January 29, 2025
The phone rings at Central Plains Cancer Services. It’s a patient who needs a ride to Winnipeg for cancer treatment.
The non-profit then gives one of its loyal 125 volunteers a call.
“It gives me a sense a purpose,” Bernie Wright said.
Wright has been volunteering with Central Plains Cancer Services for 14 years. He got involved after his wife died of cancer.
Wright used to be involved in the restaurant industry but now finds joy in volunteering during his retired years.
“Every morning I look at my book, who am I taking today, where are we going and away we go,” Wright said.
Central Plains Cancer Services provides services to support the quality of life for people affected by the disease.
“We are getting people from rural areas to major cancer centres or to cancer programs throughout the province for their lifesaving treatments that they need,” Central Plains Cancer Services executive director Sharilyn Knox said.
The organization is based in Portage la Prairie, but serves over 70 rural communities in Manitoba. It offers rides to those needed treatment for just $30, as well as providing other programs.
“We are really looking at the whole person and doing wellness retreats, we’re doing yoga for cancer patients, aquafit, we have head-covering programs,” Knox said.
Knox says they really try and bridge the gap between rural and urban care. Central Plains Cancer Services operates solely on donations and fundraisers, and the generosity of volunteers like Wright.
“As long as I have a vehicle, a driver’s licence and my health stays good, then I can keep on doing it,” Wright said.
He finds purpose in helping make the difficult road of a cancer diagnosis just a little bit smoother.
