Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Dragon Flies Breast Cancer Survivor Group

The Dragon Flies Breast Cancer Survivor Group is a community-based organization in Lindsay, Ontario, formed in 2002 by and for women who have experienced breast cancer. Centred around the sport of dragon boating, the group promotes physical activity, emotional well-being and social connection during and after treatment. In addition to its wellness and peer-support focus, the group plays a modest but concrete role as a local funder, directing money it raises to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment initiatives at nearby hospitals.

Through activities such as dragon boat paddling, gentle yoga, pole walking and other fitness events, The Dragon Flies provides a supportive environment that encourages survivors to maintain an active lifestyle. Public events like Diva Night and an annual golf tournament serve both as awareness campaigns and as key fundraising mechanisms, generating funds that are later presented as donations to hospital foundations for breast cancer-related programs.

The organization’s mission states that it raises funds in support of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment at local hospitals. The donate page further explains that contributions support the group’s wellness programs for survivors and go toward funds given to hospitals. Website imagery documents members presenting large cheques to multiple hospital foundations, illustrating the transfer of community-raised funds to institutional partners focused on breast cancer care.

While The Dragon Flies does not operate formal grant programs with open calls or application cycles, it functions as a discretionary donor. Funds collected through community events, memberships and individual donations are allocated by the group’s leadership to hospital foundations and breast cancer initiatives in the region, complementing publicly funded health services with targeted local support.

The primary beneficiaries of The Dragon Flies’ work are breast cancer survivors who participate in its wellness, fitness and peer-support activities. Indirectly, patients in local hospitals benefit from improved or better-resourced diagnosis and treatment services that receive the group’s donations. By combining survivor-led support with financial contributions to health institutions, The Dragon Flies helps close gaps in care and fosters a visible, active survivor community that raises awareness about living fully after breast cancer.