Château Royal gala a warm-up for next Sunday’s breast cancer fundraiser in Montreal
In a lead-up to the CIBC Run for the Cure breast cancer fundraiser taking place in Montreal next Sunday, 350 Laval and Montreal-area CIBC employees and guests gathered at the Château Royal congress centre in Chomedey last Friday for an evening devoted to the cancer research cause.
Although CIBC has been involved with Run for the Cure for more than 26 years, this was the second consecutive year they held a local gathering to which employees as well as clients from CIBC branches throughout Laval and the greater Montreal region were invited.
A passion for the cause
The event took place a little more than a week before the Montreal leg of the Run for the Cure, which is on Sunday Oct. 1 at Maisonneuve Park in Montreal. CIBC is a major supporter of Run for the Cure, which is sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society, with Run for the Cure events taking place in major cities across Canada all on the same day.
“This is our pillar, our cause and our employees are passionate about it, and we’re looking forward to another record-breaking year in 2023,” Rosa Trunzo, Senior Vice President and Region Head Eastern Canada Personal Banking at CIBC, said in an interview last Friday evening with the Laval News.
Among the guests was Laval city councillor for the district of Souvenir-Labelle Sandra El-Helou, a member of the executive-committee with oversight for issues impacting women, who was the event’s honorary chairwoman. “We see it as part of our duties as a city to raise awareness and encourage women to be screened for breast cancer early,” said El-Helou.
Largest single-day event
That was the beginning of what was to become the Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure, which is now Canada’s largest single-day, volunteer-led event supporting the breast cancer cause. In 1997, the trailblazing partnership between the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) and CIBC began.
Run for the Cure dates back a few years before CIBC became involved. In 1992, a small group of volunteers began a movement in Toronto’s High Park. They brought together 1,500 people to raise awareness and raised $85,000 for the breast cancer cause.
On February 1, 2017, CBCF and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) joined forces under the CCS banner. Together, CCS, CIBC and thousands of dedicated Canadians continue to raise vital funds for the breast cancer cause through this signature event.
An inspirational day
Run for the Cure brings together a collective of Canadians who want to show their support. It is an inspirational day that raises important funds for CCS, the largest charitable funder of breast cancer research in Canada. CCS invests the sums into groundbreaking breast cancer research, compassionate support services, trusted cancer information and advocacy on behalf of all Canadians.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian women. It touches the lives of so many families every day. The CIBC Run for the Cure gives families, friends and supporters the opportunity to come together to honour and celebrate their loved ones. And to make a real difference for all Canadians impacted by breast cancer.
