Ripples in the Pond
Katy's death in 2004 has had the same effect as throwing a stone in a pond and watching the ripples spread over the surface of the pond.
Cupids Against Cancer is now in its seventh year of raising funds to support children living with cancer and their families. To date we have raised over $110,000.00. Our administrative costs and overhead amount to 3% of funds raised thanks to our team of volunteers. And our net proceeds (97%) go towards the Tip of the Toes Foundation.
Katy McDonald Youth Award
In the fall of 2003, Katy won the "Most Promising Young Photographer" Award in The Day in the Life of Burlington Photography Challenge. In 2004 that award became the "Katy McDonald Youth Award" in memory of her love of photography.
http://www.duncanandwright.ca/DayinthelifeofBurlington.html
Cancer Connections
Cancer Connections a photographic exhibit by Photosensitive had its national launch on May 20, 2008 in Toronto, Ontario where the show was exhibited in Nathan Phillips Square for three weeks. Katy’s black & white self-portrait is one of the images in this exhibition.
At our Cupids 2008 event, we auctioned off a framed print of Katy’s submission. It sold for the amazing price of $4,500.00.
The show made it’s next stop in Charlottetown PEI from June 20th to July 13th, 2008. Montreal, Quebec was the next port of call, launching at the Place des Arts on September 3rd, where it showed until September 28th, 2008.
The show has continued to grow and travel across Canada in 2009. They invite all Canadians to continue to submit their photographs in 2010. Cancer Connections currently has about 750 entries in the exhibit and hopes to reach a total of 1000 photographs when the show finishes in Ottawa in 2010. http://www.photosensitive.com/cc/
Upopolis
On Dec 12th 2007 www.Upopolis.com was launched from McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton. Upopolis is the first secure online network for kids in hospital care. The idea for this came out of two hospital stays.
Early in 2002, Katy's friend, Christina Papaevangelou was hospitalized in intensive care due to Toxic Shock Syndrome. The medical team at McMaster saved her life. Christina and her parents wanted to give something back to the hospital in gratitude. They became involved in fundraising but still wanted to do something more.Later that same year Katy was diagnosed with cancer. She was hospitalized in Toronto's Sick Kids. Being from Burlington, keeping Katy connected to family and friends was an issue because it was a long distance call from the hospital to home. Katy also missed her computer. Her Mom ended up purchasing a laptop that Katy could use by plugging into the phone connection in her room and using a dial-up service.
Katy's experience inspired Christina and her Dad to explore ways to keep kids in care connected. Together they founded The Kids Health Links Foundation and from there Upopolis evolved. McMaster was the first of the hospitals to go online. Upopolis has now spread across Canada from Halifax to Vancouver. Five childrens hospitals plus one teen health care centre are now part of the Upopollis online community. Toronto's SickKids just had their official launch on Dec 9. Telus and KHLF hope to bring the rest of Canada's childrens hospitals into the Upopolis community beginning with St. Justine's in Montreal early in 2010. Click on the following links to find out more about this project:
http://www.kidshealthlinks.org/
http://www.upopolis.com
Family and friends have been involved in many events raising awareness and funds for cancer support and research. Here are just a few of those events...
- Relay For Life in Oakville and Burlington
- CIBC Run FOR The Cure in Burlington
- YMCA Burlington Throwin' The Horns Cancer Benefit Concerts
- The Cure is Knowledge - http://www.myspace.com/skate4cancer