April 18 – 24 is National Volunteer Week. The theme of this year’s special week designed to celebrate Canada’s volunteers is “The Value of One, The Power of Many”. Individual volunteer contributions, collected as a whole, are what power the COF’s programs, enabling us to fulfill our mission of enhancing bone and joint health for all Canadians.
When volunteers come together for a common purpose much can be accomplished. Thank you to our passionate team of volunteers who support us in so many different ways:
Former orthopaedic patients provide support through Ortho Connect, a peer support program that matches orthopaedic surgery patients with volunteers who have had similar surgeries. These volunteers lessen the anxiety and isolation that some patients experience prior to surgery.
Teams of surgeons and researchers volunteer their time and expertise to serve on Review Panels to adjudicate the grant applications we receive, helping to identify the top research projects for funding. As the COF’s grants program continues to grow, our reviewers are working extra hard.
Surgeons and other health professionals on our Medical and Scientific Review Committee are tasked with ensuring our patient education resources remain current, and helping us to create new resources to support patients through their orthopaedic care journey.
Community volunteers organize fundraising events (such as our Saskatoon Hip Hip Hooray! walk, local Step Challenge events and our Bad to the Bone golf tournament, re-imagined to virtual formats in 2020). Funds raised by these volunteer organizers are critically important to our ability to deliver COF programs.
Our Board of Directors – a team of dedicated professionals and surgeons who volunteer to lead the COF – works all year to uphold their fiduciary responsibilities. Working virtually, Directors from across Canada get together by teleconference to approve the budget and monitor finances, approve research grants, and assure that the strategic plan is being implemented and programs carried out. Read the profiles of our dedicated Directors, led by President and Chair of the Board Dr. Pierre Guy.
To all of our volunteers, THANK YOU for spending your time and donating your skills to the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, and for demonstrating your commitment to our vision: Pain free mobility for all Canadians.