The Friends of Gilda's is a group of volunteers located in the Halifax Regional Municipality who are dedicated to bringing Gilda's Club to Nova Scotia. Gilda's Club is a non-clinical, psychosocial and emotional support program affiliated with the Cancer Support Community (the international leader in psychosocial oncology research and program development), named for comedian Gilda Radner. Gilda Rad
ner, most famous for her work as an original cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1986. In her book It’s Always Something, Gilda describes her experience with cancer, and how important finding a community to learn from and share the cancer journey with was to her. Through her participation in a social and emotional support community, Gilda describes regaining her life back outside of the hospital, and instilling both hope and the sense of belonging that were lost during her cancer treatment. Gilda Radner passed away in 1989, but her contribution to those affected by cancer did not. In her memory, Gilda’s Club Worldwide was established in New York City, which has helped communities all across North America benefit from psychosocial and emotional support. In 2009 Gilda’s Club Worldwide partnered with The Wellness Community, which combined the knowledge, resources, and expertise of two organizations dedicated to psychosocial oncology into one: The Cancer Support Community. The Cancer Support Community has since grown into an international leader in psychosocial service delivery and research with 59 Clubhouses and Communities established across the United States, Canada, Japan, and Israel, with partners in the Philippines, the UK, and India, as well as opening the Cancer Support Community's Research and Training Institute in Philadelphia.
