For those who know and for those who don't, when I was 17 I lost my Uncle Bill to cancer. It is still a moment that stays with me to this day as I had gotten the news while in a café in Switzerland (I still to this day cannot look at macaroons without thinking about the call) away from my family. Without the support of those around me, I don't think I would have gotten through it the way I did. My Uncle inspired me to stay in Air Cadets as a teenager and was so proud of me that he gave me his own combat boots from the Military to have when he was gone--I wore them at my final parade when he wasn't able to be there.

This year will mark nine years since my uncle passed. Nine years of only being a memory in those he loved here on earth.

This year also marks the first time that I will be participating in the Relay for Life with some of the amazing students I've gotten to know since I started working at Memorial. Uncle Bill is my main inspiration for joining the fundraising initiative for the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Please help me reach my fundraising goal for Relay For Life.  It doesn’t matter how small the step, it makes a difference. Not only for those living with cancer now, but for those remembering and honouring those we’ve lost.  A donation of $25, $50 or $100 could help make sure a team of researchers has the resources they need to make a life-saving discovery or a patient has access to support services when they need it most. 

Think about the impact we can make together!