LISTOWEL – The costs associated with going through cancer treatments can be staggering. Tami Cressey has seen this firsthand when it comes to her sister, Ang Stratton, and is looking to make things more manageable for her with a fundraiser planned next month.
‘ANGtravaganza’ will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 at Between The Lines Sports Campus and the Listowel Squash Courts on Rocher Road. The fundraiser will feature a wide variety of both family and adult activities throughout the day, with all proceeds being directed towards Stratton, a 38-year-old single mother from Listowel.
Stratton was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. After successful treatment, she had been in the clear and in remission for five years before the cancer returned and metastasized in December 2021. Her now Stage 4 breast cancer is not curable but treatable, with frequent trips to Grand River Hospital in Kitchener required, and the bills are adding up.
“Financially it’s been a struggle for Ang for a while,” said Cressey, owner of Diana Sweets Restaurant. “People with Ang’s diagnosis typically don’t work. Her oncologist and her medical team do not want her to work; she’s a single mom and she doesn’t have a choice, she doesn’t have health insurance.
“If we can take a little bit of financial pressure away from her, then she can just concentrate on her health.”
Stratton was forced to give up an office job and take on another with more flexible hours so that she could schedule appointments around her treatments, which had been going well up until August of this year.
“I started feeling sick more often, exhaustion was at a record level. Just getting out of bed and getting dressed was an impossible task most days,” wrote Stratton in a social media post earlier in the fall. “If you are going to support a non-profit breast cancer organization this year, please do me a favour, and support cure-based research. I do really believe there is better, there is a cure, there is something better we can do than to simply poison the cancer out of us.
“For now, I’ll continue to take what I can get to keep me alive and continue to dream of a day when we don’t have to.”
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 21, family-friendly events will be highlighted, including bubble soccer, a ‘bouncy house,’ balloon animals, batting cages, gymnastics, face painting and court activities split between the Squash Courts and Between The Lines. Admission will be by donation.
At 4 p.m., the King and Queen of the Court tournament will commence, with participants playing a game of badminton, pickleball and squash to determine who will be crowned the event’s royalty. This is a licensed event, with the cost to play in the tournament $25 per person. Cressey said that even if you have never played any one of the three court sports, previous experience is not required with the objective just to have fun and support the cause. Participants are also encouraged to dress up in ‘something goofy’ for the tournament.
Food trucks will also be on site, as well as a silent auction table.
“Not only is it going to be a really great fundraiser, it’s going to be a really fun day,” said Cressey, adding that the event will be a terrific way to break up the winter monotony following the holiday season. “We’ve got all kinds of great stuff planned for the day. It’s also about awareness and education, and just bringing the community together.
“Hopefully we’ll have lots of people out.”
‘ANGtravaganza’ is also seeking sponsors, with information available through Cressey by calling 519-496-5567 or emailing tami@dianasweets.ca. Online registration for the King and Queen of the Court tournament will be forthcoming through BTL’s website at https://www.betweenthelines.ca/. The Listowel Squash Courts can also be reached online at https://listowelsquashcourts.ca/.
