“Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not?” - George Bernard Shaw
Inspired by the vision of a world where cancer is no longer the predator and we the prey, we came together in 2001 to form the CanCare Foundation. With some of us as young as 19 years old, our mission was and continues to be the hope that our efforts will make a difference in our community, focusing on projects related to cancer research and patient care.
The youthfulness of our movement symbolizes our desire to promote cancer awareness particularly among our youth. Our reach and connection with our peers is evidenced by the tremendous enthusiasm and participation our fundraising events generate for this very important cause. In this spirit, our fundraising efforts have taken many different forms, including fashion shows, advertising/sponsor books, charity dinners and public auctions. Knowing the vital importance of giving blood, we organized a blood drive and our humanitarian message was well-received. We welcomed an impressive amount of blood donors, many of whom were first-time donors under the age of 30.
Our philosophy is simple: with little steps we can achieve big dreams. Indeed we have. Since our inception we have succeeded in donating close to $300,000 to various projects which include, but are not limited to: the renovation of a family room at the oncology/gynecology ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital, the purchase of state-of-the-art beds for the cancer stricken children at the Sainte-Justine Hospital, the first stem cell umbilical cord public bank in Montreal, and aiding La Maison Bleue in their expansion project to support additional women and families in need.
We are empowered to continue this movement knowing that cancer care has become a prevalent topic, one that our community supports wholeheartedly. With incidence rates on the rise, particularly among young adults, the message that we have preached for so long is clear. Cancer does not discriminate. We have a social obligation to participate in the betterment of our society. People of every facet can join together and unite for a common cause – a cause that has touched many families, some who have been left heartbroken by this disease and others who have been left inspired by the hope that one day we will finally see a cure.
Our success could not have been achieved without the kind generosity of our many sponsors, some who have been supporting us since the very beginning. We are proud to be associated with the organizations and facilities that ultimately care for our cancer patients. Our role is to bring a human touch to raising funds in selecting projects that are both tangible and close to the heart.
Having been personally devastated by cancer, giving back to the community and this cause seemed only natural and was only made possible by joining forces with five dedicated and lovely young women: Helen Mavromichalis, Venessa Atsaidis, Veronica Atsaidis, Denise Karelis, and Mary Karelis – all essential parts in establishing the CanCare Foundation. {w}
symbols: volume i, issue ii
/// {voice} of the urban community ///
the {warehouse} magazine would encourage its community of readers to share commentary about articles read in this magazine - or elsewhere - and observations about the {insert adjectives here} world we live in.
This is YOUR platform. So be sure to read out {LOUD}.
By Lisa Garreffa
Great article ladies, keep doing what you're doing and let's us hope that this dreadful disease will have a quick and painless cure one day! Thank you for your great efforts!
By Sylvia Giannone
Ladies, I applaud you all! I lost both my parents to cancer and know first hand the devastating effects of this horrible desease. I wish you continued success, and may God bless you for your commitment to this cause. Sylvia Giannone