Fiona McGarry-Gatzke started making jewelry as therapy for her hands, after the nerves were damaged during chemo. Her husband Kelly thought maybe they could sell it and raise a $1000 for cancer research.
Five years later, the couple has raised $275,000 in what's become the Pink Warrior phenomenon. Kelly says the "grassroots movement" continues to gain recognition across Canada.
A Pink Warrior is Fiona's vision of a cancer survivor. Their website sells t-shirts, cookbooks, and even sunglasses for the cause. They have also attracted sponsors and volunteers, and hold fundraisers across the country.
"We believe every dollar we raise is one step closer to a cure and we never know what step that's going to be," says Fiona. She has had breast cancer, two brain surgeries, and suffers from 20 seizures a day.
"Our whole hope in initially starting it up, I hoped that we could do something so other families wouldn't have to go through what we did," says Kelly.
They run Pink Warrior out of their home, and have turned the small idea into a phenomenon. The foundation donated $75,000 Wednesday to the Synchrotron's research into pediatric brain tumors, one of the most common and deadly cancers in children.
Now, others in the country are continuing the fundraising. On Thursday, certain Subway stores are donating half their sales to the Pink Warrior Foundation.
