It’s all about the impact. Sure, the events themselves are meaningful and very important, but the hard work, the fundraising, the months of preparation, the late nights, the physical challenges, and the emotional energy produce an outcome that goes way beyond the event. And that outcome is what CauseForce cares about most. Because it’s all about the impact. So where does the money go? How will it make a difference? Is it going to help people locally? How fast will it be put to use? These are the questions that we ask our benefiting partner organizations and the answers we get are the core of our mission. These are some of those answers:
BC Cancer Foundation
Using funds from The Weekend to End Breast Cancer, the BC Cancer Foundation invested $200,000 a year in breast cancer research and programs. After 4 years of The Weekend, the foundation has invested over $13 million. Using funds from The Weekend, the BC Cancer Agency has launched a breast cancer study and archive of irreplaceable breast tumour specimens, recruited Dr. Sam Aparicio and other top researchers, purchased British Columbia’s first digital mammography machine and funded additional breast cancer research. Read more here.
Monies from the Underwear Affair are directed to research and care for cancers below the waist such as prostate, colorectal, ovarian, testicular, bladder, cervical, and uterine. The BC Cancer Foundation has made important advancements in prostate cancer, by testing an innovative treatment for advanced prostate cancer, and conducting a breakthrough study that engineers a “decoy” molecule that shrinks tumours and blocks their growth. Also a model for cancer care and control around the world including its cervical cancer screening program, BC Cancer Foundation has the first organized program in the world to screen for cervical cancer. Read more in BC Cancer Foundation’s 2007 annual report.
Alberta Cancer Foundation
Before The Weekend to End Breast Cancer, the Alberta Cancer Foundation invested $300,000 a year in breast cancer research and programs. After 3 years of The Weekend, the Foundation has invested more than $17 million! The investment of $12.3 million in the first two years of The Weekend alone has allowed the Alberta Cancer Foundation to fund The Alberta Breast Cancer Research Initiative, a province-wide program providing grants to programs that seek to cure and improve the quality of life for those fighting the disease; provide a multi-million dollar endowment fund for a Provincial Chair in Breast Cancer Research, and purchase a mobile van with state-of-the-art mammography equipment, for screening and prevention of breast cancer. Read more here.
Proceeds from the Underwear Affair will benefit the Alberta Cancer Foundation, an independent charitable organization supporting research and care at the Cross Cancer Institute and 15 other ACF cancer centers throughout the province. The Alberta Cancer Foundation is a model for cancer care and control around the world, and is leading the way in uncovering cures and putting these cancers, which account for over 35% of all cancers diagnosed in Alberta each year, behind us.
Princess Margaret Hospital
Funds raised for The Weekend to End Breast Cancer (WEBC) support innovative programs in three key areas: breast cancer research, clinical care and survivorship. Our milestones include:
- A total of $20.5 million to The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, led by Dr. Tak Mak, directly from WEBC. The institute now has 10 Principal Investigators and research team over 130 strong.
- A new, re-designed M. Lau Breast Centre and WEBC Survivorship Centre that provide complete care for breast cancer patients including screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
- Funding to support Dr. Pamela Ohashi’s research into T cell activation and tumor immunity, leading to important alternatives for breast cancer treatment by harnessing the body’s own immune system to target the cancer cells. Read more here.
Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
As Eastern Ontario’s largest foundation raising funds for cancer, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation uses funds from The Weekend to carry out breakthrough initiatives including a new laboratory that brings an innovative dimension to breast cancer patient care through “personalized cancer treatment.” It is the first of its kind in Canada. The Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Centre, the Ottawa Health Research Institute, the Queensway Carleton Hospital and regional cancer delivery agencies all benefit from the money raised. Read more here.
Jewish General Hospital
The Jewish General Hospital uses funds from The Weekend to End Breast Cancer to enhance its research capabilities aimed at ending the threat of breast cancer. Funds raised from The Weekend have helped provide the first hospital-based program in lymphedema care and research in Quebec, and a specialized software system that will be used across Montreal for mapping heredity cancers in families. The Segal Cancer Centre, a comprehensive facility and the first of its kind in Quebec, provides breast cancer patients and their families with a single place to go for diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, prevention, nutrition and rehabilitation, and information about breast cancer in general. Funds also go towards the “WEBC research initiatives” such as in-depth gene studies, a quality of life research case study, and caregiver program which helps provide the necessary skills to cope with psychological and physical stresses of caring for someone with cancer. Read more here.
