July 15, 2008
Ottawa Chapter helps build cancer survivors park
LO’s Ottawa Chapter members donated both product and time to help build a portion of Ottawa’s Cancer Survivors Park, an exciting project that brought together leaders from the Ottawa business and construction communities.
Under the leadership of Richard Rogers, members committed time, effort and finances this past winter to the project. This is only the second park of its kind in Canada, and promises to be a place of inspiration and beauty in the heart of Ottawa.
The idea for Cancer Survivor Parks across North America was spearheaded by Richard and Annette Bloch. Through his own ordeal with cancer, the late Richard Bloch came to understand that people die from cancer needlessly because they do not try to fight the disease. Instead, they equate cancer with a death sentence, or see treatment as worse than death, which makes them give up. Bloch wanted Cancer Survivor Parks to encourage people to fight with everything they have — getting second opinions, exploring all options for treatment and living with a positive attitude. In the late 1980s, Richard Bloch fought and beat colon cancer. He died of heart failure in 2004 at the age of 78.
Located on 4.5 acres at the busy intersections of Alta Vista Dr., Industrial Ave. and Riverside Dr., this park will offer a place of serenity and inspiration to cancer survivors, their friends and families. Ottawa’s unique and inspirational park will feature the Tree of Life, Shine (a spectacular sculpture that depicts the struggles along the path to successfully overcoming cancer), a wall of honour and survivor testimonials.
LO’s Ottawa Chapter gratefully acknowledges all the companies and people who contributed: Nelly Vile of Canlok Stone and Mike McIntyre of Unilock for donating the interlock, Richard Rogers of RJ Rogers Landscaping, for spearheading the effort, and all of the following for volunteering their day during this busy time of year: Geoff Pratt, Brian Myles, Thomas Kennedy, and Kyle Larocque, all of RJ Rogers Landscaping, Pat Mulrooney of Geosynthetic Systems, Sharon and Chris Urquhart, Colin Brand, Mitch Bloomfield, Dylan Lamb-Palmer and Danny Massie, all of Green Unlimited, Sonja Hirsig and Patrick Fournier, both of Hirsig Landscapes, Tim Watson and Kyle Smiley, both of Mr. T General Contracting, Luc Tourangeau of Dan R Equipment, Jennifer Pierce, an Algonquin College student, Tim Kearney and Ryan Kearney, both of Garden Creations of Ottawa, Tim Dyer of Kings Creek Trees and Lynn Lane.
Watch for the grand opening of the park in September 2008. For more on the park, visit www.cancersurvivorspark.ca.
Caption: LO volunteers help create the Cancer Survivors Park.
Under the leadership of Richard Rogers, members committed time, effort and finances this past winter to the project. This is only the second park of its kind in Canada, and promises to be a place of inspiration and beauty in the heart of Ottawa.
The idea for Cancer Survivor Parks across North America was spearheaded by Richard and Annette Bloch. Through his own ordeal with cancer, the late Richard Bloch came to understand that people die from cancer needlessly because they do not try to fight the disease. Instead, they equate cancer with a death sentence, or see treatment as worse than death, which makes them give up. Bloch wanted Cancer Survivor Parks to encourage people to fight with everything they have — getting second opinions, exploring all options for treatment and living with a positive attitude. In the late 1980s, Richard Bloch fought and beat colon cancer. He died of heart failure in 2004 at the age of 78.
Located on 4.5 acres at the busy intersections of Alta Vista Dr., Industrial Ave. and Riverside Dr., this park will offer a place of serenity and inspiration to cancer survivors, their friends and families. Ottawa’s unique and inspirational park will feature the Tree of Life, Shine (a spectacular sculpture that depicts the struggles along the path to successfully overcoming cancer), a wall of honour and survivor testimonials.
LO’s Ottawa Chapter gratefully acknowledges all the companies and people who contributed: Nelly Vile of Canlok Stone and Mike McIntyre of Unilock for donating the interlock, Richard Rogers of RJ Rogers Landscaping, for spearheading the effort, and all of the following for volunteering their day during this busy time of year: Geoff Pratt, Brian Myles, Thomas Kennedy, and Kyle Larocque, all of RJ Rogers Landscaping, Pat Mulrooney of Geosynthetic Systems, Sharon and Chris Urquhart, Colin Brand, Mitch Bloomfield, Dylan Lamb-Palmer and Danny Massie, all of Green Unlimited, Sonja Hirsig and Patrick Fournier, both of Hirsig Landscapes, Tim Watson and Kyle Smiley, both of Mr. T General Contracting, Luc Tourangeau of Dan R Equipment, Jennifer Pierce, an Algonquin College student, Tim Kearney and Ryan Kearney, both of Garden Creations of Ottawa, Tim Dyer of Kings Creek Trees and Lynn Lane.
Watch for the grand opening of the park in September 2008. For more on the park, visit www.cancersurvivorspark.ca.
Caption: LO volunteers help create the Cancer Survivors Park.