In the summer of 2022, member of the Knowlton community and entrepreneur Jaime Moar received a call from her medical clinic to inform her that the results were in from a biopsy that was done for a lump on her neck. With the support of her husband, Moar went to the clinic to speak with her doctor who diagnosed her with lymphoma. 

After multiple tests, she was specifically diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s follicular lymphoma, a blood cancer that, according to her doctor, she will have for the rest of her life. Two months later, her father was diagnosed with the same type of cancer. 

Following her diagnosis, a friend of Moar suggested that she reach out to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) to take part in a program where the organization matches diagnosed individuals with a volunteer that have a similar type of cancer. It provides people with the opportunity to share their stories and to help answer questions that others may have.

Taking part in the program twice since she was diagnosed and developing that relationship with the LLSC, Moar’s friend reached out to her at the end of January to ask if she wanted to be a candidate for “Visionary of the Year,” one of the organization’s major fundraising campaigns. Not one to shy away from taking on new projects, Moar immediately said “yes.” 

Starting March 23, Moar will be coordinating various fundraisers throughout the Knowlton and/or Brome Lake area to raise money for the LLSC. Over the next 10 weeks, her “soft goal” is to raise $25,000 and her “stretchy goal” is $50,000, but she hopes to surpass that amount with the help of her community.

“I was just fully on board to leap into this huge fundraising effort, which I am by no means an experienced fundraiser. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but you know when you’re just guided to say yes to something because it just feels so right? (…) It just felt like the right move to make,” said Moar. “I’ve heard that blood cancers have come so far in terms of their treatment and the hope in anyone’s diagnosis. They’ve come so far in the last 15 years that there’s no doubt that it’s going to come far in the next 15 years.”

Moar added that by doing this fundraising “we can be a player” in furthering progress.

“I say we because the community has already come together so strongly. We can be a player in making that move even a little faster perhaps or for the treatment to come a bit further even so that maybe the cancer that I have right now, they say I’ll have it forever, maybe it won’t be forever eventually. I can only move ahead in that way by taking action with this fundraiser and cultivating this hope,” she told CIDI. 

The “Visionary of the Year” fundraising campaign is a competition between other candidates across Canada, but they all have the same cause at heart. 

“I believe there is eight or ten of us and we actually kick off on Thursday morning, March 23. We’re having a kick-off at 9 a.m. where we will get to be introduced. (…) Ultimately, we’re all raising money for the same great cause right? So the competitive aspect helps flare things up a little bit for people,” mentioned Moar. 

Moar noted that another reason why she became a candidate was to “bring some light to Knowlton or the Lac-Brome area.”

“I really thought it could be a way to bring some visibility to the town. I’m doing these events over the next 10-week period and I just wanted the businesses to feel some of the effort from this as well,” she said. “I am such a supporter of other entrepreneurs and other small businesses I felt like this could go hand-in-hand with that and bring in that positivity.”

The first of her series of fundraising events will kickstart the evening of March 23 at the Knowlton Pub for a “Light the Night” walk.

“This was actually suggested to me by fellow blood cancer survivor Miranda Cote that lives in Knowlton. She did a lot of fundraising for “Light the Night,” which is another fundraiser the LLSC does more-so in October. She said ‘it would be fun if you almost did a little mini version of this Light the Night.’ (…) Paula Santerre who manages the Pub has kindly offered to collect some lanterns and lights that people can purchase and the money will go to the cause. (…) I wanted to kickoff at the Pub in hopes that maybe after we can have a drink and support the Pub for that night at least,” explained Moar. 

A silent auction will be held at the Lakeview Inn in Knowlton on March 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (bids need to be in by 8:45 p.m.), there will be a live crystal sale through the Instagram page of business Le Loom on March 30 at 6 p.m., Shane Murphy will be performing at the Thirsty Boot on April 7, there will be a dinner and auction at Le Sapin on April 22, and more. 

“Those are the events so far. We have those four lined up to kick-off and then we’ll have more in May. (…) At this point we’ve got a lot that we have kinda taken on. It’s been a lot of work I have to say. Like I said, I didn’t know what I was getting into, but it’s for a great cause so I am happy to volunteer this time and energy,” said Moar. 

To hear more about the upcoming events and how to support the LLSC listen to the full interview below: