It wasn't just another day on the golf course. It was a day of shared purpose, generosity and hope—one that ended with a remarkable $390,000 raised to improve breast cancer care for women across southeastern Ontario.
A total of 148 women took part in the 28th annual Rose of Hope Golf Tournament, one of Kingston’s largest breast cancer charity fundraisers, held at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club on Tuesday, July 28.
“Every swing represents hope. Hope for earlier detection, hope for better outcomes, hope for survivors, and hope for health,” says Rose of Hope Chairperson Sherri McCullough. “Rose of Hope is a powerful example of what women can do to support each other.”
The money this year goes towards a five-year pledge to raise $1 million to support the Rose of Hope Clinical Chair in Breast Health. The Clinical Chair, currently held by Dr. Doris Jabs, is a vital leadership role designed to strengthen breast health services across southeastern Ontario.
As the Clinical Chair, Dr. Jabs is launching new community outreach efforts to expand breast health education and screening opportunities, as well as adopting a new online booking platform that will make breast screening appointments easier to schedule. Other initiatives she is championing include supporting the creation of a Breast Imaging Fellowship program that will train future specialists and strengthen regional expertise.
“This role allows us to look at the entire system and identify how we can make care more accessible and more patient-centred,” says Dr. Jabs. “With the support of the Rose of Hope community, we’re able to move forward on ideas that make a real difference for patients.”
Money is also being directed towards Dr. Glykeria Martou’s ROSE (Breast Cancer and Reconstruction Outcome Survey) study. The study by the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) researcher aims to gather critical quality-of-life data to help breast cancer survivors make informed choices about whether breast reconstruction is right for them.
For tournament participant Cheryl Burwash, Rose of Hope is more than a day of golf. She credits the tournament with saving her life.
A few years ago, at the Rose of Hope, Cheryl heard a woman talk about the importance of regular mammograms. Cheryl decided to book an appointment, which started her regular two-year breast cancer screening cycle. Two years ago, her mammogram found a small cancerous lump in her breast. But because of the screening, it was caught early, and today she is cancer-free.
“If I hadn't heard that speaker talk about the importance of getting regular mammograms and staying on that screening cycle, I probably would have kept putting it off,” says Cheryl. “Hearing that message brought the importance of screening to the forefront for me. It made all the difference.”
Last year’s Rose of Hope tournament raised $285,000. Over the span of nearly three decades, Rose of Hope has raised $4.3 million to help people in Kingston and across southeastern Ontario fight breast cancer.
Although the tournament is over, passionate community members can still help advance breast cancer care by donating through the group’s fundraising page at www.uhkf.ca/RoseOfHope or by contacting University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.