Linda Moore, who is determined to help her friends while still fighting cancer, was honoured this month by a Mr. Mikes SteakhouseCasual Deeds Well Done award.
She was selected as one of 10 winners across Western Canada to receive $1,000 to donate to the charity of her choice, plus a $100 Mr Mikes gift card — the second person from the Cowichan Valley to receive the award.
Moore was all smiles over the idea of being chosen by her friend, Paula Agnew.
“I try to help out when I can. I don’t do a lot as far as volunteering in the community right now but I do give to the food banks and the Salvation Army and try to help out when I can,” Moore said.
“I think part of the reason she nominated me was I’ve got stage four colon cancer. I’ve done my treatments and I’m waiting for surgery. But I’ve always been there for my friends, even going through what I’m going through. I was diagnosed back in July. I’ve kept a positive outlook. I don’t have a choice but to be positive about it. It’s going to be a good outcome even though my income was cut in half,” she said.
She and her friend, Paula, are both on limited incomes, she said.
“Paula had to sell her car at one point and I’ve tried to help out if she needs rides or stuff like that. Even other friends, I like to try to help them.”
But despite the challenges she’s faced, Moore always finds the energy to be generous and her friend Paula obviously thought that was worth a nomination.
Agnew said: “She has always made time for me. I have been in some tough mental and financial hardships, and she’s always there for me. She drives me to appointments, to the store and once she had to wait an hour and a half for me while I was at the food bank, with her young grandson in the car. She never complained, she just made sure I got what I needed to survive a few more days.
“And if she isn’t doing all of that for me, she takes me out for coffee and drives, just to make sure I get out of the house once in awhile. So despite her own suffering from chemo and radiation treatments, she makes sure I am okay! That is truly an unselfish act.”
Moore said, “I was very touched when she nominated me.”
Moore’s known for her upbeat attitude.
“I try to be. I’ve raised my two girls on my own for the last 16 years. I also had other health and family issues. It’s just been one thing after another. But my theory is always positive brings positive; negative brings negative. Now I have a six year old grandson who is the apple of my eye and I want to be here for him, too. I’ve got things I still want to do. I’m not done yet.”
Moore had a choice on where to send her $1,000 donation.
“My dad and I both have heart issues. It was a real toss-up. Do I do cancer? Do I do heart and stroke? Or do I do Alzheimer’s? So, I chose BC Heart and Stroke Society,” she said.