Cancer Mugs

When I was in art school, I studies ceramics for a while. I liked it and, the more I worked at it, the better I got. As students, we produced copious amounts of "sometimes beautiful, sometimes functional, sometimes not" bowls, vases, plates, cups, mugs, pots, etc. As a cancer survivor, I came up with the idea of donating handmade mugs to the BC Cancer Agency Foundation's gift shop in order to help raise funds for the cancer hospital. If my idea was successful, maybe it could become an ongoing thing! Excited, I spoke to my instructors, then I spoke to the hospital foundation and everyone loved the idea. I pitched the idea to the students in my class and put posters up around the ceramics studio asking for donations of handmade mugs to help raise money for the BC Cancer Agency. We set up a couple of shelves in one of the studio cabinets and labeled the cabinet clearly so folks would know where to leave their finished mugs. We ended up with a small but nice selection of mugs and even some of the instructors – all talented ceramic artists – donated a few mugs as well. On the Friday that I went to the studio to pick the mugs up to take them to the hospital gift shop, most of the mugs were gone, including every single mug that the instructors had donated. As I stood there, box dangling from my hand, wondering how this could have happened, the ceramics tech came by and told me that I should have locked them up. At the time the ceramics studio was card-access only (burning hot kilns and some highly toxic ingredients for making custom glazes made this a necessary safety protocol) so only a small group of students, instructors, techs and the maintenance staff had access to the studio; I figured that was enough security to keep the mugs safe from random thieves. Besides, who would steal from a hospital fundraiser? Any money that was generated would be going towards helping people who were fighting for their lives! I guess I was naive. I took all the posters down, informed the instructors, and made a humiliating call to the hospital foundation. The mugs may not have raised a ton of money, even if my idea had become an ongoing partnership between the school and the hospital but, as any hospital administrator will tell you, every little bit helps. I hope that the stinking, sh*t-soaked piece of human garbage that stole all those mugs remembers what s/he did when they find themselves in the cancer hospital that they stole from. Considering that one in three Canadians gets cancer, the chances are high that either s/he or someone s/he cares about is going to need the hospital's help at some point in their lives. Karma's going to bite you hard, a**wipe. Enjoy your coffee.

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Speaking of cancer

Jun 16, 2019 at 10:35am

Did you know that we're learning how vitamin D can fight if not prevent many types of cancer? It isn't mug money, but for those with no resources this is a very cheap solution that help others; pass this on!

Get Some Sun? @Speaking of cancer

Jun 16, 2019 at 11:38am

Is it ironic that something that indirectly provides vitamin D can also promote the development of skin cancer?

Dang

Jun 16, 2019 at 11:52am

I'm sorry this happened, but I hope you don't give up. You have a beautiful idea. Give it another try and let it take off!

This

Jun 16, 2019 at 12:54pm

is way too long to read

Bob Saget

Jun 17, 2019 at 1:53pm

Card access only? Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who stole them

Lesson to be Learned

Jun 18, 2019 at 5:30pm

People are awful and then they die. The end.

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