The Cancer Treatment Foundation received over 315,000 euros in donations in March and April, with nearly 80 people obtaining help. However, we received significantly less money than we spent. This is due to the persistently high number of incoming patient applications.
For example, for every euro that the foundation received as a donation in April, we paid up to three euros in medical bills – meaning one euro came in and three went out. In total, the foundation contributed nearly half a million euros to the health of Estonian people in just two months.
The following is a summary of the foundation’s work in March and April.
March began with the Riigikogu elections. We collected donations on election night at the events of all of the parties contesting the election. In addition, donations were made at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year gala, the anniversary concerts of Propeller 40, the Postimees newspaper’s opinion leader lunch, the Tallinn Craft Fair at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, the Kõigi Eesti Laul concert, the Rural Fair, the Eesti Ekspress Conference 2019 “The Audacity To Do Things Differently” and at shopping malls and other venues all over Estonia.
In April we collected donations at the Estonia National Opera. During the intermissions of nine performances the audiences donated nearly 2800 euros in support of cancer patients.
Among those whom we supported in March and April were ERR sound engineer Toomas Kaur, a man who has been responsible for the sound of the news show Aktuaalne Kaamera for many decades; Raivo Nõmmiksaar, a 38-year-old father living in Viljandi County; Ott Paakspuu, a father from Saaremaa; Nadežda Sutõrina, a dance teacher from Narva; Jaanus Vallau from Muhu; and Jekaterina Ago, a mother. In recent months, many young people and parents in their 30s and 40s who have underage children and even some toddlers have been among those in need of help.
We attended a round table at the Estonian Health Care Museum organised by the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Estonia. We were presented with a report, according to which Estonia has serious problems with accessibility to new anticancer medication – in the sense that in Estonia, the state (the Health Insurance Fund) compensates medication poorly compared to many other European countries and the journey of the medication from arriving on the market to being added to the list of the Health Insurance Fund can take years.
In March, the foundation’s CEO Katrin Kuusemäe went to Rakvere High School of Sciences to talk about the Cancer Treatment Foundation and charity with students in Grade 1A. In April, the founder and director of the foundation met with members of the NGO Saaremaa Vähiühing in Kuressaare.
Recently, a gentleman called the foundation who said he wanted to make a donation. He asked for the bank account number of the foundation. He said he himself wouldn’t be making the donation, but his neighbour. The neighbour’s dog was said to have bitten him and he demanded that his neighbour pay 150 euros in compensation. The neighbour took responsibility for his pet and agreed to pay. The gentleman asked his neighbour to transfer the money to the foundation instead, since he himself didn’t want it.
Just the other day a young lady named Margit from Nõmme called us. She said that she and her boyfriend Meelis had set up a small ‘cancer treatment foundation’ of their own a few weeks previously in their home. Every time they get into an argument, they must pay a ‘fine’ to the foundation! At first it was 5 euros per argument, but that “didn’t work.” The price per argument was raised to 20 euros. Last night in Tallinn’s city centre, Margit handed 100 euros over to the director of the Cancer Treatment Foundation, Toivo Tänavsuu. She was surprised herself that in such a short time they had already had so many quarrels!
On 16 April alongside the Estonian Association of Parents of Child Cancer Patients (EAPCC) and the charity fund My Dream Day, we launched this year’s Charity Duck Rally, which culminates in a family event and race on 8 June in Kadriorg Park. We invite you all to support children with cancer and their families. The racing ducks (more specifically racing duck numbers) can be bought for yourself, your family, employees or your company online here.
Circle K has been supporting the foundation’s mission for several years. Since the start of 2018 the company and its customers have added a mighty amount of donations to the foundation – nearly 65,000 euros! Nearly half of this was transferred to the foundation in March. We remind you that you can contribute to the foundation at various Circle K service stations in cash and using a bank card.
It is worth getting a coffee from Carmen Cafe because 10 cents from every coffee purchased will support cancer patients. You will have this opportunity until the end of 2019. In Tallinn, Carmen Cafe can be found in the Rotermann Quarter (Roseni 5), on Kentmanni Street (Kentmanni 4) and at the Film Museum (Pirita tee 64).
Professor emeritus Hele Everaus, a member of the Supervisory Board of the foundation, is a newly elected member of the Riigikogu.
After a year’s break, a permanent donation box for the foundation is back at the passenger terminal at Tallinn Airport.
Võhma Valgusevabrik (Võhma Light Factory) has launched a candle campaign that will donate 15% of the sales price of their products to the foundation. “Our range includes a newcomer – an aroma candle called THINK PINK,” the company says. “With sales of this product we will be offering people the opportunity to support ‘The Gift of Life’.” The candles are on sale in their store in Võhma, in the factory’s online store, in Decora in Tartu and at the Konsum grocery store in Haapsalu.
Given that the foundation is receiving an exceptionally large number of patient applications at present, we continue to invite Estonian people and companies to support the fight for the life of cancer patients, even if by way of a small standing donation. Every euro is extremely important and gives people hope, health and life. A standing order can be set up in just seconds online here.