Surrey, B.C. (January 9, 2025): For the first time ever, volunteers who drive cancer patients to treatment appointments throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley covered more than one million kilometres in a single year, according to the Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society (VCDS).
The service is complimentary, no matter how frequently the appointments are needed, and are provided by a well-organized group of volunteer drivers using their own vehicles.
“The grand total was 1,000,138 kilometres as the new year arrived, almost four times the distance to the moon. It’s an impressive milestone representing the care and compassion of volunteers dedicated to helping others in their communities,” says Bob Smith, president of VCDS. “The cancer patients in need of our support for trips to appointments continues to rise. Our volunteers provided a record 38,386 patient trips in 2024, and we’re forecasting that number will reach 42,000 this year. As our population ages, the rate of cancer increases and the need for transportation to care will continue to expand.”
Recruiting additional drivers is an ongoing undertaking for VCDS, which was first established almost a decade ago, and has grown steadily since. “With the growing need we are constantly seeking more volunteers to help drive these patients who often have no other way to get to their appointments. We provide a small allowance for our drivers’ car expenses based on distance driven.”
“We are working to fund our program with charitable support this year of just over $700,000. Donations and grants are a key lifeline for us and we are grateful for the assistance from organizations and individuals alike to help cover costs,” Smith adds. “Our annual end of the year fundraising campaign was stalled of course by the postal strike, so we hope people, service clubs, foundations, municipalities and corporate sponsors will step forward to keep our essential service responsive to the ever-increasing needs of the cancer patients in our communities.”
Complete the application on the website: volunteercancerdrivers.ca. A volunteer will contact you to arrange your engagement and organize the training and orientation.
Incorporated as a not-for-profit society in 2016, VCDS is an all-volunteer registered charity with 459 volunteers including drivers, dispatchers, and the VCDS board.
Drivers are “service-to-others” minded and able to make Monday to Friday clinic times using their own vehicle to provide door-to-door patient service.
VCDS drivers come from a wide range of backgrounds, predominately retired and often with a link to family, friend or personal experience with cancer.
Drivers are offered a vehicle allowance of $.58 per kilometre
As a community-funded service we are entirely reliant on our volunteer efforts to generate donations and grants from foundations, corporations, patients, the public, municipalities, first responders, service clubs and associations, and importantly from our own volunteer members.
© 2016 – 2023 Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society