At the beginning of our 75th Anniversary year, I took some time to reflect on how fortunate we are at the Society to have volunteers, staff and donors who are so dedicated to our goal of preventing cancer, saving lives and supporting those living with the disease.
Since 1938, we’ve collaborated with Canadians, government and other organizations to change cancer forever. Today, over 60% of Canadians diagnosed with cancer will survive at least 5 years after their diagnosis. In the 1940s, survival was about 25%. We’re proud to have played a significant role in this progress by funding ground-breaking research and providing information and support to Canadians living with the disease. I encourage you to explore our 75th Anniversary website to learn about some of the key people, places and things that have helped us to have more impact, against more cancers, in more communities, than any other cancer charity in Canada.
It is a privilege for me as national chair of the Society’s Board of Directors to work with 140,000 volunteers, 1,200 staff members and over 1.5 million generous donors across the country. Join us in the fight for life by making the Canadian Cancer Society your charity of choice.
While great progress has been made, much work remains to be done. Last year alone, an estimated 186,000 Canadians heard the words, “You’ve got cancer.” Help save the lives of those who mean the most to you by becoming a volunteer or donor today!
Marc Généreux
Chair, Canadian Cancer Society Board of Directors
A message from our local chair
As the Canadian Cancer Society approaches its 75 year anniversary, I am proud to be one of thousands of volunteers who contribute their time, energy, ideas, and skills to this organization year after year. And I am proud of the accomplishments we have made together.
We were among the first to pick a fight with cancer and we’ve been leaders ever since helping families cope with a cancer diagnosis and blazing a trail to find a cure. We’re making progress in this fight. Today, twice as many people survive a cancer diagnosis compared to just a few decades ago.
Personally I volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society because I want to make even more progress in the fight against the number one cause of premature death in Manitoba. Along the way I also get to learn new skills and work with hundreds of passionate and dedicated people – many of whom have compelling stories about living with cancer.
Like many who will read this message, I have experienced the burden of cancer. My life has been affected by having colleagues, friends, and family diagnosed with cancer. But I know that people all across Manitoba - in fact across Canada - are fighting back against cancer together – and in ever increasing numbers we’re winning.
At the Canadian Cancer Society, we fight for life. We fight by doing everything we can to prevent cancer, we fight by funding only the best, most promising research, and we fight by supporting and improving the lives of Manitobans affected by cancer. But more needs to be done and that is why the Canadian Cancer Society invests more money in cancer research – around $46 million last year alone – than any other national charity in Canada.
As a leader in cancer control, the Society also has other important work: We help people affected by cancer make informed decisions, by providing them with reliable information based strictly on evidence and research findings. We also encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles that reduce cancer risks like quitting smoking, reducing exposure to the sun, eating healthy and being active.
Our Peer Support program helps to reduce anxiety that so often accompanies a cancer diagnosis by matching cancer patients with cancer survivors who provide emotional support. And our Transportation Service provides rides to those with cancer who would otherwise have a difficult time getting to and from their treatments.
The Society also fights to reduce cancer incidence with our advocacy efforts. We work to convince government to increase investments in cancer prevention, to create affordable access to care and drugs for cancer patients, and to create laws and policies needed to protect us from cancer.
The Cancer Society is proud to be a leader in the fight against cancer and we are proud of everyone in Manitoba who has joined the fight.
Together we continue to make a difference.
Dean Schinkel, Chair
Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba Division