John Daniels receives prestigious cancer volunteer award
Published: May 20, 2005
John Daniels is described as a 25-year, Canadian Cancer Society volunteer, who is a great role model, someone who goes the extra distance for the society and for people living with cancer.
His commitment to the Society is one he takes very seriously. He doesn’t often stop to think about helping out, it’s second nature. If there’s a job that needs to be done, John will do it. If someone needs a hand with something, John will help out. And, if an event needs to be co-ordinated, manned, chaired, plugged or supported ñ you guessed it, John’s your man.
But when it comes to being recognized in a public setting for his commitment to the Canadian Cancer Society, he doesn’t even recognize it’s him you’re speaking about. You can list 25 years worth of achievements, and he doesn’t realize you’re talking about him. He is far too humble for this.
He sat at the luncheon for the Hamilton-Wentworth unit’s volunteers, listening to a speech about the Canadian Cancer Society’s Award of Achievement in Volunteer Leadership, and until almost the end, he believed it was for someone else.
And, if you ask him if he will consider being interviewed for the community to read of his achievements, he’d prefer not, and he’ll only agree on the condition that the “article focus on volunteering in general, not me.”
Yes, John Daniels is a humble volunteer, more than worthy of the prestigious award presented to him earlier this spring. Mr. Daniels epitomizes everything a volunteer should: he freely undertakes, he is more than willing to help and he acts by choice ñ selfless in his commitments.
The award itself recognizes an individual “who is a role model and mentor to fellow volunteers; who demonstrates commitment in supporting the Society’s values, supports and encourages effective communication and idea sharing; consistently demonstrates responsibility for the development and encouragement of his volunteer team; fosters good relationships with volunteers and staff partners; and acknowledges diversity and proactively supports inclusion of all volunteers to reflect the community ñ John exemplifies this.”
A Mountain resident, retired Hamilton Police Service officer and now Mohawk College instructor of Police Studies, he quietly reflects on the years. He started volunteering some 30 years ago, mostly in sporting circles, such as the International Children’s Games. He organized the Terry Fox run locally, and in 1997, he was the City of Hamilton Volunteer Award recipient.
In the 1970s, he was diagnosed with a serious, aggressive form of cancer, his lymph nodes were attacked. Two years of chemotherapy followed, at a time in his life when he had two babies at home, with his wife. At the time, he didn’t know if he’d live to see them grow up. Fortunately he did.
He remembers the volunteers from the Canadian Cancer Centre. He recalls their compassion, and how much it meant to him to be in touch with them during his journey to fight cancer.
Afterward, he started to volunteer with the Cancer Society, first working on events, then becoming president of the Hamilton Unit, council fundraising chair, graduating slowly to running events, such as the Relay for Life, and eventually helping to create and establish the Linc as the site of the Great Ride ‘n’ Stride event, one of the most well-known and well-attended events to help the local chapter meet its fundraising goals each year. He is currently co-chair of the Relay for Life and has been since 2000.
“It’s really a grassroots organization ñ it’s quite remarkable what the unit accomplishes,” Mr. Daniels says, once again, focusing attention on the Society, rather than himself. “They have 2,400 volunteers, and only six paid staff in the office. Because of that, for every $1 raised, 94 cents of it goes directly to research and to the patients fighting cancer. That’s what I like about the organization.”
For instance, at committee and council meetings, the people around the table supply their own Timbits and sandwiches, it doesn’t come out of the pockets of the people who give money at the door-to-door campaign in April.
That’s why, last year for example, the Canadian Cancer Society committed $72 million directly to research in Ontario and toward enhancing the quality of lives of those living with cancer. After government contributions, it makes the Canadian Cancer Society, the number one contributor to research.
“That’s pretty significant,” he added. “That’s money coming from ordinary people giving at the door, through the daffodil campaign or the relay or the great ride and stride, not third part events. In 1982, there was a 15 per cent chance of survival from cancer. Today, there’s an 85 per cent chance.”
The Hamilton Chapter alone, he’s quick to point out, raised $170,000 through canvassing alone; another $85,000 from daffodil sales; some $211,000 on the Relay for Life and another $120,000 at the Great Ride and Stride. In Hamilton alone, adding in money that is willed, golf tournaments and various other fundraising ventures, the total raised last year was $1.2 million.
“That’s why I’m self-conscious,” he noted. “Think of the 70-year-olds, or the retired guys, driving the patients to their appointments. To be singled out is kind of awkward.”
He points to the individuals, who hold full-time jobs, have families, “busy, busy people” and still volunteer, as the people who deserve to be recognized. He said there are almost 150 volunteers at the Juravinski Cancer Centre alone, that’s 13,000 person hours. Or take the 85 volunteer drivers who clock nearly 1/4 of a million kilometers each year.
“I know a lot of people, a lot of police officers who work crazy shifts, and whenever I asked them to help, they say yes.” These days, he’s asking his students, who, he adds, are also willing to volunteer.
Never one to quit asking, Mr. Daniels only hopes this newspaper will suggest people consider volunteering for the organization.
“I just want to say, that there is so much that people get out of volunteering,” he said. “I talk to retired guys and I say, ‘hey, how are you doing?’ Sometimes they say they’re kind of bored, don’t have anything to do. I tell them about the Cancer Society. It’s easy and it’s something they will never regret ñ 905-575-9220 to volunteer.” He rhymes the number off like it’s his home phone number.
According the Canadian Cancer Society’s Hamilton Unit manager, Catherine Lundy, John is the guy who always says yes.
“John’s a fabulous volunteer, very hands on. He puts his heart into everything he does for us, but he never wants to take the credit for it. He always says ‘We work as a team, here at the cancer society,’ and we do.
“John’s always willing to take things on, and a wonderful ambassador for the cancer society. I was really happy that he was nominated and that he was given this award. He doesn’t like recognition, he’s very humble that way.”
Well, dusk is around the corner. Mr. Daniels is off for door-to-door canvassing for the Cancer Society. You can probably find him somewhere in the parking lot of Lime Ridge Mall on May 29 ñ it’s the Great Ride ‘n’ Stride, and you can bet, he’ll be riding around in one of those white golf carts, looking to help out somewhere, with something, or somebody. That’s what makes him who he is ñ you better believe he’s a volunteer to be proud of.
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