CARIBOU, Maine — This holiday season, and all year long, anyone who has a car and few hours to spare can make a difference in the life of a cancer patient as a Road to Recovery driver.
The American Cancer Society is now recruiting volunteers in northern Aroostook County to ensure that all cancer patients have transportation to and from their treatments.
Whether drivers are available once a month or once a week, they can become Road to Recovery volunteers. Interested volunteers are asked to attend an information session on Thursday, Dec. 3 from 2:30-4:30 PM at Cary Medical Center’s Chan Center, located on Sweden Drive in Caribou.
What is now known as the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery service became a national program in 1983, and volunteer drivers in Maine have provided hundreds of cancer patients with life-saving rides to their treatment appointments.
Dave Clark, a Road to Recovery volunteer in Maine, has dedicated himself to helping cancer patients as a tribute to the memory of his wife who fought a long battle with cancer. “Driving cancer patients to treatment is a very rewarding volunteer experience.” said Clark. “It is also flexible. You are not tied down to a set schedule, and I’ve met so many wonderful people. We need more people to step up the ‘wheel’ and help.”
Elwin Gay of Somerville, Mass., began driving cancer patients to treatment appointments in 1949. He worked nights and drove during the day. He drove 33 years and put over 100,000 miles on his car saving lives.
For more information about the program or to register for a training session, contact Elisa Madore at (207) 462-6307 or Elisa.Madore@cancer.org.
