Childhood cancer diagnoses are likely one of the most challenging experiences a family can navigate.
When the unthinkable happens, however, the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Group ensures that families don’t go through the process alone.
Until September 10th at 10 p.m., the community is invited to help raise funds for the organization (and enjoy delicious foods and a vibrant online community) through its 2025 Dessert/Meal Auction on Facebook.
The fundraiser also coincides with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
A developing tradition
Naomi Fehr, the chair of the Candlelighters, said the online auction began as an adapted project when the group couldn’t hold in-person fundraisers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We started doing a lot of awesome things for families who have a child diagnosed with cancer, and then once in-person events started up again, we didn't want to have to cut anything, so we added this auction,” she said. “That way, we could continue to support families who have a [palliative] child.”
Candlelighters assists families in a variety of ways throughout the journey of childhood cancer diagnoses.
The organization sends care packages, supplies snacks, hot meals, and goody bags to families with a child in treatment.
It also provides bereavement packages and assistance with funeral costs, in addition to other support.
An auction like no other
When it comes to the auction that helps fund the services, the structure is straightforward: Community members post food items that they are willing to donate for the fundraiser, and others bid on the mouthwatering items.
“We've got so much food,” said Fehr. “There are cookies, canned items, muffins .... We've got some ribs, you name it, and it's probably there.”
One of the highlights of the auction, which Fehr said always includes entertaining posts and a sense of community, is a “surprise cake” up for auction by Steve “Bubba” Peters, who already has a history of raising funds for children’s initiatives in the Pembina Valley.
The fun, Fehr said, is part of the reason that the auction remains on Facebook.
“A lot of people have said, ‘Why don't you move this to an auction site or an online site?’” she said. “[It’s because of the] sense of community here. There's just nothing like it — you see the bantering between friends or [friends] trying to get each other to outbid each other. It's just really a lot of fun, and we love watching it happen.”
A personal connection
Fehr said that “it’s amazing” how much the auction raises.
“You think, ‘Oh, I'm just donating a 9” x 13”,’ and the next thing you know, it's over $200. That’s huge, so it's not like a typical bake sale would work. People overpay for things, but they know the cause behind it.”
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The chair added that she herself has approximately forty items in the auction, for which her friends sometimes poke fun at her.
She doesn’t mind the ribbing.
“I think it's a good thing .... When you believe in something yourself so much that you're willing to put your own cost into it, I think it speaks for itself,” she said, adding that she hopes to provide services to families that her own could have benefitted from when a childhood cancer diagnosis touched her home through her son, Josh.
“The more we can do, the better,” she said.
Celebrating Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
According to Fehr, the auction’s alignment with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is no accident.
“We try to do as much as we can in September just to bring a little bit of light to childhood cancer,” she said. “I think everybody kind of knows it exists, but I don't think people understand ... how much a diagnosis like this can impact a family.”
Fehr said that the financial burden of the diagnosis is one of the significant hurdles that families encounter.
Whether cancer touches a one- or two-income home, she said that often, parents are forced to stop working so that one can accompany their child in the hospital while the other parent stays at home with the rest of the family.
“It's a tough go, and we just want to make sure that we can shed as much light on it as we can and do as much as we can to support these families,” she said.
A supportive community
Although Candlelighters helps with situations that are quite grim, there is some light in the community's continued support for the organization.
Fehr said that Candlelighters has been “blessed” by the support it has seen from the region.
“A lot of our donations and everything come from the Pembina Valley and a little further, and we're grateful for that,” she said. “I think people see the passion that's behind this group.”
Fehr added that the cancer support group consists of volunteers. Since the organization does not have paid positions, more funds go directly to families navigating cancer diagnoses.
She said that the organization strives for transparency and “being a good steward” of the funds that it collects, so anyone with inquiries concerning the allocation of donations is invited to reach out to support@manitobacandlelighters.org.
“We don't have to do what we're doing, ... but we see what these programs mean to these families, and it's just unbelievable,” she said. “We're so glad that we can offer support. We want to do it for as long as we can.”
To get involved with the Candlelighters 2025 Dessert/Food Auction, click here.
With files from Robyn Wiebe