VANCOUVER, B.C. – At its Annual General Meeting, the BC Cancer Foundation announced $52 million raised for the BC Cancer Agency this year – an inspiring amount made possible by close to 100,000 generous British Columbians.
Funds raised have allowed the Foundation to invest a record amount into research and enhancements to care, as donor support advanced more than 396 research projects at the BC Cancer Agency. Donor funds also underpinned 341 research papers that will advance care right here in B.C, and are propelling a $10 million fundraising campaign to bring PET/CT scanners to BC Cancer Agency centres in Victoria and Kelowna for patients in need of critical tests.
“Together, with our donors and the extraordinary talent at BC Cancer, we are changing the story for British Columbians facing cancer,” says Sarah Roth, President & CEO, BC Cancer Foundation.
The impact of philanthropy is felt by the 77,000 British Columbians receiving cancer treatment and care today.
Highlights of the year include:
- Funding supported the work of more than 600 researchers in B.C.
- 667 people accessed new treatment options through clinical trials
- Anonymous donor invested $6M to support a clinician scientist recruit to bolster Dr. Kim Chi’s Translational Genomics Program in prostate cancer
- Two novel breast cancer drugs developed
- More than 2,600 patients a year now benefit from genetic testing
- World’s most advanced radio-therapy treatment system, VERO, installed at BC Cancer’s Vancouver Centre
- More than 800 patients enrolled in the world-leading Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) program to identify new treatment options
- Fundraising campaign launched to generate 13,000 more patient visits at BC Cancer’s Fraser Valley CentreEmpowering donors to support cancer care through research is at the core of the BC Cancer Foundation’s mission. Donors like Bill McCarthy put forward a challenge to British Columbians offering to match their donations dollar for dollar up to $1.25 million. In all, more than 7,000 donors rose to the challenge and contributed $1.64 million.“I was inspired to support early detection because it saved the life of my mentor, my grandfather, John Jambor,” says philanthropist Bill McCarthy. “His cancer was spotted early, which allowed him to spend another decade with his family, and I’m motivated to ensure more families are able to do the same.”BC Cancer Foundation Board Chair, Andrew Sweeney, and the Board welcomed two new directors today, Lynda Farmer and Rachel Thomas. Board directors include: Andrea Shaw, Doug Holtby, Mike Kennedy, Mary Buttery, Jatinder Rai, Dean Kirkham, Randy Smallwood, Alice Laberge, Murray Leith, Michael Heskin, Dr. Malcolm Moore, Carl Roy and David Zacks.The BC Cancer Foundation and Board thank outgoing directors Randy Bartsch, Derrold Norgaard and Shane Worman for their years of contribution to the organization and B.C.’s cancer community. This year the Foundation also says a special goodbye to Greg D’Avignon, who served the Foundation as chair and committed board member since 2011.
The BC Cancer Foundation’s full 2017 Donor Impact Report is available online along with audited financial statements.
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Media enquiries please contact:
Hayley Judge
Communications Specialist
t. 604-707-5907
e. hayley.judge@bccancer.bc.caThe BC Cancer Foundation is the bridge that connects philanthropic support and research breakthroughs in cancer knowledge. As the fundraising partner of the BC Cancer Agency and the largest charitable funder of cancer research in this province, we enable donors to make contributions that have a direct impact on improvements to cancer care for people in British Columbia. We fund with the goal of finding solutions. Visit www.bccancerfoundation.com to make a donation or to learn how you can make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.
