MONTREAL, Feb. 15, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - On the occasion of International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, Leucan celebrates 40 years of supporting cancer-stricken children and their families and unveils a brand-new awareness-raising campaign, coupled with an immersive virtual reality experience.
Founded in 1978 by parents of cancer-stricken children and members of the oncology team at the Sainte-Justine UHC, Leucan was created with the goal to improve the recovery rate and the well-being of sick children. "In 40 years, Leucan has supported more than 10,000 families through this difficult time, in addition to donating nearly $20 million to clinical research, which contributed to increase the survival rate from 15% to 82% in just a few decades," stated Pascale Bouchard, Executive Director of Leucan. In the next years, Leucan aims to reduce the side effects of treatments to improve the quality of life of survivors.
Leucan introduces The Defenders
Leucan is proud to introduce its new awareness-raising campaign, developed by TAM-TAM\TBWA, starring The Defenders, i.e. all the people involved with Leucan to help families cope with their new reality after a childhood cancer diagnosis. "Over the past 40 years, Leucan has been surrounded by Defenders: our donors, volunteers, participants, partners… The idea to represent them like members of a gang doing good for families of children with cancer came from them," explained Lysanne Groulx, Director, Annual Campaigns and Communications.
This new campaign features advertisement on TV and in print, in addition to being promoted online and in social media. A number of public figures, including Danièle Henkel, Marie-Mai, Dominic Paquet, Patrick Groulx, Patrice Michaud, King Melrose and Guillaume Pineault, will showcase their support for the campaign today on their social media platforms. For more information on the different ways of becoming a Defender for Leucan, the population is invited to visit www.defenseurs.com.
Virtual reality to walk in the shoes of affected families
Again, in the context of its 40th anniversary, Leucan, in partnership with Productions Figure 55, will present a virtual reality experience entitled "Mettons-nous à leur place" (Let's put ourselves in their shoes). Through an immersive movie, this innovative outreach strategy brings viewers into the reality and the intense emotions of families coping with pediatric cancer, while also showing the support and hope provided by Leucan through it all. With a script inspired by the testimonials of real families, this virtual reality experience will be accessible to the public at various shaving sites across the province during the Leucan Shaved Head Challenge, and as part of special activities and benefit events hosted by the Association.
About Leucan
For 40 years, Leucan has been supporting cancer-stricken children and their families from the day of diagnosis through every stage of cancer and its effects. As a loyal ally of hundreds of families and thousands of members across Quebec, the Association provides distinctive and tailored services, delivered by a qualified team with a cutting-edge expertise. Leucan also funds clinical research and the Leucan Information Centre. Thanks to its nine offices, Leucan is available across the province.
SOURCE Leucan
Anne-Marie Leclerc, Project Manager, Communications | Leucan, 581 999-3045, [email protected]
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