SHRINERS CARE CRUISER

If you mention the word Shriners, people often imagine a bunch of grown men wearing funny hats and riding little bikes in parades, but what is less known is why they do this. The why is to bring attention to the mandate of the Shriners, the care of children through the Shriners Hospitals for Children system and the Shriners Care Cruiser Transportation Program.

The Shriners are an old and established fraternal and charitable organization. Shriners International is 141 years old while the Shriners of British Columbia and Yukon are 111 years old. The Shriners of British Columbia & Yukon are part of the Masonic Fraternity which was established in the province of British Columbia in 1858.

The Shriners Care Cruiser Program is twelve years old having begun on September 10th, 2001. Today there are five Shrine Care Cruisers which travel throughout British Columbia transporting children to BC Childrens Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, BC Women’s Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children in Portland, Oregon and Spokane, Washington.

The Shriners of BC & Yukon’s Care Cruiser program is funded by public / private donations and with the assistance of the Province of British Columbia through B.C. Gaming Corp.

Shriners Care Cruiser Stat’s

Passengers Transported to Date: 33,867 Total miles logged to date: 2,933,691

Today the Shriners, through their Care Cruiser program, spend over a million dollars annually transporting children to various hospitals for treatment. During the past ten years the Shriners and Shriners Hospitals for Children have contributed over $40,000,000 to Health Care and the economy of British Columbia.

Shriners BC & Yukon – 2012 contribution to Health Care in British Columbia

Medical treatment at Shriners Hospitals for BC Children: $ 3,970,425.00 Shriners Care Cruiser – Patient Transportation Program $ 1,515,385.00 Club donations to local charities throughout the Province $ 152,000.00 Norval MacKay Smith Fund – Medical equipment purchases for patients $ 19,442.00 2012 Shriners Contribution to Health Care in BC $ 5,837,252.00