Volunteer Janice Milligan strives to promote health in area

Article content

Last week, a team of cyclists rode through the area between Edmonton and Whitecourt on an annual mission, going from Texas to Alaska to raise funds for cancer services.

Article content

The Texas 4000 team was welcomed by area residents, including Janice Milligan, whose volunteer work has benefited Whitecourt.

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

Others from the region, including Mayerthorpe, may have also benefited if they’ve ever gone to the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre, shopped at the Repeat Boutique or attended Party in the Park.

“I’ve always been a volunteer; people need help, they need support,” Milligan told Postmedia. 

When she was younger, Milligan said she volunteered as a hospital candy striper, assisting with various tasks or visiting patients.

“I couldn’t afford to donate money, but I could afford to give my time,” she said.

Milligan currently volunteers for the Friends of Whitecourt Society, which raises funds for the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre through the Repeat Boutique thrift store.

Article content

“It’s amazing what Friends of Whitecourt do for our local hospital,” Milligan said.

Milligan has volunteered at the Repeat Boutique for about four years, since she retired from Servus Credit Union.

She added that the Friends of Whitecourt Society has supported the Whitecourt Cancer Fighters, another organization she volunteers for. The two groups share an interest in health matters.

Other volunteer work Milligan has taken on is more varied. For the Town of Whitecourt, Milligan has pitched in at the Party in the Park music festivals.

“Usually, I’m stuck in a booth selling merchandise,” she said.

“Just about anywhere that needs help, I can go help.”

Milligan actively volunteers for cancer patients

Milligan has been volunteering for Whitecourt cancer patients for more than 10 years, beginning with the Whitecourt Cancer Fighters in the 2010s. She explained she’s had family members who passed away from the disease.

Article content

The Cancer Fighters ran the Boob Tours to raise funds for the Whitecourt cancer society, with the dollars ultimately going to support local patients.

Milligan said the Boob Tour was a large annual event, hosting comedians who performed for cancer fundraisers across the country.

A Boob Tour could sell 400 tickets, and it became a fancy occasion, Milligan recalled.

“The first few years, I worked at the bank, and people would line up at the door at 8 a.m. to buy tickets because we would sell out within a couple hours,” she said.

Around a couple years ago, the Cancer Fighters merged into the Whitecourt Cancer and Wellness Society, Milligan said.

The Boob Tours stopped in Whitecourt after 2019, with Milligan saying the society now hosts smaller pub nights.

Article content

The pub nights have fewer attendees with about 100 to 120 guests, and the events feature pub food and beer. Milligan said the events raise funds through ticket sales and raffles.

“Every cancer patient in Whitecourt who sees a cancer doctor or nurse receives $500 in gift cards for groceries and gas, and we cover all parking when they have to go to hospitals,” Milligan said.

“We have up to $1,500 a person can apply for to help them with expenses; it’s costly.”

Last year, the society distributed approximately $45,000 to 23 Whitecourt patients.

This year, the Texas 4000 team that rode from Edmonton to Whitecourt on July 2 had 19 riders, Milligan said.

“It always amazes me because they’re so young; the oldest is 21,” Milligan said. “They enjoyed it, and we had good local sponsors.”

Article content

After the cyclists arrived on July 2, Milligan said they stayed at Whitecourt Taekwondo’s facility, and they commented that was the first time they’d been hosted by a dojang.

Whitecourt Taekwondo members performed demonstrations for the cyclists, and the Texas 4000 team then joined a board breaking competition, Milligan said.

“It’s amazing how much energy they had after riding from Edmonton,” she added.

The Texas 4000 members each raise funds for cancer supports before taking off from Texas; Milligan said they reach out each year to inquire about accommodations.  The cyclists don’t ask for funds from local residents.

Last year, the Texas 4000 cyclists stopped near West Mountain Road in Woodlands County, and the year before that they stopped at the Whitecourt Legion.

We love where we live, and throughout the summer, we are running a series of stories that highlight what makes our communities unique and special within Canada. Follow along with “How Canada Wins,” right here

bquarin@postmedia.com

Article content