Survivor Thrivers History
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​IN THE FALL OF 1998, DOROTHY HAMPSON, A RETIRED TEACHER AND A  BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR IN COBOURG, HEARD ABOUT THE SUCCESSFUL, YET UNUSUAL, EXERCISE INITIATIVE DR. DON MCKENZIE STARTED, A VANCOUVER BREAST CANCER TEAM, ABREAST IN A BOAT. DOROTHY CONTACTED LOCAL SURVIVORS THAT SHE KNEW, WHO IN TURN CONTACTED OTHERS AND TOGETHER THEY FORMED THE SURVIVOR THRIVERS IN 1999 AS A NON-PROFIT, CHARITABLE  ORGANIZATION.  WITH STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS, SERVICE GROUPS AND BUSINESES, WE RAISED ENOUGH MONEY TO COMMISSION OUR OWN BOAT, TO BE BUILT IN MILLBROOK, ONTARIO.  BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS CAME FROM COMMUNITIES ALONG LAKE ONTARIO AND TO THE NORTH, LEARNING TO PADDLE SIDE BY SIDE, WHILE DEVELOPING THE SPECIAL BOND THAT CAME FROM SHARING A LIFE-THREATENING EXPERIENCE. OUR PADDLING SKILLS AND STRENGTH DEVELOPED QUICKLY THAT YEAR. WE EVEN MANAGED TO GET SOMEONE UP ON WATER SKIES!

​                                                     WE WENT TO MONTREAL FOR OUR FIRST FESTIVAL. THE TEAM IS PICTURED BELOW; 

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FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: JEAN KERR (COBOURG), CAROLYN TAYLOR (GRAFTON), MARY COLLIN (PETERBOROUGH), KAREN HONSBERGER (PICKERING), MARG LIGHTLE "ROSE" ( COBOURG), GAIL BATT (PORT HOPE), LESLIE WEATHERBY(COBOURG), BARBARA BLANEY (COBOURG)
​MISSING FROM PHOTO: BETTY WAKELY (PORT HOPE)