual Event. This means that you have the flexibility to walk/run whenever and wherever you want and you do not have to do it on Father’s Day. Moreover, you can create your own walking group if you wish or walk alone. The only requirement is if you are participating in the Bingo challenge (activities are printed on the Bingo card when you register) – a picture of the completed card must be sent to PCFC by June 18th.
There are two ways to participate. Both ways include t-shirt and bingo card.
Pay $35 and receive a tax receipt for $25.
Raise $100 and participate for free.
If you are interested in donating, please visit our Team Page at the following link: https://gifttool.com/athon/OurTeamPage?ID=1852&AID=4316&TID=30288
PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA (NATIONAL GROUP)
JUNE NEWSLETTER
Please remember that Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information and help that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
This time of year has been and continues to be very busy with your Steering Committee having been very active with a variety of activities and planning for upcoming events. There are lots of volunteering opportunities coming up, many entailing food. If you have a few hours to spare, please consider helping out with some of the upcoming events listed below. If you have other thoughts on events for us to participate in, please let us know.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Tuesday 14 May 2024 Meeting – Windsor Motorcycle Ride for Dad
For the upcoming monthly meeting Tuesday 14 May, Cori Miles will give a presentation on the Windsor Motorcycle Ride for Dad (MRfD) Prostate Cancer fundraising campaign. Cori and her husband (Shane) are co-chairs of this annual local event.
Established in 2000, the MRfD fight against prostate cancer is committed to help save men’s lives and improve the quality of life for men and their families living with the disease. Every year, thousands of participants, supporters, and friends raise funds for the MRfD initiatives held in communities from coast to coast to coast across Canada. Proceeds are received by its charity, the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation, to fund ground-breaking prostate cancer research and life-saving awareness campaigns to benefit the area where the money is raised.
Cori’s presentation is expected to touch on the following topics:
We hope you can join us at 7pm Tuesday 14 May. As usual, this will be a Hybrid-ZOOM event. You can meet in-person at the Hospice (Empress St.) or via ZOOM at the link below: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
Tuesday 11 June 2024 Spring Get Together
It is proposed to have another “BBQ” get-together for the June meeting. This needs to be discussed to confirm and flesh out details on a venue – possibly at Legion 594. Unfortunately, the Legion’s bi-weekly spaghetti night coincides with our June meeting. Consequently, if we choose the Legion, it would have to be a spaghetti dinner like the Xmas dinner. If the weather is good, we could have our spaghetti on the patio.
If folks would prefer something different, we can either:
Please let us know your thoughts.
RECENT EVENTS
Play for a Cure – Friday 17 April 2014
Thanks to all of you for participating in this year’s Play for a Cure event. It was another tremendous success, raising over $400,000 for local cancer research. It was also a great opportunity for us to promote awareness of our group, and get our message of “Get Checked” across to a key demographic for us.
Volunteers included Garry, Josephine, Ed, Murray, Dennis, Don, Greg, Noel, Wayne, and Steve. Bravo Zulu to Jim for taking the lead. Event organizers were very appreciative of our involvement.
City of Windsor – Firefighters
We approached The City of Windsor last year to request that we give a lunch/learn presentation to City staff. After several postponements, Sarah Fox, a Wellness Specialist in Human Resources for The City of Windsor arranged four (4) daily webinar sessions (15-20 attendees each) with Windsor Firefighters, April 23-26. The briefings went very well.
Hospice Dove Pin Campaign – Thursday 25 April to Sunday 28 April 2024
Thank-you to all who volunteered for the Hospice Dove Pin campaign. The Hospice, who lets us use their facility for free, very much appreciated the effort by all our members who helped.
CURRENT EVENTS
Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Foundation DaVinci Campaign
The WRH Foundation has launched the new campaign April 18th to raise funds for an update of the DaVinci Robotic Surgery Machine. The campaign literature (email and mail) includes Jim Fair’s story of having to go “up the road” for robotic surgery that can now be done locally. Thank-you Jim for offering to share your story with all of Windsor/Essex.
FUTURE EVENTS
WRH Foundation Golf Tournament – Wednesday May 22, 2024 at Essex Golf & Country Club
The WRH Foundation golf tournament is planned for Wednesday May 22, 2024 at Essex Golf & Country Club. Funds from this year’s tournament will once again support the Dr. Richard Boyd Men’s Health Program, specifically with funding being directed to assist with the purchase of a new DaVinci Robot for Windsor Regional Hospital. The current machine has reached the end of its lifespan and the WRH is in need of a new machine, so funds from the tournament will assist with that purchase.
