Media Advisory - Inspired by Terry Fox's legacy, Canadian cancer centres join forces for the first time

VANCOUVER and ST JOHN'S, April 10, 2019 /CNW/ -

DATE:	Friday, April 12, 2019
TIME:	10:30 am-11:45 am
WHERE:	Terry Fox Memorial Statue,
	1 Water St.,
	St. John's, N.L. A1C 1A1
	(Note: Event will be at Annex in Visitors Centre on Signal Hill if there's snow)
WHAT:	Exactly 39 years after Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope, the Terry Fox Research Institute and its national and regional partners will launch a new network to bring together, for the first time, leading cancer hospitals and research universities across Canada to accelerate precision medicine for cancer patients.
	The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres network is named in honour of Terry's 1980 journey to raise funds for cancer research and will be launched in a historic event held at the Terry Fox Memorial Statue in St. John's, N.L. This unprecedented collaboration will help fulfill the promise of precision medicine: to provide patients with the right treatment at the right time based on the biological and genetic make up of their individual cancers.
	The Government of Canada as part of Budget 2019 announced last month that it will invest up to $150-million of matching funds over the next five years to help create this innovative new network. Institutions from across Atlantic Canada as well as St. John's partners will participate in the event.
SPEAKERS:	Dr. Michael Johnston, Professor of Surgery, Dalhousie University, TFRI Node Leader
	Dr. Rodney Ouellette, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, TFRI Founding Member
	Dr. Victor Ling, TFRI President and Scientific Director, O.C., O.B.C., PhD
	Ms Pam Damoff, Oakville North-Burlington MP and Parliamentary Secretary, Minister of Health
	Mr. Darrell Fox, younger brother of Terry, and Ms Kirsten Fox and Ms Alexandra Fox, Terry's nieces, on behalf of Fox Family
	Mr. William Pristanski, Board Chair, Terry Fox Foundation
	Ms Debbie Curtis, St. John's Run Committee Chair, Terry Fox Foundation
	Dr. Sherri Christian, Lead, Atlantic Cancer Consortium and Biochemist, Memorial University of Newfoundland
	Mr. Mo Sultan, Killam Scholar and PhD student, Cancer Research Training Program, Dalhousie University
	Ms Quinn Schmiedendorf, St Francis of Assisi School, Outer Cove with Grade 5&6 classmates

SOURCE Terry Fox Research Institute

For further information: Kelly Foss, Communications Advisor, Memorial University of Newfoundland: [phone] (cell); [e-mail]; Kelly Curwin, Chief Communications Officer, Terry Fox Research Institute: [phone] (cell); [e-mail]; Peter Mothe, Communications Specialist, Terry Fox Research Institute: [phone] (cell); [e-mail]

Related Links

www.tfri.ca