Toronto (Feb. 16, 2011) - Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation's epic new fundraising event, is very proud to announce the first of a series of celebrities confirmed to be part of the inaugural tournament, set for Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Toronto's Ontario Place.
Among the first to be announced are colourful NHL star Jeremy Roenick, the winningest coach in NHL history, Scotty Bowman, two-time Stanley Cup champion Derek Sanderson, the Co-Chairman and Co-Owner of Boston Pizza International and star of Dragon's Den, Jim Treliving, the hub of the New York Islanders' Stanley Cup dynasty,Bryan Trottier, the greatest goaltender in Toronto Maple Leafs' history, Johnny Bower, Canada's Olympic silver medalist in figure skating, Elizabeth Manley and three-time Olympic gold medalist in hockey, Team Canada's Jennifer Botterill.
Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, presented by Boston Pizza, is a dawn-to-dusk event with funds raised directed to critical cancer research at The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute at The Princess Margaret, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. Through the day on October 1, 2011, each
Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer team of 8 to 10 players 16 years of age or older will play a minimum of 5 games of road hockey, and when not playing, will enjoy food, beverages, live music, interactive games and more.
To add to the excitement, top fundraising teams will participate in a celebrity draft, adding a well-known personality to their team as an honourary coach or captain. For example, the top fundraising team will get to choose first from the pool of available celebrities, the second-highest fundraising team chooses second, etc. Some of these personalities will join the team that selects them and play while others will cheer their team on from the sidelines and spend time with the squad between games. From now through September, names will be added to the list with regularity. Registrants should regularly monitor the website for the names of additional celebrities confirmed for Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer (www.roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/)
"We are beyond thrilled that these personalities have agreed to join
Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer," stated Shawn Burt, Chief Hockey Officer at PMHF. "This event is going to be the 'Woodstock of road hockey!'"
"Playing road hockey takes me back to some of the greatest memories of my life," commented Paul Alofs, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. "All you need is a stick and some running shoes – anyone can play. But most importantly, by participating in Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, players are raising critical research funding for The Princess Margaret."
Dr. Benjamin Neel, Director of The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute at The Princess Margaret, agrees. "Today, researchers are embarking on a new era of discovery. Events like
Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer have a major impact on the resources needed to conquer cancer in our lifetime."
108 teams have already registered for this epic event. To register with a team or as an individual, or if you'd like more information, visit
www.roadhockeytoconquercancer.ca/. Interested participants may also call 1 877 541 I'M IN (4646).
About The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation
The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute. More information about the Foundation can be found at
www.thepmcf.ca.
About Princess Margaret Hospital
Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute, have achieved an international reputation as one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. Princess Margaret Hospital is a member of University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital. All three are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto.
