Like most great endeavours, FIFI began with an individual and an idea…
With a name like Paddy, one shouldn’t be surprised that the champion of FIFI has an abundance of friends, a passion for golf, and a propensity towards fun. Paddy is a self-proclaimed “broad”! At 5-foot nothing and sixty years on, she found herself wealthy with an abundance of love from family and friends, and both the fitness and freedom to enjoy her favourite sport: the game of golf.
But Paddy found herself feeling restricted by the convention of playing in a golf foursome. After all, she had too many friends to only enjoy them 3 at a time in a golf-foursome. Three? Why stop at 3? So Paddy put the word out, “I’m planning a fun-only, girls-only golf day! Consider it an invitational. ALL our female friends are invited!”
Paddy planned to pull out all the stops and spoil her gorgeous gals at one of the region’s premier golf courses; Westwood Plateau. Within days, her usual foursome grew to 50 gals and Paddy took pause. A wee invitation and now 50 giggling club-swinging babes were more than game to get in on the day? Imagine the mayhem, the belly laughs - the FIFI buzz was building!
But with one of their friends in the throws of her battle with cancer, Paddy wondered, “Maybe with so much energy and friendship between us gals, we could find a way to give a little back, do something tangible to help.” She hated to presume, but thought, “If we collected, say $10 a person, we could donate $500 to the Cancer Society.”
“Now wouldn’t that be something!”, Paddy mused.
So, encouraged by Nico, her husband, Paddy set out…to make a few more calls!
But those 50 gals weren’t able to contain what Paddy had started. Even non-golfing gals wanted in on this playful day of joy and hope. At the end of their first day of laughter, putts, and martinis (?!), they were 225 strong at the dinner party(!), those broads overtook The Plateau, and together they presented the Cancer Society with a cheque for over $12,000.
And so it began - FIFI, an ever widening circle of gals inviting their female friends to play and be part of…something more. The next year – and they all knew there would be a next year - it would be a cheque for $35,000. And by the following year, 300 gorgeous gals and beautiful broads would put their pennies together to raise $55,000 for the cause. In 2007 we added another $60,000 for a 4 year total of over $160,000.
Fitting of Paddy’s vision and FIFI’s goals, donated monies are specifically directed to fulfill at least “one wish” each year from the Wish List of the Centre for Integrated Healing. And FIFI provides small but important points of comfort, like fresh flowers each week to the Centre. FIFI monies also support the Cancer Society’s Emergency Fund to pay for accommodations, airfares, medicines, and the essentials of families during their dire hours of need. And of course, the lion’s share of FIFI donations go to researching effective treatments.
So, in case you still struggle to understand the spirit of FIFI, one final question: What would you wish for if cancer suddenly entered your life? No doubt, your list would be filled with important matters. But pause and ponder for just a moment. Certainly, a day out with your best friends laughing, being spoiled, and yet somehow giving back would make most of our wish lists. FIFI asks us not to wait! FIFI generously offers this most special day each year to hundreds of female friends. And for this, we gals are all grateful and we truly savour our day together!