A community fundraiser spearheaded by Rebel Rouge owner Roy Jannetta that saw people buy a toque and post a photo or video of themselves wearing it to cheer up a beloved local friend with cancer ended Saturday with a $4,000 donation to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Sadly, the subject of the fundraiser, longtime Newmarket resident Michael Norton, died Dec. 28, 2018 at Ottawa’s Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital continuing care centre after a year-long journey with cancer. He was 51.
“It’s sad that Michael passed away,” Jannetta said. “The idea of the fundraiser was to wear the toque, put up a video and cheer him up while he was getting treatment. But there’s still a bunch of us that have family and friends going through cancer and that’s why I continue.”
When it came down to the crunch, clients and others from the Newmarket community contributed $3,000 by purchasing toques, and Jannetta kicked in $1,000 of his own money for the foundation.
Representatives from the Terry Fox Run - Newmarket accepted the $4,000 donation March 16 at Rebel Rouge’s Leslie Street hair salon.
“At the end of the day, the whole goal of fundraising is to stop cancer all together,” Jannetta said, himself a cancer survivor. “We need to find a cure so we don’t keep losing friends, and don’t lose our family.”
While Jannetta’s toque campaign may be over, the longtime local business owner who has become known for his generosity and community spirit is already brainstorming ideas for his next fundraiser.
“Although some people think there is no point in donating to cancer research because they believe the funds won’t help or that there is already a cure out there, it is my hope that every little bit helps in finding a cure to this horrible killer called cancer that continues affecting our families and friends. Without hope, then we really don’t have anything at all,” Jannetta wrote in his Facebook post thanking local donors for their support.