We are looking for volunteers to spend about three (3) hours as witnesses for the “Hole-in-One” and “Beat the Pro contests.” The golf course is beautiful and volunteers are welcome to a nice brunch beforehand or cocktail reception afterwards.
Please let us know if you are interested in participating.
Motorcycle Ride for Dad (MRfD) – Sunday 26 May 2024
The Motorcycle Ride for Dad (MRfD) event is always amazing and all funds remain local. This has always been a fun day for all who volunteered and your day also includes a meal at the end. If you are able to help out, please let us know. Just a reminder that the event time is from 7am to 10am Sunday morning; if you are able to volunteer this year, please show up at Thunder Road Harley Davidson for 6AM. If you can’t make it that early, please arrive before 9am as the motorcycles “launch” at 10am and we are required for that.
OTHER VOLUNTEER NEEDS
We are also still looking for help such as financial manager and web-site support.
NETWORKING FOR NEW MEMBERS
The Steering Committee believes that most of our recent new members found out about our group through word of mouth. It is proposed to mail a handful of our business cards to a hockey-sock of members with a covering letter requesting that you pass on our business cards to anyone you encounter who may be interested in our group or just getting advice.
If you receive business cards in the mail, please pass on to anyone you are aware of who are touched by prostate cancer. If you don’t receive business cards, but would like some, please let us know.
PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION CANADA LATEST NEWSLETTER
Please remember that Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information and help that directly helps individuals. The following is a link to their latest monthly newsletter:
News | Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (prostatecanada.ca)
Your Steering Committee hopes that everyone is well, and having a wonderful New Year so far.
Tuesday 9 April 2024 Monthly Meeting
Our upcoming meeting is planned for a 7:00pm start on Tuesday 9 April 2024. It will be a Hybrid-ZOOM meeting; please join us in person at the Hospice (Empress St.) or remotely at the following ZOOM Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6953623178
For those attending in person, please bring pot-luck desserts if possible.
For this month’s meeting, we will view a YouTube Video presentation by Dr. Jack Barkin, on High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for prostate cancer treatment (https://youtu.be/XXI8NteEllE). HIFU is a minimally invasive medical procedure that uses ultrasound waves to treat certain conditions, such as tumors, uterine fibroids and tremor. The very high-intensity and highly focused sound waves interact with targeted tissues in your body to modify or destroy them.
Dr. Jack Barkin, the founding partner and medical director of Can-Am HIFU, who performed the first Canadian HIFU treatment in 2006, speaks about this ‘most effective, minimally invasive’ localized prostate cancer treatment. He has authored over 100 papers on different aspects of urology in medical and urologic journals, worked on over 250 clinical trials, served as a medical advisory board member for many organizations, and speaks in countries around the world.
Dr. Sorenson will also be available (via ZOOM) to answer any questions.
Future Meetings
We will be working with Dr. Sorensen for presenters for our May meeting. We also hope to have a spring BBQ for the June meeting. We had a get-together last June at Legion 594 (Howard Ave). We would welcome any ideas on this or other venues for a Spring BBQ. We look forward to seeing as many folks as possible. Please remember to “advertise” our group and meetings to anyone you are aware of that is dealing with prostate cancer.
Volunteering Opportunities
Thanks to those who offered to lend a hand at this year’s Play for A Cure event, Friday April 19th at Vollmer Centre, LaSalle. You can still show your support by attending the evening All-Star Game. Details and tickets available through this link: 2024 All-Star Game – Play for a Cure
We are still a few weeks away from some other events needing our support including:
Hospice Dove Pin Campaign – Thursday 25 April to Sunday 28 April 2024. Details and volunteer sign-up at this link: Events for April 2024 – Windsor Essex Hospice (thehospice.ca)
WRH Foundation Golf Tournament – Wednesday May 22, 2024 at Essex Golf & Country Club. This will be a fundraising event for a new DaVinci Surgical Robot Machine for the WRH;
Motorcycle Ride for Dad
Sunday 26 May 2024. Details/sign-up/pledge at this link: Windsor – Ride For Dad
If you are interested in participating in these or other events, please let us know. They are very worthy campaigns that are important to us in helping spread the word of early detection and our existence as a support group.
A few hours of your time are very valuable to us and our cause.
Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada Latest Newsletter
Please remember that Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (www.prostatecanada.ca), does an amazing job and provides significant valuable support to our group and support groups across the country. We encourage you to visit their web-site; it is a mint of information and help that directly helps individuals. Monthly newsletters can be accessed through this link:
News | Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (prostatecanada.ca)
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