Baking for a Cause: A Labour of Love

“I Don’t Know What We Would Have Done Without the Cancer Lodge.”

Debbie first learned about the Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge while flipping through the resource binder given to every cancer patient at the start of treatment. At the time, she and her partner, Andre, were overwhelmed – facing a new diagnosis, long travel from Wainwright, and the fear of the unknown.

Their first trip for treatment meant staying in a hotel near the Saskatoon Cancer Centre. The added expense was significant for Debbie, who was unable to work. The guilt and stress were crushing.

“I was stressed out to the max. The Lodge was so amazing. I do not know what I would have done without it.”

When she discovered the Cancer Patient Lodge, everything changed.

“It felt like staying at a friend’s house. They welcomed us like they had known us for years.”

For $40 per night, including meals, the Lodge lifted a financial weight Debbie had been carrying alone. But what mattered even more was something less tangible: a sense of belonging.

Each morning, she and Andre shared breakfast before he drove her to treatment. While Debbie spent long days at the cancer centre, the Lodge staff packed her a lunch “just in case.”  Andre found comfort talking with other caregivers – people who understood what it means to stand beside someone you love going through cancer.

“It is one thing to go through cancer yourself. It is another to watch your loved one go through it. The Lodge gave Andre support too.”

Evenings were spent in the common room, visiting with other patients and families. Those conversations, simple and honest, became a lifeline.

“I am forever thankful for the Lodge and their amazing staff for making my cancer journey so much more manageable.”

A Labour of Love: Turning Pies Into Hope

After Easter 2025, Debbie knew she wanted to give back.

She began baking Easter pies – beautiful creations topped with pastry bunnies and flowers – and donated every dollar to the Cancer Patient Lodge.

She hoped to raise $200.

She raised $866.

This year, she raised $1,000.

But something else happened along the way. As she sold her pies, Debbie found herself connecting with people who had also stayed at the Lodge or had loved ones who did. Story after story, she was reminded just how many families rely on this place during the hardest moments of their lives.

“Once people heard what we went through, they wanted to help. I do not know what we would have done without the Lodge. If they could help us in our hardest time, then I can help them now.”

Debbie plans to make her Easter pie fundraiser an annual tradition. It is her way to ensure that when the next family arrives, overwhelmed and uncertain, the door is open… and they are welcomed like friends.