Watching a television commercial dealing with leprosy, Cyril Chaulk was struck by the notion that three pills a day over the course of several months could cure leprosy. His curiosity didn’t end there.
Thanks to a unique method for collecting donations, the retired minister has helped raised over $12,500 across the province to provide leprosy medication for people without the means to otherwise access it. At a dollar per day, those efforts could help cure at least 30 people.
“In the ad, there’s a lot of pictures and video, so it shows how dreadful the condition can be,” said Mr. Chaulk, talking about the advertisement for The Leprosy Mission Canada.
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic disease that, when left untreated, can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, eyes, and limbs. There are believe to be between two-to-three million people affected by leprosy around the world, and 500 in Canada.
“I didn’t realize it was so easy to cure,” said Mr. Chaulk, who lives in Aspen Cove. “You read the Bible, and you think of Jesus’ day, where only someone like Jesus had a cure for it.”
His fundraising idea centred on the pill bottle. Empty, a pill bottle is relatively useless. However, fill it up with pills, and it saves lives.
Mr. Chaulk observed these bottles could also fit coins, particularly loonies and toonies, so he decided to check with his pharmacy in Gander about the idea.
“I just asked the pharmacist at Wal-Mart if I could have some pill bottles, and I told him what I wanted them for. He didn’t have any issue, and said I could have all the bottles I wanted. He thought it was a neat idea.”
From there, Mr. Chaulk decided to pitch his campaign to different churches he had a past affiliation with. Through the combined efforts of parishioners in Carbonear, Victoria, Freshwater, Aspen Cove, Musgrave Harbour, and Ladle Cove, bottles began to fill-up with coins.
“I didn’t realize it was so easy to cure.” - Cyril Chaulk
The project has even made inroads mainland. A church in Loch Katrine, N.S. has taken on the pill bottle campaign, and a minister in Stratford, P.E.I. has also contacted Mr. Chaulk about the pill bottle concept.
He has also served at churches in Mount Pearl, Norman’s Cove, and the Burin Peninsula, and may look at approaching those congregations about getting involved.
“I can’t understand the attraction for people putting money in the pill bottles,” said Mr. Chaulk, adding some individuals who do not often become involved in fundraising have taken on the project.
“It’s working really well, but I don’t have a lot of energy with my health problems. I think I could push it more myself, but I thought it would be nice at a point in time if somebody else could take it on.”
It’s not the first such fundraising effort in aid of a cause undertaken by Mr. Chaulk. He has recorded a CD and written a book to benefit cerebral palsy victims – his grandson Nathan suffers from the ailment.
“In 30 years in ministry, looking back at it, if I were to change anything, it would be to have been more practical. I was always a practical person, but if I had my time back now, I would be more hands on.”
While the pill bottle campaign has thus far been confined to churches, Mr. Chaulk said it is the type of fundraising effort that can be undertaken by any community organization.
“It could be any group,” he said.
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