2 days left to raise money for Kitchener cancer centre

A fundraising campaign that hopes to raiseenough moneyto keep HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre open in Kitchener, is getting close to the end as Monday is the last day to donate to the cause.

The fundraiser, Hope for HopeSpring, needs to raise $400,000 by 6p.m. ET Mondayto keep the local cancer support centre open past Mar.31.

• HopeSpring Cancer Centre to close over funding shortfall
• Cancer patients rallying to support cash-strapped HopeSpring centre

Linda Maxwell, program and volunteer manager at HopeSpring, told CBC News on Sunday that as of 1p.m. ET, they hadraised $222,000.

"We've had a lot of walk-in donations today from the community and the phones have been very busy as well," she said.

'Someone needed to step up'

Earlier this year, HopeSpring announced its intentions to close their operations in March because it couldn't afford to keep running the centre.

But HopeSpring's board of directors decided to hold off on their decision after many in the community asked them to reconsiderand start a fundraiser.

"When I had heard the news, like everybody else in the community, about the closure of HopeSpring, I felt someone needed to step up immediately and that's what I did," said Shawn Hlowatzki, who helped start the HOPEfor HopeSpring GoFundMe campaign.

Hlowatzki, like many helping to keep the centre open, has personal ties to HopeSpring; hisaunt used some of the centre's services, which include peer support groups.

'We call ourselves the 'Hopesters''

The $400,000 would help cover HopeSpring's operating costs, services and programs for 2017-18.

But even if the centre doesn't reach that goal by Monday at 6 p.m., Hlowatzki is confident they willfind a way to keep the centre's services and programs going.

"That is what is driving all of us," he said."We call ourselves the 'Hopesters', who are truly trying to do everything possible to make it happen for those members who are so important to us."

HopeSpring'sboard of directors will meet Monday evening to determine the future of the centre.