Historic $50 Million Gift to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Biggest Ever Private Donation to Cancer Research in Canada

TORONTO, Jan. 21, 2013 /CNW/ - Canadian philanthropists Emmanuelle Gattuso, Allan Slaight and the Slaight family made history today with a $50 million gift to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. The extraordinary donation is the biggest ever private gift to cancer research in Canadian history and will advance the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre's Personalized Cancer Medicine initiative.

Ms. Gattuso and Mr. Slaight's gift to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation's Billion Dollar Challenge is pledged over ten years, and is an investment in human capital. It will create an unprecedented Personalized Cancer Medicine "superfund to support superstars" that will provide the necessary long-term, sustainable funding to attract, support and retain the best and brightest minds in the world whose sole focus is to eradicate cancer.

In 2012, Emmanuelle Gattuso and Allan Slaight were named Philanthropists of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). The couple has dedicated their lives to transforming the things that matter to them. Helping cancer patients is at the top of their list. As a 10-year cancer survivor, Ms. Gattuso has seen significant change driven by the dedicated scientists and caregivers at The Princess Margaret over the past decade. For Ms. Gattuso, Mr. Slaight and the Slaight family, The Princess Margaret's vision of Personalized Cancer Medicine resonates and is the reason for their generous gift.

Emmanuelle Gattuso commented, "I have been touched by cancer, as have so many friends and family members. Allan and I are extremely pleased to be able to support The Princess Margaret's Billion Dollar Challenge for Personalized Cancer Medicine and hope others will join us. We believe in The Princess Margaret's vision to conquer cancer in our lifetime."

The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world, is revolutionizing cancer care by creating and delivering its own distinct model of Personalized Cancer Medicine encompassing four key themes: detect, diagnose, target and support. Personalized Cancer Medicine will help detect cancers earlier, diagnose cancers more precisely, provide targeted treatment, and better support patients and their families through their cancer journey.

"This outstanding gift will add significant momentum to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre's global leadership role in advancing Personalized Cancer Medicine," said Dr. Robert Bell, President & CEO of University Health Network (UHN).

Dr. Benjamin Neel, Research Director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, said, "This unprecedented "superfund" allows us to build and support research teams focused on precision genomics, advanced tumour biology, immune therapy and molecular imaging." He added, "I truly believe that we can conquer cancer."

"Emmanuelle Gattuso, Allan Slaight and the Slaight family have made this historic gift to our Billion Dollar Challenge to help transform cancer care as we know it today," said Paul Alofs, President & CEO of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. "This will be a revolution that will take place over the next ten years. Please join us as we raise funds to create the new gold standard in cancer care."

In 2009, Emmanuelle Gattuso, Allan Slaight and the Slaight family donated more than $22 million to create The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre at The Princess Margaret. The centre provides one-day diagnoses and treatment plans to breast cancer patients. Rapid diagnosis is now being embraced by other cancer sites, including colorectal, lung, pancreatic and prostate cancers. To date, The Princess Margaret will have received donations totaling more than $72 million from Ms. Gattuso, Mr. Slaight and the Slaight family.

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation launched a Billion Dollar Challenge in April 2012. To date, this challenge has raised $243 million in a combination of donations and grants

To donate to Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret, please visit www.ibelieveit.ca

About Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, have achieved an international reputation as global leaders in the fight against cancer and delivering Personalized Cancer Medicine. The Princess Margaret, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world, is a member of the University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. For more information about the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, visit www.theprincessmargaret.ca or www.ibelieveit.ca.

About The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for Personalized Cancer Medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute. More information about The Foundation can be found at www.thepmcf.ca.

