By Jasminee Sahoye
It was her first but it’s not the last for Jamaica-born Marcia Brown, a breast cancer survivor, who participated in this year’s Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers walk in Toronto.
She has already signed up for next year’s event and organizers say it will be a transition of North America’s largest multi-day walk for women’s cancers in the Shoppers Drug Mart OneWalk to Conquer Cancer in 2015.
Brown described the 32 km walk this month as “amazing, inspiring, uplifting, rewarding and an eye opener.”
She raised almost $8,200 for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, which provided the expertise and care that saved her from the deadly breast cancer she battled with a few years ago.
This year, 3,100 walkers raised more than $7.7 million for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in the twelfth-annual event. Over the years the walk has raised in excess of $148 million.
Brown, a producer, writer, director and performer, hopes to personally raise more money in future walks, saying she is very competitive.
She says, “I got very emotional when I saw women who are suffering from cancer,” adding that a survivor who is 101 participated in the entire walk. “Everyone stood up and gave a round of applause.”
The next generation fundraiser will consist of a 25 km walk through streets and communities of Toronto and an inspiring festival in one day to raise funds for personalized cancer medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
“We are re-launching the walk with a brand new name and broader appeal so each walker can raise funds for the cancer type they care about the most,” says Paul Alofs, president & CEO of Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
“When a participant registers for OneWalk, they select a cancer fund the dollars they raise will support. Princess Margaret Cancer Centre will use the funds raised to lead the revolution in Personalized Cancer Medicine, allowing our world-leading doctors and scientists to detect cancers earlier, diagnose with more precision, target treatment for each patient and support patients and their families throughout the cancer journey.”
This year, more than 97,000 men and over 93,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer in Canada and over 76,600 people will die from the disease.
The first-annual Shoppers Drug Mart OneWalk to Conquer Cancer will happen Saturday, Sept.12, 2015, in Toronto.
Survivor raises $8Gs for cancer research added by The Caribbean Camera Inc. on
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