In these very unusual times and following Federal and State Government recommendations and health advice, along-side many in the community, SitS! has had to face making many hard choices and decisions. We have a responsibility and duty of care to all our stakeholders, but in particular to those who are front-line care-givers; to those who are immuno-compromised or in other ways at high risk and their families and to all our extended community and volunteers. We have therefore adopted the recommendations of social distancing, closed our office and stopped all face-to-face contact for the foreseeable future. This does not in any way, shape and form mean that we are stopping our organisation activities, nor our activities of education and awareness or support for patients – it just means that we will be using online methods of phone, email and video-conferencing. Sadly, it also means that, for the interim, we will not be attending outpatient clinics in person, but as always will be available for patient contact and support if required.
We have made the hard call already to cancel our Sarcoma Scientific Symposium and have postponed the scheduled Sky Dive to later in the year. We have also decided that for 2020, WASAW will be a no-contact event but we will continue to promote sarcoma awareness with messages through social media, web-site and as many other on-line opportunities as possible. Such decisions may well impact us financially, as with so many small charities who are reliant on community donations. So, although we are only too well that these times will affect many families, please spare a thought for those people who, at the same time as all of this uncertainty, are also dealing with a life-changing diagnosis and see if it is at all possible to help us to continue to offer support by making a donation, however small.
For now, we will continue to plan towards our Ride & Stride for Sarcoma! in late October and our Gala Dinner in November, but will of course need to remain flexible to the changing conditions as we respond to ongoing advice and conditions. Nonetheless, our commitment to the sarcoma community is unwavering as diagnoses will continue; our sarcoma clinicians will continue to turn up to work to treat patients to the best of their ability and patients, whether new, current or past, will still need and deserve support and we will be around to provide that in whatever way is possible.
Finally, SitS! would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has no choice but to turn up to long hours of work under crazy uncertain circumstances. We encourage each and every one of our community, wherever possible, to listen to the advice of the scientists and protect yourself, your family and everyone else in the community from spreading this virulent disease and during this period, to be patient; make smart choices and above all, be kind.
