Ottawa East
 

Ottawa Hospital sets ambitious $1 million fundraising goal

Posted Mar 2, 2010 By Desmond Devoy
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Perhaps hoping to tap into some left-over Olympic spirit, the Ottawa Hospital Foundation has set an ambitious goal for itself for the upcoming Ottawa Race Weekend – to raise more than $1 million to fight cancer.
“After the Vancouver Olympics, everybody should be in the sporting mood,” said Steve West, Chief Executive Officer of MDS Inc. and President of MDS Nordion, during the launch of the 2010 Run for a Reason Challenge at Jean Pigott Hall at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West in Centretown, on the morning of Tuesday, March 2.
“The hospital touches the lives of so many of us,” added West, noting that “we’re a world class city and a world class city needs a world class health facility.”
The million dollar amount was chosen since it seemed like the next logical step after $900,000 was raised last year for the hospital to expand its cancer care facility. This year, the focus will be on helping the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
But for those who come from “cancer families,” the fight against cancer goes beyond nickels and dimes.
“We want to reach the day when cancer will be just a nuisance,” said CFRA 580 AM announcer Steve Madely, whose wife was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. He hoped for a time when “the (cancer) prognosis will just be…something we can live with.” While it may still require surgery or therapy, “it won’t take our loved ones from us.”
Last year, the hospital’s 20/20 campaign raised $24 million, $4 million more than its intended goal.
“It set the bar even higher,” said Madely of future fundraising goals. (The overflow money went to fund cancer research.) Madely’s team, last year, raised about $444,000 for the cause.
For more on this story, please see upcoming editions of the EMC...



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