Fire departments, Kiwanis collecting for Doernbecher

This Saturday and Sunday, motorists and customers at the Cathlamet Market on Main Street and the Chevron Station on SR 4 will encounter volunteer firefighters and emergency responders in uniform asking for donations for the Kiwanis Doernbecher Children’s Cancer Research Program (KDCCP).

Fire and ambulance crews from the Cathlamet Fire Department (CFD) and Wahkiakum Fire Protection District 4 (FD4) are teaming up with Kiwanis Club of Cathlamet members to raise funds used to hire post-doctoral level cancer research specialists at OHSU’s Doernbecher Cancer Pavilion to defeat deadly cancers in children.

At the Kiwanis Club’s meeting February 4 at St. Catherine’s Church potluck supper meeting, Kiwanis Division 42 Lt. Governor Chuck Angelico told the gathered Kiwanians, firefighter commanders, and Wahkiakum High School Key Club members about the KDCCP’s contributions to saving children’s lives.

“Cancers that killed 80 percent of kids 20 years ago now have a mortality rate of 10 percent, and it has been generous donations to the Kiwanis-sponsored research that have saved kids’ lives," Angelico said.

Cathlamet Kiwanian Dick Swart described how recent discoveries in human genome science has enabled the Doernbecher researchers to carefully craft a treatment plan specific to each child’s genetic code, instead of …”flooding their little bodies with toxic chemicals and hoping one of them works.”

Anticipating a question about how many Wahkiakum County kids had been treated at Doernbecher, Swart said federal confidentiality rules limited what can be revealed, but that Doernbecher had released a statement in 2012-13 mentioning about four dozen treatment events.

"I bet everyone here from Wahkiakum County knows of at least one kid who has benefitted,” he said.

The fire commanders expressed enthusiasm for being able to participate in the 2014 campaign and vowed to beat the 2013 Boot Drive donation of $4,586.

The Wahkiakum High School Key Club, Kiwanians, and friends donated gift baskets that were auctioned off to benefit Doernbecher. Proceeds will be announced in the post-Boot Drive news story next week.

Kiwanis is a worldwide volunteer charitable organization devoted to serving the children of the world, starting with our own community. Questions about the Kiwanis Doernbecher Cancer Research Program may be referred to Dick Swart at (360) 261-8585. Questions about the Cathlamet Fire Department may be referred to Chief Fred Johnson at (360) 795-3367. Questions about Fire Protection District #4 may be referred to Chief Jim Wilson at (360) 795-3781. Questions about the Wahkiakum High School Key Club may be referred to Jeff Rooklidge, (360) 795-3271.