Bow River Gas Boobees make big impact for cancer society

Advance Photo Courtesy of https://bowrivergas.ca

By Heather Cameron
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Bow River Gas Boobees raised $18,276 during their participation in the Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure Lethbridge event.

The CIBC Run for the Cure Lethbridge event took place on Oct. 4 at Henderson Lake Park from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and involved an opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m., walking, running, rolling, or strolling either 1 km or 5 km starting at 10 a.m. Following the walk, there was a Canadian Cancer Society barbecue. According to the event’s Facebook page, the total amount raised at the Lethbridge event was $111,604.

“It’s a very, very emotionally impactful day with the walk and the speakers,” said Cindy Gertzen, general manager of Bow River Gas Co-op Ltd. in Vauxhall and a member of the Bow River Gas Boobees. “We’re just happy to be a part of it and we were extremely happy about how much money our team was able to raise. And we are so grateful to the people who donated to us. Cancer has touched all of us and so, anything we can do to help put funds towards research is great.”

The Bow River Gas Boobees Team, Gertzen explained, consists of four members: herself, Marilyn Forchuk, Brenda Meier, and Jodi Welsh. The team was named Bow River Gas Boobees after the Bow River Gas Co-Op, and to also highlight breast cancer.

Bow River Gas Boobees first walked in the event as a team in 2023, Gertzen stated, and although they didn’t raise a lot of money, they did win the women’s challenge. Ultimately, the Bow River Gas Boobees elected to walk again in 2024’s event and ended up raising $12,707. Unfortunately, the team was unable to walk in 2025 due to outside commitments, but they returned in 2026, and they plan to walk again in 2027 if life allows.

“We’re super proud of ourselves and our donors,” said Gertzen. “We have a very caring and wonderful area. They’re super committed and people are very generous. We’ve all been touched by cancer, so fundraising for it is near and dear to our hearts and as we get older, you become more aware of it.”

More information about the Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure can be found at: https://support.cancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=RFTC_NW_home.