A Short History of SRABC

The following are excerpts from a written history of the Association.

¨              1969 Bill Goodwin encouraged a stroke club to form out of the Adult Day Care Centre at St. Andrews United Church, North Vancouver.

¨              1975 the first meeting of a stroke club in Nelson was held in June.

¨              1975 Betty Hammond spearheaded the formation of The Vancouver Stroke Club at Shaughnessy Heights United Church.

¨              1976 The Vancouver club launched a second club at Edmonds House in Burnaby.

¨              1977 Alton Cleland formed the Richmond Stroke Club.

¨              1976 this triumvirate became known as the Lower Mainland Stroke Association, having been officially registered as such in June.

¨              1976 the Stroke Advisory Committee was formed with Ann Jarrell, Director of Crossreach Seniors Program, as chairman. Through the influence of Pat Fulton, chairman of the Community Services Division of the BC Heart Foundation, a two-year grant was approved to establish a provincial office to organize the existing stroke clubs and organize additional clubs in the community. The person entrusted with this job was Phyllis Delaney, the first Provincial Coordinator.

¨              1979 (January) the Lower Mainland Stroke Association became the Stroke Association of BC. The first Annual Meeting was held in October 1979 at the Richmond Inn, setting a pattern that has been maintained almost ever since.