PHOTO: Golfer and cancer survivor John Raymond waves as he heads out to the golf course.
Despite heavy rain and soggy conditions, 148 golfers came together at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club for the sixth annual Power of Hope Golf Tournament, raising an impressive $205,000 for prostate cancer care.
The latest fundraising total brings the tournament’s six-year contribution to $945,000, helping support prostate cancer treatment and the A. Britton Smith Q. C. Robotic Surgery Program at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).
For many golfers, the event is about much more than a day on the course. It's an opportunity to support a cause that has touched their own lives, and, for some, to give back while they are navigating their own cancer journey.
That includes organizer Ken Thompson, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March and recently underwent 25 radiation treatments. While awaiting follow-up testing, Ken continues to play golf and help organize the tournament.
He’s helped organize the tournament for years, and now the fundraising efforts he has helped lead are benefiting him directly.
“You’re out there to help people, and now it’s coming around, and you’ve helped yourself,” Ken said.
Ken had been involved with Power of Hope before his diagnosis, inspired by fellow organizer Mike Laframboise, a prostate cancer survivor who benefited from the da Vinci surgical robot at KHSC.
In 2019, Mike was one of the first patients to undergo robotic prostate cancer surgery. He said the results were amazing, as he was walking the next day with minimal pain. Today, KHSC is recognized as Canada’s leader in robotic-assisted colorectal cancer surgery, and the program has steadily expanded to include colorectal, gynecologic and thoracic surgery.
For Mike, the Power of Hope began as a way of saying thank you for the care that helped him through his own cancer journey, while helping ensure other patients could benefit from the same technology.
“We don’t own anything on Earth. We’re just renting. And organizing this tournament is like paying the rent for me,” Mike said. “I’m paying back for the fact that I’m still here, thanks to the da Vinci surgical robot.”
The Power of Hope’s fundraising has helped support robotic surgery at KHSC. The hospital now has two state-of-the-art da Vinci surgical robots, which can be used for a range of procedures, including prostate cancer treatment.
John Raymond, another prostate cancer survivor and member of the Power of Hope organizing committee, also launched his own fundraising campaign in support of the cause. He initially set a goal of $5,000 but quickly surpassed it, raising more than $8,000.
“That's paramount, raising funds for a cause that I feel deeply about,” John said. “And Power of Hope is also a fun day I get to spend with my son and friends.”
Even with the rain, the Power of Hope remained what it has always been: a day of friendship, golf and, most importantly, hope for people affected by prostate cancer.