Some employees at Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre (GHAC) have taken February off from alcohol; other community members have joined in as well, raising $4,000 in funds in the process.
Robyn Dennis is the FASD (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder) and Child Nutrition coordinator at GHAC. Dennis took the lead on the fundraising effort which is accepting donations for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS).
Dennis says she’s done a dry month for the last three years. She had planned a dry January this year but then heard that the CCS was holding the Dry Feb fundraiser. Dennis went dry from Jan 1 to Feb. 12 when she had a beer to celebrate her 40th Birthday. People joining the fundraiser didn’t have to go dry for a full month, they could choose to go dry for a week or whatever period worked best for them.
“I found this year to be the easiest and as the weeks pass it always gets easier,” Dennis said. “Throughout the year I tend to casually drink at social events and in the company of others. It is more complex than simply not drinking. The part I find the most interesting is it makes you think and become more aware of your drinking habits, the times and places, or even the reasons, you would normally choose to consume alcohol.”
Dennis says there are lots of reasons she opted to join the Dry February challenge.
“For me personally it’s for better health,” Dennis said. “Obviously there are financial savings, and mental health and sleep. There’s a ton of health benefits to going dry, so all of those things, and just for a challenge for myself.”
Dry Feb is an initiative of the CCS because alcohol consumption does increase one’s risk of cancer.
“Research shows that drinking any type of alcohol – beer, wine or spirits – raises your risk of cancer. The less alcohol you drink, the more you reduce your risk,” CCS says. “If you choose to drink alcohol, keep it to less than 1 drink a day for women and less than 2 drinks a day for men. Don’t smoke. Tobacco and alcohol together are worse for you than either on its own.”
The GHAC team on dryfeb.ca now has 28 members and has raised over $4,000 after setting an initial goal of $3,000. If you would like to donate, you can go to www.dryfeb.ca/teams/ghac.
