Hope Couture raises $600,000 to prevent ovarian cancer for British Columbians
Vancouver, BC (20th September 2017) – The annual BC Cancer Foundation’s Hope Couture fashion show and fundraiser today announced anincredible $600,000 was raised to fuel research at BC Cancer that aims to prevent 50 per cent of ovarian cancers.
A silent auction, as well as extremely generous donations helped boost the total monies raised, which will go towards BC Cancer’s OVCARE team. OVCARE’s dedicated staff will build out a robust toolbox to prevent reproductive cancers. Two life-saving tools are already in place: the opportunistic removal of fallopian tubes for women undergoing hysterectomy or tubal ligation, and hereditary testing for all women diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
“The lifesaving work being done at BC Cancer is known across Canada and the world. A generous guest of honour, Rob Collins, came to today's event from Toronto to announce a $200,000 donation in memory of his late wife Janet Cotrelle,” said Sarah Roth, president & CEO, BC Cancer Foundation.
Currently, no comparable prevention tools exist for endometrial ovarian carcinoma and clear cell ovarian carcinoma. By expanding the toolbox, more cancers will be prevented.
Dr. David Huntsman, director of BC Cancer’s OVCARE team expressed his gratitude for the funds. He says, he says, “What drives our research team is our collective view that every patient diagnosed with ovarian cancer represents a prevention failure. Funds raised today will allow us to focus on applying what we’ve learned about ovarian cancer to prevent them from happening in the first place.
The great support we have received from our community has enabled us to produce research that has changed the way ovarian cancers are prevented, diagnosed and managed. Although our goals are global, the women of B.C. benefit first form our work.”
The sold-out Hope Couture event was held today at the Rocky Mountaineer train station, and with the theme of “London Calling” this year, it featured a fashion show from Vancouver’s exclusive retailers Bacci’s and Boboli with a particular focus on British designers, as well as musical entertainment from a Beatles cover band.
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