Heartless Cruella DeVil plans on changing her spots this week when, along with her 101 Dalmatian teammates (a.k.a. area developmental service workers from Tayside Community and Residential Options), she will participate in the local Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life event at the Lombardy Fairgrounds in Ontario from June 10 to 11. This is the first year the developmental service workers, who are members of CUPE 4474, will field a team in the annual relay event.
The fund-raiser, says Annalienne Venuta, a case worker who supports disabled adults and who is also president of CUPE 4474 at Tayside, “is a symbol of struggle and survival, something that the majority of the individuals with developmental disabilities and their families we support do on a daily basis. The relay is also about the importance of collective action to do something positive and to celebrate overcoming adversity.”
This year, the Tayside—101 Dalmatians group—who are calling themselves The Advocates, will be running on behalf of a resident in one of Tayside’s group homes who has cancer.
“She is one of those courageous people who is fighting to beat cancer. We are running for her,” says Venuta, who will be one of the 11 CUPE 4474 members in costume as part of the Wonderful World of Disney theme for this year’s 12-hour relay.
The CUPE 4474 members have been collecting pledges for the last few months and have surpassed their fund-raising goal. Currently, the team has raised over $1,600.00.
For more information, please contact:
Annalienne Venuta
CUPE 4474 President
(613) 812-3103
Stella Yeadon
CUPE Communications
(416) 559-9300