B.C.’s Ismaili women raise over $66,000 to help fight cancer

The Ismali Women’s Cancer Support Group recently held its Salama Gala

The Ismaili Women’s Cancer Support Group held its 2nd annual Salama Gala on Saturday, April 9 at the Executive Plaza Hotel in Coquitlam. The group raised over $66,000 to bring more cancer awareness in the community and remove the stigma once attached to this disease. The support group was started in 2002 after a needs assessment revealed an urgent requirement for such a forum to serve women affected by cancer. This was a collaborative initiative with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). This peer support group welcomes women affected by cancer – cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. Six facilitators, rigorously trained under the aegis of the Canadian Cancer Society, lead the group.  In 2003 the group formed a team, Team Salama, to participate in the Relay for Life. Salama means being well, safe and at peace in Swahili.