Women of Selkirk raise $15,000 for Run for the Cure

Some of the 30 team members from Women of Selkirk team at the annual CIBC Run for the Cure in Simcoe on Sunday. 

Chris Abbott

Editor

Heidi Van Dyk, CIBC Run for the Cure volunteer in Simcoe, was excited to announce this year’s local Friends and Family Team Challenge Award winner, recognizing the top fundraising friends and family team that has excelled in fundraising.

“This award celebrates the families, friends and loved ones who rallied together, support one another, and help make the Run such a meaningful day for our breast cancer community,” said Van Dyk Sunday at Lions Park.

“This year’s team rocked it,” Van Dyke smiled. “Like full-on amazing. I am delighted to announce that the 2026 Friends and Family Team Challenge Award goes to the Women of Selkirk. They raised over $14,000. Congratulations and thank you.”

Team captain Wendy McIsaac, from the Selkirk area, remembers starting the Women of Selkirk on April 1, 2024.

“It’s very rural – so I thought it would be nice for women to meet women, make friends, and have fun, and that’s the whole motto of our group,” said McIsaac.

 “It has grown – we have 571 members now. 

It’s not just Selkirk, we love everyone, and we do really fun things as a group.”

McIsaac had suggested the Run for the Cure in their first year, and five women stepped up, raising $1,800.

“One of the questions we asked one day was ‘How many of you know someone who had breast cancer?’ 

Every single one of us did. So we became very passionate about it.”

In their second year, seven Women of Selkirk participated, raising $3,000.

“This year we have 30 women walking and we have raised $15,000. Amazing. It’s absolutely mind boggling.

“We live in such a turbulent time right now, there’s so much ‘nasty’ going on in the world. It’s nice when there is a connection, and love, and caring, and wanting to give back to your community. It still lives.”

Women in Selkirk also organize a Christmas dinner, which last year fed 271 people.

“If it can bring a smile to your face, why wouldn’t you do it?” asked McIsaac, who credited her ‘sister captain’ Fiona Dawson for her huge contributions. 

“She’s been phenomenal,” said McIsaac. “She has raised so much money herself, she’s been amazing. Honestly, we would never have raised as much as we raised if it wasn’t for her. She is a godsend.”