$3 Million Raised by BC Cancer Staff Since 2020

It’s no secret that BC Cancer has made vast impacts in the lives of cancer patients across the province, from groundbreaking research to world-class treatment and care.

Beyond that, the staff at BC Cancer have also made a considerable mark with their fundraising efforts. Since 2020, they have collectively raised an incredible $3 million for the BC Cancer Foundation, moving us one step closer towards building a world free from the fear of cancer.

In 2020, the BC Cancer Foundation launched the BC Cancer Ignite Progress matching program, in which staff donations of $25,000 and above — raised or gifted from either individuals or groups — are eligible to be matched by the Foundation’s Board Restricted Fund.

This means BC Cancer staff’s $3 million in donations have transformed into a total of $6 million, thanks to this matching program!

Donations to the BC Cancer Foundation help ensure life beyond cancer is within reach for patients across British Columbia. On top of the remarkable work that the BC Cancer staff do each day, their donations are helping drive innovative cancer research and world-class care for patients.

Here are some of the incredible impacts BC Cancer staff donations have made:

• Support towards the Immunotherapy program at BC Cancer’s Deeley Research Centre in Victoria helped expand the CAR T-cell program. Following the preliminary success of the ongoing CLIC-01 trial, which resulted in complete regression for many blood cancer patients, the team is now launching new trials for blood cancer and exploring immunotherapy options for solid tumours such as ovarian and pancreatic.
• The Dr. Alistair Baillie Student Internship Fund is providing students the opportunity to explore a career in medical physics. This fund was created in memory of Dr. Baillie, who served as Medical Physics leader at BC Cancer – Kelowna and believed that the best innovations, from early detection to precision medicine, come from nurturing the next generation of young scientists.
• The Dianne Miller Excellence in Gynecologic Cancer Research Fund supports high priority needs in gynecologic cancer research and care. For example, opportunistic salpingectomy, an intervention pioneered by Dr. Miller, is gaining global momentum. BC Cancer is collaborating locally and nationally to increase uptake of this surgery, which profoundly decreases ovarian cancer risk.
• The Gerry & Jackie Krystal Award for Cancer Prevention Research Endowment Fund supports cancer prevention research at the L.J. Blackmore Cancer Research Centre, particularly research focusing on diet and supplements. The endowment celebrates the research of Gerry Krystal, Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer, whose findings suggest we may be able to drastically reduce cancer rates simply by changing our diets and getting more exercise.

As he reflects on the importance of donor support to cancer research, Dr. Krystal would like to remind donors of Benjamin Franklin’s famous line: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. “I hope this endowment fund inspires future researchers to pursue this potentially revolutionary field,” he says.

The BC Cancer Foundation would like to share our deepest appreciation to all who have participated — both current staff and alumni. Thank you — your generosity is truly inspiring!