Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge
The Lions Cancer Lodge – 1971 to 2011
The vision for a dedicated accommodation facility for radiotherapy patients was first raised in 1965 by Eric Grocott, secretary of the former Waikato Division of the Cancer Society. A year later, Hamilton Lion Lloyd Fraser championed the idea, with Lions Clubs of District 202C committing to raise the funds to make it happen.
The vision for a dedicated accommodation facility for radiotherapy patients was first raised in 1965 by Eric Grocott, secretary of the former Waikato Division of the Cancer Society. A year later, Hamilton Lion Lloyd Fraser championed the idea, with Lions Clubs of District 202C committing to raise the funds to make it happen.
Stage one opened in February 1971, providing public rooms and 14 bedrooms. Just three years later, demand for more space led to a major expansion. Under the leadership of Hori Carter of Whakatane, a telephone appeal raised more than twice the amount required in a single night, allowing a new 15-bedroom wing to open in June 1976. The keys were formally handed over to the Cancer Society.
A third expansion followed years later, with Lions from Districts 202C, 202I and part of 202A once again leading the way under Past District Governor Bruce Hooker. At the opening ceremony on 14 November 1995, the facility was officially renamed the Lions Cancer Lodge in recognition of the extraordinary contribution of Lions Clubs.
The New Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge – Opened 2011
By 2008, the need for accommodation had outgrown the original facility. The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cancer Society purchased the former Braemar Hospital site on Lake Road and began construction of a purpose-built lodge. The original site was sold to the Waikato District Health Board in 2009 to meet growing hospital demands.
In January 2010, construction began, and on 26 February 2011 the new Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge was officially opened by the Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, Governor-General of New Zealand. Today, the Lodge provides free accommodation, meals, and support to around 700 people each year while they undergo cancer treatment.
Lions Clubs remain a proud partner in this journey. More than 90 clubs across the district continue to fundraise and provide ongoing support, ensuring that the Lodge remains a place of comfort and care for those who need it most.