For further information, contact:

Video with caption: "VIDEO: In an historic announcement today, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation received a $50 million gift for Personalized Cancer Medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from philanthropists Emmanuelle Gattuso, Allan Slaight and the Slaight family. ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130121_C7330_VIDEO_EN_22771.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130121_C7330_PHOTO_EN_22771.jpg&clientName=Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Foundation&caption=VIDEO%3A%20In%20an%20historic%20announcement%20today%2C%20The%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Foundation%20received%20a%20%2450%20million%20gift%20for%20Personalized%20Cancer%20Medicine%20at%20the%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre%20from%20philanthropists%20Emmanuelle%20Gattuso%2C%20Allan%20Slaight%20and%20the%20Slaight%20family%2E%20&title=PRINCESS%20MARGARET%20CANCER%20FOUNDATION%20%2D%20Historic%20%2450%20Million%20Gift%20to%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre&headline=Historic%20%2450%20Million%20Gift%20to%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre

Video with caption: "Canadian philanthropists Emmanuelle Gattuso, Allan Slaight and the Slaight family, provide The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation with a $50 million gift for personalized cancer medicine. Breast cancer survivor, Emmanuelle, speaks about her desire to help conquer cancer and further the work at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130121_C7330_VIDEO_EN_22753.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130121_C7330_PHOTO_EN_22753.jpg&clientName=Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Foundation&caption=Canadian%20philanthropists%20Emmanuelle%20Gattuso%2C%20Allan%20Slaight%20and%20the%20Slaight%20family%2C%20provide%20The%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Foundation%20with%20a%20%2450%20million%20gift%20for%20personalized%20cancer%20medicine%2E%20Breast%20cancer%20survivor%2C%20Emmanuelle%2C%20speaks%20about%20her%20desire%20to%20help%20conquer%20cancer%20and%20further%20the%20work%20at%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre%2E%20&title=PRINCESS%20MARGARET%20CANCER%20FOUNDATION%20%2D%20Historic%20%2450%20Million%20Gift%20to%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre&headline=Historic%20%2450%20Million%20Gift%20to%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre

Video with caption: "Dr. Ben Neel, Director of Research at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, speaks about the historic $50 million gift to advance the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre's Personalized Cancer Medicine Initiative, having long-term impact on attracting and retaining the brightest minds in cancer research. ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130121_C7330_VIDEO_EN_22754.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130121_C7330_PHOTO_EN_22754.jpg&clientName=Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Foundation&caption=Dr%2E%20Ben%20Neel%2C%20Director%20of%20Research%20at%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre%20in%0D%0AToronto%2C%20Canada%2C%20speaks%20about%20the%20historic%20%2450%20million%20gift%20to%20advance%20the%0D%0APrincess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre%27s%20Personalized%20Cancer%20Medicine%20Initiative%2C%20having%20long%2Dterm%20impact%20on%20attracting%20and%20retaining%20the%20brightest%20minds%20in%20cancer%20research%2E%20&title=PRINCESS%20MARGARET%20CANCER%20FOUNDATION%20%2D%20Historic%20%2450%20Million%20Gift%20to%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre&headline=Historic%20%2450%20Million%20Gift%20to%20Princess%20Margaret%20Cancer%20Centre

Image with caption: "Celebrating an historic $50 million donation for Personalized Cancer Medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre are (left to right) Paul Alofs (President & CEO, The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre), Dr. Robert Bell (President & CEO of University Health Network), philanthropist Emmanuelle Gattuso (who, with husband Allan Slaight and the Slaight family, donated the gift), Geoffrey Ogram (lung cancer patient), Dr. Benjamin Neel (Research Director, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) and Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz (Medical Director of the Cancer Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre). (CNW Group/Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130121_C7330_PHOTO_EN_22769.jpg

Image with caption: "Emmanuelle Gattuso, a cancer survivor herself, speaks to a capacity crowd at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre following her historic donation of $50 million to Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret. The $50 million gift was from Ms. Gattuso, her husband Allan Slaight as well as the Slaight family. (CNW Group/Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130121_C7330_PHOTO_EN_22767.jpg

SOURCE: Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation

Kevin Shea
Associate Director, Public Relations
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
[email protected] 
416-946-2898

Sommer Ellis
Senior Consultant
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
[email protected]
416-413-4756