Media Advisory - The W. Garfield Weston Foundation to announce the Weston Brain Institute

Institute focused on neurodegenerative diseases of aging

TORONTO, May 12, 2014 /CNW/ - On May 15, W. Galen Weston, president and chairman of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, will announce a new and innovative national initiative called the Weston Brain Institute. The Institute aims to accelerate breakthrough discoveries for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases of aging – including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS.  Established with a $50 million dollar fund, the Institute will directly support Canada's world-class neuroscience research community.

There are no treatments to stop or slow down these diseases. In 2013, 2.9 million Canadians were directly impacted by these conditions as either patients or caregivers. In one generation, this number is estimated to grow to 16.4 million Canadians, while the economic impact is expected to balloon from $28 billion to $215 billion per year.

Why:					Growing old is a fact of life, but succumbing to debilitating and potentially preventable diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS should not be. The Weston Brain Institute is dedicated to finding a solution to these diseases. The event will explain the details about this landmark announcement and how the Institute will help drive breakthroughs in neuroscience research.
Who:					W. Galen Weston – chairman and president, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation
					Alexandra Stewart – executive director, Weston Brain Institute
					Dr. Andres Lozano – chair of the Institute's Scientific Advisory Committee; Dan Family Chair, University of Toronto and RR Tasker Chair in Functional Neurosurgery, University Health Network
					Dr. Sandra Black – grantee, Weston Brain Institute; Brill Chair in Neurology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and University of Toronto
When:					Thursday, May 15, 2014
Time:					10:30 - 11 a.m. registration
					11:00 a.m. SHARP formal remarks
Where:					Weston Centre, 22 St. Clair Avenue East, 19^th Floor, Toronto, ON

About The W. Garfield Weston Foundation
The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is a private Canadian family foundation, established in the 1950's by Willard Garfield Weston and his wife Reta. In 1924 Garfield inherited his father's company and during his life established baking and retail businesses throughout Canada and in many parts of the world. The founders believed that as the funds are generated through the hard work and success of his Canadian companies, grants should be given in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. For three generations, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has maintained a family tradition of supporting charitable organizations across Canada. Today the Foundation directs the majority of its funds to projects in the fields of neuroscience, land conservation, education, and scientific research in Canada's North. For additional information please visit http://www.westonfoundation.org.

SOURCE: The W. Garfield Weston Foundation

To register, schedule an interview or for more information, please contact: Caroline De Silva, Argyle Communications, P : [phone] ext. 231, E: [email protected]