A party with a cause is coming to Whitetail Meadow this spring. On Friday, April 21, Niverville resident Shereen Rashwan, known to many as the former owner of Bistro 290, will host a CancerCare Manitoba fundraiser in order to raise money for cancer prevention, leading-edge research, clinical trials, and enhanced patient care in Manitoba.
Rashwan invites everyone to come out to enjoy amazing live music from Last Call and The Whiskey Saints. Guests will eat, dance, and honour those whose lives have been touched by cancer.
The organizers of the event have given the fundraiser a compelling and evocative name: Kicking Cancer’s Ass. Why? Because they want to create a candid and fun atmosphere.
There will be silent auction prizes from more than 20 local businesses, including Wiens Furniture, YGP Niverville (Bigway), Chicken Chef, Wm. Dyck & Sons, Ben Sawatzky Electric, Dairy Queen, and Negash Coffee, among many others.
In 2021, Rashwan decided to close her previous venture, Bistro 290, so that she could re-enter the technology industry.
“I miss [the Bistro], I do,” says Rashwan. “I had so many great customers and loved being a front-facing business serving the community. But after a year and a half of running a restaurant during a pandemic, jumping back into the tech industry has been a welcome change.”
This past December, Rashwan received a stage-two cervical cancer diagnosis. Over the last four months, she has completed radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She is happy to report that the treatments, overall, have gone well and her body will continue to heal in the coming months.
With the help of friends and family, she has chronicled her cancer journey on social media and had a lot of fun with it.
Amidst all the positive feedback, the group realized they could use the platform to participate in the Canadian Cancer Society’s Dry February initiative.
“We were having fun and coordinating TikTok dances and ended up raising almost $6,000 in February. It was incredible,” says Rashwan. “It was just great to feel like we were doing something productive amongst such a turbulent time. My friends and family helped coordinate some of the dances and my partner wore funny leotards and it was really a community effort.”
Now that her treatments are finished, Rashwan wants to thank her support system and also spin the momentum of her online fundraising efforts into a larger in-person event.
“[Cancer] impacts people in different ways, but it touches all people. I wanted to put on an event that was fun and encouraging and showing solidarity that yes, we together can help to kick cancer’s ass.”
Besides promoting the April 21 fundraiser, Rashwan wants to remind people to pay attention to their health and make appointments to get checked for cancer.
“I think with COVID, it became a big problem with people not getting proper tests,” she says. “Mammograms, pap tests, regular physicals… these were all things that really go get put on hold when life gets busy. And what happens is if you put off these tests, you’re going to get an influx of people who now will present with health issues, and it will be farther along than it may have been. So go prioritize your health. Check in with yourself and get tested.”