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Baking for a Cause – A Labour of Love
Debbie Lastowski’s pies are a work of art.
Perched on top of lattice crust sit adorable little bunnies with pink ears and tiny noses, surrounded by a colourful garden of orange, yellow and purple flowers with lush green leaves—all created with pastry dough to embroider gooey fillings like apple cinnamon and berry blend. Is your mouth watering yet?
And what’s even better than the look (and taste) of her unique creations is her reason for baking them.
“It’s a true labour of love,” said Debbie, who has always enjoyed baking.
Shortly before Easter, Debbie decided to donate all the proceeds from the pies sold to family, friends and community members, to the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency’s Cancer Patient Lodge in Saskatoon. In less than three weeks, she baked and sold 36 pies and raised an impressive $866.
“Easter is the season of giving,” said Debbie. “It seemed like the perfect time to give back to a place that took such good care of me when I needed it most.”
In November 2023, Debbie was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and began cancer treatments at the end of May 2024. Because she lives out of town, Debbie and her boyfriend, Andre, would travel to Saskatoon the day before her appointments and stay at the Cancer Patient Lodge. They made that trip together several times in May and June and then once a month for the next six months while she was undergoing treatments.
“Staff at the lodge were incredible. They were all so friendly and caring and compassionate. As soon as you walked through the front door, they would greet you with a smile and ask how you were doing. They always made us feel so welcome.”
Debbie decided to really lean into baking--one of her most beloved pastimes--after her cancer diagnosis.
“I needed to do something to keep busy. I need to be productive and feel like I’m contributing.”
Initially, she was hoping to raise $200 to donate to the lodge.
“I thought that would be amazing. I would be so thankful.”
She quickly reached her goal but decided to keep baking. The amount kept growing with every pie she sold until she had raised more than $800.
“I said—my word, this is incredible! I am in tears thinking about it because I cannot believe the generous people who bought my pies.”
Many of the people who bought her pies gave her $25 or more (which is more than she sells them for), as they knew the money was going towards a good cause.
Each pie masterpiece takes about two and a half hours to create from start to finish. So, in total, she worked more than 80 hours—while undergoing cancer treatments—to raise money for the lodge.
And she only charges enough to help cover the cost of the ingredients; she doesn’t include any additional costs for her time.
“It brings me joy to see people enjoy my pies. To see their reactions and their joy is all the payment I need. It’s so heartwarming.”
In turn, she warmed the hearts of everyone at the lodge in Saskatoon when she delivered the money and an extra special pie in person this past April.
“We are always so happy to see our patients and families at the patient lodges,” said Bryan Jorgensen, Director, Supportive Care for the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.” Our lodge teams make it their daily mission to provide them with a truly welcoming and comfortable place to stay when they are going through a very difficult time. Having the option of staying at our lodges in Saskatoon and Regina is especially important for those who are away from their home and regular supports.”
“It means so much to us when our patients and guests take the time to share the impact that their stay at the lodge has had on them and their family,” said Sherrill Ullrich, former Lodge Manager at the Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge. “To have someone give so much of themselves to give back to the lodge is truly special. It reminds our team of just how important this service is to Saskatchewan residents. The delicious pie was just the cherry on top.”
Debbie said Sherrill was shocked that she was able to do so much—and something so meaningful—during her cancer journey.
“I knew the donation would touch her,” said Debbie. “I really wanted to pay it forward and this seemed like the perfect way to do just that.”
Debbie plans to turn her pie fundraiser into an annual tradition that will see her continue to donate all the money raised around the Easter holiday to the lodge.
On behalf of everyone at the SCA, we are touched, and we are so thankful for people like you.
Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge a Huge Relief
When Debbie and Andre travelled to Saskatoon for her first appointment, they didn’t know about the Cancer Patient Lodge and stayed at a hotel. She recalls how expensive it was for just to stay there just for one night.
“I didn’t know how we were going to do it. I didn’t know how we were going to afford the costs of a hotel room and food and gas every time I needed to come to the city for an appointment or treatment. We were so worried.”
Luckily, her health-care team gave her information on the Saskatoon Cancer Patient Lodge. She called right away and was thankful they were able to book her a room in time for her next appointment. She said it felt like a huge weight lifted off her.
“It was such a relief to us that the Cancer Agency offers such a comfortable and cost-effective option.
Knowing we could stay at the lodge lifted a huge stress off me, especially because I’m not able to work right now and so I wouldn’t be able to help cover any additional costs.”
The Cancer Patient Lodges in both Regina and Saskatoon charge $40 per person and that cost includes accommodations, as well as all meals.
“You can’t beat that rate—it’s unbelievable.”
On top of the welcoming and supportive environment, she said the meals were phenomenal. She recalls that staff were so thoughtful as to pack her a bagged lunch if she was going to be at the cancer centre all day.
“It was those gestures that made all the difference in the world.”
On many occasions, she had to spend most of the day at the cancer centre, but she took comfort in knowing that Andre was also going to be well fed and well taken care of. She said he also found support in speaking with other guests at the lodge, who were all going through similar experiences.
“I am forever thankful for the lodge and their amazing staff for making my cancer journey so much more manageable. It means the world to me.”
