MIKE BOSSY MEMORIAL FUND: A NEW FRENCH-LANGUAGE INITIATIVE SUPPORTING AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ON LUNG CANCER

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2023 /CNW/ - A new fund established to honour former NHLer Mike Bossy will help improve support and awareness for lung cancer in Quebec. This extremely important initiative will be launched alongside The Bossy Family and Lung Cancer Canada with the purpose of increasing French-language support, awareness, and education of lung cancer screening in the province of Quebec. The launch will be officially announced on Saturday, January 14, 2023 in New York during a game between the home-town Islanders and the Montréal Canadiens. We thank the New York Islanders Hockey Team for providing an exciting fundraising opportunity through a 50/50 draw that evening for which all proceeds will be donated to the Mike Bossy Memorial Fund.

"My father had a gift: to transform negative events into positive ones, and above all, to learn something from them. Through this fund, we want to honour him and his beliefs while enabling other patients to live healthier and longer lives", says Tanya Bossy, one of two children of the Hall of Fame hockey player.

The Mike Bossy Memorial Fund will: support initiatives to address stigma and raise awareness of lung cancer; promote the launch of the Quebec Cancer Screening Program, and patient and physician education.

"We are extremely grateful to the Bossy Family for their efforts in advancing awareness and support for lung cancer", says Shem Singh, Executive Director, Lung Cancer Canada. "This tribute is a meaningful way to honour the legacy of Mike Bossy and to tackle the stigma that still surrounds lung cancer. It is through awareness and education that we will be able to provide essential support to those living with lung cancer and their families".

Fundraising initiatives for the Mike Bossy Memorial Fund will be ongoing. To learn more or to donate please visit https://www.lungcancercanada.ca/en-CA/Get-Involved/Fundraising/Mike-Bossy-Memorial-Fund.aspx

More about the Mike Bossy Memorial Fund

Mike Bossy was a Canadian-born hockey player, who played his entire professional career with the New York Islanders. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 2017 was named one of the top 100 greatest NHL players in history. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2021 and passed away in April 2022. His family started the Mike Bossy Memorial Fund to help increase awareness about the importance of lung cancer screening. A pilot screening program is running in the family's home province of Quebec, but access remains limited and public awareness is low.

About lung cancer

About 9,000 people in Quebec will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, and 6,200 Quebecers will die this year from the disease – more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancer combined ⁱ. In fact, cancer is the leading cause of death in Quebec, ahead of cardiovascular disease ⁱⁱ. Lung cancer's five-year survival rate is only 22% in 2022, and roughly 70% of lung cancers are diagnosed at stage III or IV where the disease has spread locally or metastasized ⁱⁱⁱ. With lung cancer screening programs in place in four provinces (including Quebec), many patients diagnosed at stage I and II can be cured; however, sites are still limited, and promotion is minimal.

More about Lung Cancer Canada
Lung Cancer Canada is the only national organization focused exclusively on lung cancer education, patient support, research and advocacy. Activities are both regional and pan-Canadian, and LCC is a member of the Global Lung Cancer Coalition. www.lungcancercanada.ca

For more information or to donate to the Mike Bossy Memorial Fund, please visit https://www.lungcancercanada.ca/en-CA/Get-Involved/Fundraising/Mike-Bossy-Memorial-Fund.aspx

SOURCE Lung Cancer Canada

Winky Yau, 416-785-3439