Newswise — TORONTO, September 10, 2016 – The Rexall OneWalk to Conquer Cancer announced 3,555 participants raised $6.5 million for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as the event commenced on Saturday. Funds raised support Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world.
“We are extremely grateful to the community of walkers, sponsors, donors, crew and volunteers for their dedication and support,” said Paul Alofs, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. “We have been walking 14 years to conquer cancer, and our walkers have helped raise an amazing $162 million for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This year, in the second annual OneWalk to conquer cancer, 3,555 walkers have raised $6.5 million.”
The Walk, through Toronto’s downtown neighbourhoods, brings together communities of survivors and their supporters who spend months fundraising and training in order to participate. The Rexall OneWalk allows participants to choose to fundraise for the cancer that matters most to them including Discovery Research, Breast, Gynecologic, Lung, Gastrointestinal, Hepatobiliary, Genitourinary, Blood Cancers, Endocrine, Skin Cancer and Melanoma, Head and Neck Cancers, Central Nervous System Cancers, Brain and Eye Cancer, Sarcoma, Childhood Cancers, Supportive Care, Patient Education, and Radiation Medicine.
“40% of Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Funds raised through the Rexall OneWalk to Conquer Cancer enable the world-leading clinicians and researchers at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to detect cancers earlier, diagnose with more precision, target treatment for each patient and support patients and their families throughout the cancer journey. We have made some incredible advancements in cancer research and care, and we are thankful for the crucial $6.5 million raised this year through the Rexall OneWalk to Conquer Cancer. We proudly celebrate this amazing accomplishment with all of our participants at the iconic Nathan Phillips Square in the heart of this beautiful city,” added Alofs.
“My mother has lived with a benign brain tumor for the last 16 years and just when she finished her treatment, my father was diagnosed with throat cancer,” said Riannon John, a second-year OneWalk participant from Toronto.
“Both my parents were treated at The Princess Margaret in 2015 and my whole family is so grateful for the wonderful care and effective treatment they received, and for my parents’ amazing recoveries. Today, you’d never know they were ever ill. We’re walking 25-kilometres as a family and we are proud to be part of this movement to help other families facing cancer. We support Princess Margaret Cancer Centre’s efforts to develop and provide additional life-saving treatments, like the treatments that saved my parents,” John added.
Rexall Drugstore came on board in 2016 as the event’s title sponsor. Rexall’s support is vital to the success of OneWalk and will enable The Princess Margaret to invest more funds raised into their core cancer programs.
“Rexall Drugstore is honoured to be a part of OneWalk to Conquer Cancer’s overwhelming success this year as we support The Princess Margaret’s vision To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime. This is a personal cause to each one of our employees, family members, friends and customers,” said Jürgen Schreiber, CEO of Rexall Health.
“Rexall’s OneWalk team have been working together all year to fundraise and train and we are all extremely proud to help raise critical funds for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Our pharmacists and staff treat, counsel, and manage the health of hundreds of cancer patients every day. It is our hope that in the future even more people will get involved in this tremendous event, which is improving the quality of life for so many people,” Schreiber added.
Organizers released Saturday, September 9 as the date for the 2017 event, and encourage people of all athletic abilities to participate in OneWalk to Conquer Cancer.
"2017 marks an incredible 15 years walking to conquer cancer. With the ongoing support of our community, our momentum will not stop until we conquer all cancers. Register today at our re-registration tent, visit us online at www.onewalk.ca or call us at 416-815-9255," Alofs concluded.
OneWalk organizers expect thousands of Torontonians to attend public cheering stations throughout the city. For a map of the event route, visit www.onewalk.ca.
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