Two Faculty of Medicine institutes to receive funding for cancer research

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Posted February 24, 2010

By Kyle Glennie

From left: Jim Truesdale, board chair of the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, with Christine Wandzura, founder and CEO of Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta and Saifa Koonar, president and CEO of Alberta Children's Hospital FoundationThe Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta (KCCFA) has given a massive boost to childhood cancer research after donating $2.5 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.  The money will directly benefit collaborative research being done by two Faculty of Medicine institutes: the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health (ACHRI) and the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute (SACRI).

The KCCFA has been a long-time supporter of the childhood cancer team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. “When I say it is a labour of love to support the childhood cancer team here in Calgary, I mean it,” says Christine Wandzura, Founder and CEO of the KCCFA.

Dr. Brent Scott, director of ACHRI, says working with his colleagues at the Southern Alberta Cancer Institute is something they’re looking forward to.  “We’re thrilled to be working in collaboration with our colleagues at SACRI and to have the support of the Kids Cancer Care Foundation.  The funding will allow us to create chairs, recruit people and establish programs benefiting childhood cancer research.”

Those sentiments were echoed by the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“Childhood cancer is such a devastating disease. It’s clear that a coordinated effort is required if we’re going to find new ways to help more kids,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. This gift will go a long way to help our team discover new treatments and cures that will extend beyond cancer, beyond kids and well beyond Calgary.”