For the month of August, the Express reached out to Sally Makin, a volunteer and long time resident of Vanderhoof.
Makin along with other community members organize Golf Fore The Cure every year and this year it is being held on Wednesday, August 26. She said this project started off with the prime aim of raising money for the oncology department in Vanderhoof and for the funds to stay local.
“All of us have someone who has been affected by cancer. If it’s not breast cancer, it’s liver or prostate, or others, so its a cause close to everyone’s heart. And then its easier for people to support it. And when the money stays locally, that’s even more huge,” Makin said.
A South African Doctor called Karen Muir who was in Vanderhoof at the time before Golf Fore The Cure began, had breast cancer, Makin said.
“She was young and in South Africa she was sort of our hero. You know how here in Canada, every little boy’s hero is Wayne Gretzky. She was our South African hero. She was the youngest person in the world to hold an Olympian world record. She was a swimmer.”
“She came to Vanderhoof as a doctor and everyone just adored here. She was pure goodness personified.”
“She got breast cancer and was having treatments here at the Oncology department and we would drop by with stuff for her. And while we were hanging out there, we met nurses and after we spoke to them we realized they needed comfortable chairs, and we were just about to have a 4-ball scramble in our ladies night. So we thought - if we make some money, they we would be able to give that to the Oncology department and they can buy something specific.”
Which is where Golf Fore The Cure began.
Makin said the community has always been very supportive, with multiple residents messaging her about items they can donate for the auction.
Other than Golf Fore the Cure, Makin has been a Kinette in the past, she volunteers for community events, like the yearly Clean-Up. She also participates in fundraisers and was in the Crohns and Colitis awareness walk on Sunday, Aug. 23.
In terms of hobbies, Makin likes to bike, walk, canoe, kayak, golf, yoga, quilt and scrapbook.
Sally Makin and her husband Dr. Mike Makin moved to Canada from South Africa in 1986 and were in Vanderhoof in 1987.
“We were only supposed to go for four months and then go back to South Africa. We just really liked the Canadian people, their way of life and the small town living,” she said.
READ MORE: Vanderhoof’s Community Builder: Heather Floris, head nurse at St. John Hospital
Aman Parhar
Editor, Vanderhoof Omineca Express
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.com
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