A record $800,000 raised for pancreatic cancer research at a recent North Shore cycling fundraiser.
On July 28, more than 650 seasoned and new cyclists undertook the challenging 12-kilometre ascent of Cypress Mountain in a bid to fuel the future of pancreatic cancer treatment and care in British Columbia.
This year marked the 17th annual Capilano Volkswagen Cypress Challenge, the largest privately-initiated fundraising event for pancreatic cancer in Canada and the largest community-based event within the BC Cancer Foundation for pancreatic cancer.
Geoffrey Glotman, managing principal at Glotman.Simpson Consulting Engineers, started the event in 2008 after his mother-in-law passed away from pancreatic cancer. Thus far, the event has raised more than $5.2 million for BC Cancer’s pancreatic cancer research, led by Dr. Dan Renouf. This year alone, a record $800,000 has been contributed.
“We started at Mulgrave, where everyone gathered and got set up before hitting the road. It’s a timed event, with participants lining up based on their estimated time to reach the top, ranging from around 30 minutes to over an hour,” said Chris Cook, director of mass participation events at the BC Cancer Foundation.
Among the highlights of this year was Chris Armstrong, a local businessperson, who raised nearly $300,000 to honour his wife, Lone, who passed away from the disease in 2023.
“He’s done the ride for many years. But this year, in particular, at the loss of his wife from the disease in 2023, he was just so highly motivated and moved to engage his philanthropic muscles and reach out to the community to support his efforts and his team’s efforts,” Cook said.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, largely because it is difficult to detect early and resistant to existing treatments. Advancing research is crucial to improving outcomes for the 800 British Columbians diagnosed each year, as the five-year survival rate remains at around 10 per cent.
Cook, whose family has its own share of the disease, added that B.C. stands as an international leader in pancreatic cancer research, largely due to the Pancreas Centre BC. This unique multidisciplinary coalition includes experts from BC Cancer, the University of British Columbia, and Vancouver Coastal Health, all dedicated to enhancing early detection and treatment.
Donations to Capilano Volkswagen Cypress Challenge are open until August 28 at cypresschallenge.ca
Fatemeh Falah is an intern reporter with the North Shore News. She can be contacted at [email protected].
