WATERLOO, ON –
Customers who made a pit stop this summer to purchase the “Drive Hope” coupon books that were sold at Jiffy Lube and Suds Car Wash locations across the province made a meaningful difference in the fight against cancer. More than $104,000 was raised through the sale of these coupon books in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Wheels of Hope patient transportation service.
Wheels of Hope helps cancer patients in Ontario who truly have no other way of getting to and from cancer-related care or who can’t afford the costs associated with travelling.
“I could not fathom having to take my sick little boy on public transit to get him to treatment. Being able to use the Wheels of Hope service took a tremendous weight off my shoulders,” said Kelly, single mother of a childhood cancer survivor. “
I could not have gotten through this experience without the support from the Canadian Cancer Society and its volunteers. It meant so much to me that people donated their time and vehicles to get us to treatment.”
Last year, the Society’s team of more than 2,600 Wheels of Hope volunteer drivers drove almost 11 million kilometres across Ontario. These volunteers helped almost 11,700 cancer patients get to more than 220,000 cancer-related appointments.
“Every day, we hear from people who are in need of the Wheels of Hope service. They tell us that the service is a ‘godsend’ or that it saved their life,” says Martin Kabat, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario. “Thank you to Jiffy Lube, Suds Car Washes and to everyone who bought a Drive Hope coupon book. Your support means so much to patients who rely on this vital service.”
Wheels of Hope is the largest volunteer-provided transportation program of its kind in North America. Typically, a registered patient uses the service 10 to 17 times on one-way trips during the course of their treatment.
“We knew that our customers would support Wheels of Hope and we believe it’s our responsibility as well to give back to the communities we operate in,” says Dianne Hinds, Director of Marketing for QLO Management Inc. and Suds Car Washes. “Together, Suds Car Washes, Jiffy Lube and our amazing customers will continue to assist local cancer patients with every kilometre of their fight.”