BC Cancer Foundation 2014 Inspiration Gala: Raises Record Breaking $5M in Support of Personalized Onco-Genomics Cancer Research

On Saturday, November 1^st, the BC Cancer Foundation (BCCF) hosted their 10^th annual Inspiration Gala, with the lofty goal of raising $5 million in one night. As a cancer survivor and a member of the BC Cancer Foundation’s board, Robert Conconi has always been an avid supporter of the BCCF. The elegant evening included a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, entertainment, live auction, and silent auction for 450 guests.

With all its glitz and glamour, the gala was a huge success! As proud supporters, we’re pleased to report that the BCCF raised a record breaking $5 million, which will go towards the world-first Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) Program, a truly personalized strategy for cancer therapy. The intent of the POG is to ensure genomic sequencing becomes a standard in cancer care in the future, and the next phase will see the number of participants in the program increase to 300.

A notable highlight from the night was when Laurie Rix, on behalf of The Rix Family Foundation, presented the night’s largest donation of $1.5 million! Her late father, pathologist and philanthropist Dr. Donald Rix, was the first in the world to receive specialized cancer treatment based on the sequencing of his rare and aggressive tumour. The genetic sequencing allowed clinicians to differentiate the genes that were the driving factors specific to Rix’s tumour and alter treatment accordingly, ultimately increasing his life expectancy and quality.

The Robert L. Conconi Foundation’s mission is to give back to the community and inspire lasting change. With cancer research an important cause close to Robert himself, the foundation donated $20,000 at the inspiration Gala to go towards the POG program.

Want to learn more about the innovative program? Dr. Janessa Laskin, medical oncologist and senior scientist and the BC Cancer Agency, will be blogging about the POG program for the month of November. To follow along, visit http://bccancerfoundation.com/blog.

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Robert L. Cononi Foundation