BVI Cancer Society gets historic donation

The BVI Cancer Society (BVICS) has received its largest single donation to date — a cheque for $62,525 from CIBC Caribbean.

The funds were raised by the bank’s 2023 Walk for the Cure campaign, hosted to bring awareness of cancer and to support BVICS’s work in the community. 

The funds generated from the campaign will be used primarily to assist with the purchase and maintenance of equipment used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. 

They will also be used to provide assistance, care and counselling to patients and their families as well as to raise awareness, and stress the importance of early detection, through education campaigns across the region.

“We are exceptionally proud of the progressive success of the Walk for the Cure – from the incremental funds raised each year to the enthusiastic response from the private sector in supporting such a worthy cause. We are truly grateful to the businesses that dug deep and joined us as sponsors to become the mainstay of the monies raised, and to the community members who participated in the various Walk for the Cure campaign events throughout the year,” said Fabian Devonish, Walk Manager and Acting Country Manager at CIBC.

Gloria Fahie, President of the BVICS, expressed appreciation for the bank’s “unparalleled dedication and commitment” to help combat the prevalence of the cancer in the BVI.

“Cancer is a battle that requires not only medical expertise but also financial donations, resources and support from our community,” said Fahie. “The bank’s steadfast support has been instrumental in helping the cancer society in providing much needed services and assistance to those affected by cancer. Their contributions have truly made a significant impact on the work we do and their continued partnership is critical.”

There is growing concern about the prevalence of cancers in the community. According to a National Health Insurance report, there were an average of 41 new cases of cancer each year for the last six years with an average of 14 deaths per year. 

From 2016 – 2020, the NHI recorded 462 new cases with 74 cases recorded in 2022. A recent BVI news report revealed that in three years, over three hundred people were diagnosed with various cancers in the BVI.

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