Medal is ‘a testament to the lives you’ve touched,’ Senator Loffreda tells Vourtzoumis
Longtime Laval resident Denise Vourtzoumis, who is co-founder and president of Pink in the City which supports breast cancer care and research, received the Quebec Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Exceptional Merit during a touching ceremony held on Sunday Sept. 15 at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.
The extraordinary honour was awarded by the Honorable Manon Jeannotte, the 30th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, in recognition of the outstanding achievement by an individual or organization. The award was presented at a ceremony coinciding with the launch of Pink in the City’s annual schedule of festivities.
Surviving and thriving
The ceremony was held in the Atrium of the Research Institute at the MUHC, hosted by the MUHC Foundation, which has partnered with Denise Vourtzoumis over many years to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help women with breast cancer not just survive, but thrive.
Pink in the City was co-founded nearly 20 years ago and is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting those impacted by breast cancer. The organization strives to build volunteer active communities, raise funds for breast cancer and advance student leadership.
Impact on philanthropy
Over the past two decades, Pink in the City has made a considerable impact in local and regional philanthropy through initiatives and programs that have given more women the chance at an early diagnosis, and thus better odds of surviving.
In 2023 alone, Pink in the City raised raised $325,000 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in support of breast cancer research and care at the MUHC. During their Raise Craze campaign last year, courageous individuals at schools in Laval and elsewhere in the Montreal region accepted pledges to cut and shave their hair in honour of their loved ones.
‘Leader and changemaker’
Marie-Hélène Laramée, president and CEO of the MUHC Foundation, referred to Denise Vourtzoumis as “an exceptional leader and changemaker.” She said that Denise, through Pink in the City’s work, “has cultivated a powerful community and brought hope to countless women.
“On behalf of the entire MUHC Foundation, Denise, we extend our deepest gratitude for all that you do – especially for leading the way towards that brighter future,” Laramée added.
Medal a ‘testament,’ said Senator
Addressing Vourtzoumis, Senator Tony Loffreda said, “Your medal is a testament to the lives you’ve touched and the impact you’ve created with Pink in the City.
“It’s an amazing impact on the community,” he continued. “And as we age we realize one thing: we realize that life is a privilege. And aging is an even bigger privilege, and it’s a privilege not given to all.”
He said, “we have to use that privilege, that opportunity that’s given to us, that we’re lucky to have – to use it responsibly. The responsibility to create, to do something bigger than ourselves, this is what Denise has done with Pink in the City.”
