The first time Langley resident Ashley Samborski and his father, Gerald, raised $5,000 to help a family with the financial burden of battling cancer, it took them about two years.
They raised it selling yellow T-shirts with an “ef cancer” logo that can be read two ways, one unprintable and the other as initials that stand for “everyone fights cancer.”
The second time out, it’s taken just 11 months to reach their goal.
“It came together a lot quicker,” Samborksi told the Times.
“It’s just everyone chipping in.”
Among the contributors are Andrew and Julia Sors of Abbotsford, the first family to benefit from the campaign in December 2015.
Now that they have the amount they require, the Samborskis are looking for someone new to help.
“I’ve put out the message that we’re looking for a family.”
They have a few names already, but anyone who wants to make a suggestion can do so by emailing ashsamborski@gmail.com.
They hope to make a choice by February.
Ef cancer was created to honour the memory of Adeline Samborski, Ashley’s mom and Gerald’s wife, who died in 2013 following an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Her photo is the first thing visitors to the website www.efcancer.ca see when they log on.
On the same page, Ashley Samborski talks about the emotional and financial costs of the disease.
“Before this experience with cancer, I never really knew what people being affected by the disease went through,” he said.
“I missed a lot of work and the bills kept coming.”
And he was far from the only one.
“While in the hospice, it was hard not to notice that so many people were going through a similar experience. I thought about what some families out there must be going through with a sick child. All I knew was money shouldn’t be adding to stress during times like these.”