Cathy Murphy is one of our loyal supporters from TD Canada Trust. Knowing that people usually have a strong connection to the causes they support, I asked Cathy where her connection to Young Adult Cancer Canada originated. Here is what she said:
For me, I am very much connected to cancer, having lost a very precious sister to the “C” word. I knew I always wanted to be up close and personal, and involved in the cause but hadn’t found the group that I wanted to devote my time and energy to, so here’s how I became involved with Young Adult Cancer Canada.
I have an 18-year old son, Chad, who had to write a paper in the seventh grade about a guest he would invite to Thanksgiving Dinner, living or dead.
Initially, he wanted to invite a hockey player. I suggested he research and try to find a local hero. He picked Geoff Eaton (who is also a huge hockey fan). The paper was wonderful, very heartwarming, and he got top marks. From that moment, I always felt connected to Geoff even though I had never met him.
Some years later in 2006, Geoff had a friend who works for TD Canada Trust in PEI, and he had asked his friend to help him look for some sponsorship from TD Canada Trust on a local level. An email came in to the Newfoundland TD Canada Trust team to see if one of us could connect with Geoff. Well, within two minutes I answered the email to offer my services both from an individual perspective, and as well as working on their behalf to get some support at the corporate level. I then went to my peers to get as many of them involved as possible. Carson Chafe, another TD Canada Trust manager, also jumped on board.
Our TD Canada Trust Team have been extremely successful in building support for YACC, in particular with their annual golf tournaments and, most recently, for the 2009 Shave for the Brave event. I truly love my connection and relationship with YACC. It also makes me proud to know that my employer has supported what’s important to me. My son is now also a volunteer for YACC, and I know this has made him a much better human being. I so respect Geoff Eaton’s desire to take his illness and use it to devote the rest of his life to raising awareness and helping young Canadians deal with this dreaded disease that touches so many.
I would like to end with this quote: “Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves” (James Matthew Barrie, Author of Peter Pan). I know this is true in my case, and I truly see it works for Geoff Eaton. It’s amazing to watch his passion for this cause!
