Few of us could have imagined back in the beginning of the pandemic that we’d pass the grim milestone of two years impacted by COVID-19. The virus has taken a devastating toll — the lives of approximately 3,000 British Columbians to date. However, for 80,000 people in our province, cancer is a much more pressing health concern. We lost more than 11,000 of our loved ones to the disease last year alone.

We know, now more than ever, that science matters. Vaccines went from discovery to distribution in under a year, made possible by an unprecedented global mobilization and investment in research. When you donate to BC Cancer Foundation you’re fuelling life-saving research that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

Every new therapy and treatment is born in a laboratory. Hilary Stevens and Allan Collings know the long-term rewards of an experimental new drug, and are giving back with an incredible $1 million donation to the BC Cancer lab which now bears their name. Tara Sawatsky is undergoing a surgery, developed by our very own Dr. Dianne Miller, which will greatly reduce her risk of ovarian cancer. And with the recent appointment of a research chair, made possible by the late Gordon Shrum, BC Cancer Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kim Chi continues to make impressive contributions to prostate cancer discoveries.

As we look towards a brighter future of living with, if not free from, COVID-19, it is my deep hope that one day the same will be true of cancer. I truly believe we can get there.

Sincerely,

Sarah Roth
President & CEO
BC Cancer Foundation