Cedars Cancer Institute raises over $1 million for cancer care

Media Clip

The Cedars Cancer Institute collected more than $1 million dollars for the McGill University Health Centre’s Cancer Care mission this past weekend during the “Weekend with Lance Armstrong” two-day event.

On Friday, Sept 12th, 40 cyclists rode 80 kilometres alongside Lance Armstrong, beginning from the Hotel Quintessence in Mont-Tremblant and completing a loop through the Laurentians. Even the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the riders who had each raised at least $25,000 to participate in the day-long event. In a touching moment the event’s two top fundraisers, much-admired MUHC surgical oncologist David Fleiszer cycling in honour of his breast cancer patients and avid cyclist Dr. Daniel Quance riding for wife Laurel Milne who died of breast cancer last month, were presented with the Maillot Jaune to wear for the day. Cedars is pleased to report that donations continue to come in for these remarkable fundraising cyclists.

On Saturday, September 13th, Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Lance both gave motivational speeches to kick-off the Cedars Cancer Institute Fuller Landau ‘Rain or Shine’ Dragon Boat Race & Festival at the Lachine Canal. Over 700 paddlers and hundreds of volunteers and fans participated in the event, many of them cancer survivors. The winning dragon boat was the Samcon Dragons.

“We are proud to join the community today to slay the dragon called cancer,” said the Hon. Dr. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre. “By teaming up, we’re empowering better diagnostics, treatments and cures for all forms of cancers, as well as empowering our spirits.”

“The support from the cyclists and paddlers has been tremendous,” said Gwen Nacos, Founder and Director of Cedars CanSupport of the MUHC and Co-chair of the Dragon Boat Race & Festival. “The money raised from their participation will allow Cedars and CanSupport to continue to help cancer patients and their families navigate through this cancer diagnoses and receive the support they so greatly need.”

About the Cedars Cancer Institute
Based in Montreal, Cedars Cancer Institute is a hospital-based charity whose priority is to ensure comprehensive cancer-care and funding to patients and health care professionals at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) specifically the adult sites the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), Montreal General Hospital (MGH) and, through its Sarah Cook Fund to Pediatric Oncology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH). Since its inception in 1966, the Cedars Cancer Institute has raised over $26 million in much-needed funds to: purchase state-of-the-art diagnostic oncology equipment; improve facilities for treatment and care of the cancer patients; offer cancer patients and their families free, psycho-social, practical and humanitarian assistance through its CanSupport program; and support cancer research, provide fellowships for visiting professors and improve public awareness of cancer related issues through lectures and education.

Along with Cedars CanSupport, groundbreaking initiatives have included: the creation of the Cedars Breast Clinic of the MUHC, an internationally-renowned facility providing comprehensive one-stop care for women in the screening, detection and diagnosis of breast cancer; Sarah’s Floor in pediatric hematology oncology in-patient unit at the Montreal Children’s Hospital; funding of a state-of-the-art Pharmacy for the Oncology Day Centre at the MGH; funding for the Intra-operative MRI for the Montreal Children’s Hospital; the Henry. R. Shibata Fellowship Fund supporting on-going basic and clinical research in oncology at the MUHC; The Edward J. Tabah Visiting Professorship in Surgical Oncology and the Vivian Saykaly Visiting Professorship in Medical Oncology.

About the MUHC
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. Its partner hospitals are the Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. www.muhc.ca

About the Best Care for Life Campaign
The $300 million Best Care for Life campaign is an unprecedented philanthropic effort aimed at raising the funds needed to complete the McGill University Health Centre’s Redevelopment Project on the Glen and Mountain campuses and the Capital Development Plan. Under the leadership of campaign chairman John A. Rae and conducted as a partnership of the Foundations of the McGill University Health Centre, the campaign has already raised well over half of its total objective, of which $200 million will be directed to the modernization and construction of new facilities and the remaining $100 million will support critical immediate and transitional needs.