About the Foundation:
For many years, until she retired, Betty Riel worked in Huntingdon as a cashier clerk. She knew so many people who were ill and needed treatment for cancer. It was her dream to start a fund to pay the commute trips from our area of the Monteregie into treatment centers in Valleyfield, Chateauguay, and Montreal where the patients had scheduled appointments. Volunteers from SA
BEC accompany the patient driving and waiting during appointment then returning the patient home. This service removes the need for friends and family to lose time at work in order to have transport for the patient to the treatment center during chemo and radiation. Betty and her husband Gilles started the Walk-a-thon to raise money for their goal of transporting cancer patients to their appointments. Both Betty and Gilles shaved their heads to increase awareness of their project. Money began to fund a few trips for cancer treatment and with the growing interest, more and more people helped raise money and eventually the Riels were able to fund SABEC for the first ten trips for treatments needed by each of the cancer patients. Betty's liason is the transport service of SABEC that provides volunteer drivers who are available to take patients to all medical appointments for reasonable fee insuring that everyone can arrive safely without worry when they most need transport to care facilities. Raising funds has been a challenge for the Riels; the Huntingdon area has been plagued with money being tight for locals due to the shut down of the main mill industry several years ago . The community has rallied through these times to increase the trust fund. It has sufficient donations to furnish funding for ten rides for each of the cancer patient clients needing transport to treatment appointments. Betty herself is not a driver but on many occasions will go with the driver and patient and stay through the day to offer her support to the patient during the travel and the time spent in the waiting room. She shows amazing compassion in personal involvement to anyone needing help and reassurance. The lasting effect of Betty's effort to insure transportation for patients to their treatment appointments is the relief of part of the burden to families with a member suffering cancer. For these families it is easier knowing that SABEC is funded by the Betty Riel Foundation, for transport to ten treatments. Having this service to transport the patient helps lessen financial worry and stress of managing how to find a ride to the city during this crucial time. Having this service allows everyone to focus on patient recovery.
