More than 1500 enthusiastic walkers took part in the 22nd annual Princess Margaret's Walk to Conquer Cancer — Canada's largest single fundraising walk — raising over $3.5 million.
Over the years, walkers, donors and supporters from across the country have raised more than $195 million for life-saving cancer research at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
"The Walk is one of the longest standing, best known cancer fundraisers in Canada" says Dr. Miyo Yamashita, President and Chief Executive Officer at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (PMCF).
"The collective support from donors, volunteers and walkers will enable the Princess Margaret to continue to transform standards of care, benefitting cancer patients across Canada and globally to create a world free from the fear of cancer."
The event began at Toronto's picturesque Harbourfront Centre, and the dedicated group walked more than 21 kilometres through some of Toronto's most iconic and scenic neighbourhoods, including Queen West, Kensington Market, The Annex, Rosedale, Cabbagetown and passing by the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre before returning to a celebratory finish line at Harbourfront.
Kiran Atwal, a cancer survivor and patient at the Princess Margaret, rang the bell at the opening ceremonies to commence the half-marathon walk in honour of everyone touched by cancer.
"We are inspired by the passion of our participants who have raised crucial funds over the past 22 years, and their motivation to step up to the challenge," says Steve Merker, Vice President, Corporate and Community Partnerships & Chief Walk Officer with The PMCF. "The Walk, like all our signature events, provides the cancer community a positive outlet in doing something significant against this disease."
Funds raised at The Walk enable the Princess Margaret — one of the top five cancer research centres in the world — to remain at the forefront of cancer research.
For more information about the 2024 Walk to Conquer Cancer and to register for next year's event, please visit www.walk2conquer.ca.
TeamUHN member brings home the gold…and silver and bronze from Transplant Games
TeamUHN member Candice Coghlan, who had a life-saving kidney transplant 15 years ago, brought home gold, silver and bronze medals from the Canadian Transplant Games in Ottawa last month.
Candice, the Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Centre for Living Organ Donation at UHN's Ajmera Transplant Centre, won a gold medal in baseball throw, a silver in bowling and a bronze in lawn bowling at the 10th Canadian Transplant Games, which were held at Carleton University.
The event brings together transplant recipients, living donors, donor families and supporters from across Canada. Together, they compete in more than a dozen sports, while celebrating the strength and resilience of transplant recipients.
"It was like coming home to the family you are meeting for the first time," Candice says of the Games, highlighting the unique bond shared by this community and the overwhelming sense of belonging and support among participants.
Before Candice's transplant, her life was marked by constant illness and fatigue. However, just days after receiving a new kidney, she felt a surge of energy she had never experienced.
A second chance at life has allowed her to thrive, enjoying a vibrant life with her partner and daughter.
Now, as a member of UHN's Centre for Living Organ Donation, Candice is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of living donation. She educates patients on the waitlist and potential living donors about pathways to transplant.
She also raises awareness through public events about how living donors can save lives and help reduce organ transplant waitlists.
According to the Canadian Blood Services, there are more than 4000 Canadians waiting for an organ transplant. Of those, an estimated 3000 are waiting for a kidney. Each year, 250 people die while waiting.
Business and philanthropic leaders unite to raise $300 million for UHN's new surgical tower
UHN Foundation has announced a campaign cabinet of business and philanthropic leaders from across the Greater Toronto Area to support fundraising for the new state-of-the-art patient and surgical tower at UHN's Toronto Western Hospital.
Comprised of 40 volunteers, the cabinet will play a pivotal role in helping UHN Foundation raise $300 million toward the $1.1 billion capital project — the largest at UHN to date.
"This project will completely revolutionize surgical care in our city and around the world," says Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation. "We are so grateful to our donors who have supported the campaign so far, and I have no doubt that with the help of our incredible group of volunteer leaders, we will meet our ambitious fundraising goal.
"Every dollar makes a huge difference."
Construction is underway on the 15-storey tower, which is slated for completion in late 2028. Purpose-built to prioritize the experience of patients and their families, it will feature 82 private patient rooms, new critical care beds and 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms equipped with the latest robotic equipment and real-time imaging technology.
It's anticipated that the tower will help increase UHN's surgical capacity by 20 per cent – a critical step in reducing wait times and clearing surgical backlog in Ontario.
On February 6, 2024, the Ontario Government announced an investment of nearly $800 million toward construction of the tower. UHN Foundation will raise an additional $300 million to see the project through to completion — and is well on the way to its goal, with $21.3 million raised to so far.
"As Canada's No. 1 hospital, UHN handles the most complex surgeries in the country," says Dr. Kevin Smith, UHN's President & CEO. "This tower will allow our expert teams to continue to lead the way in surgical innovation and training while allowing us to serve even more people in need of our care — all while putting the needs of patients and their families first."
The cabinet will be co-chaired by Laura Dottori-Attanasio, President and CEO of Element Fleet Management Corp; John MacIntyre, co-Founder and Partner of Birch Hill Equity Partners; Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Group; and Cornell Wright, President of Wittington Investments, Limited.
"The creation of this new surgical tower is not just about upgrading facilities — it's about transforming the future of surgical care," the co-chairs said in a joint statement. "UHN's reputation as a leader in surgical care is a testament to the dedication of its staff and the support of our community.
"This project is an opportunity for all of us to contribute to something truly monumental, and we hope others will join us in our mission to reimagine health care in Toronto and beyond."
