Our Causes
In 2010, cancer will be the leading cause of death on our planet, claiming 8 million lives annually. GIVETOLIVE recently completed a three-year commitment to raise $1 million for the war on cancer. By organizing cycles for over 100 riders the last three years, we are now proud to say that we have donated over $1 million to various charities including The Irish Cancer Society, Ovarian Cancer Canada, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, The Emer Casey Cancer Foundation, and Craig’s Cause for Pancreatic Cancer. We are also proud to say that we remain an all volunteer organization with no paid staff or overhead.
GIVETOLIVE has decided for 2010 that the money raised will be split equally among The Lance Armstrong Foundation (international), Ovarian Cancer Canada (national), Craig’s Cause for Pancreatic Cancer (locally run with global benefits), and The Canadian Cancer Society. In addition, as our departure point is British Columbia, we are currently searching for a local charity in the Vancouver area to which we can donate some funds. We have chosen these charities for a number of reasons highlighted below:
1/4th to The Lance Armstrong Foundation:
Defeating a global disease that kills 8 million people annually is going to take a global effort. From coordinating global research projects to advocating for necessary changes in policy to meeting with and pressuring world leaders to increase funding for the top killer on our planet, Lance and the LAF are leading that charge. Lance may be the hardest working person on the planet when it comes to defeating cancer and the LAF fights cancer like he rides a bike: ruthlessly and with a determination to win. From initiatives like Proposition 15 which founded a global cancer research center to the premier LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit last August in Dublin, the LAF is bringing together world leaders and pressuring them to tackle cancer from the top down. For more on LAF, please visit www.livestrong.org .
1/4th to Ovarian Cancer Canada:
Within the global war on cancer, there are unfortunately individual battles that must also be fought. Here in North America, ovarian cancer has quietly become one of the deadliest and most silent killers. It is a misunderstood illness (many believe there is a test for it and there isn’t) and one that all too often progresses to the deadly stages before it is caught. After working hard to combine various organizations across Canada, OCC is now the only one of its kind in Canada providing much needed support and programming for those with an illness that will kill 1,500 of the 2,600 women diagnosed with the disease each year, a staggering 60%. While organizations such as LAF work on a global solution, it is important that we continue to support those fighting the everyday battles and helping the loved ones we know that get this terrible disease. For more information, please visit www.ovariancanada.org.
1/4th to Craig’s Cause for Pancreatic Cancer
Craig’s Cause is the only organization in Canada whose mission is so to provide awareness, information, and support to patients and caregivers whose lives have been affected by pancreatic cancer. In addition, Craig’s Cause also raises much needed funds for one of the deadliest types of cancer.
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all cancers, with only 4-6% percent of patients surviving past 5 years. The median survival rate of this cancer is only 3-9 months. The only hope to survive it is to have surgery, yet only 10% of patients are diagnosed early enough to have surgery as an option. It is a killer, and unfortunately only 1% of funding in Canada is allocated to pancreatic cancer research.
Money raised by GIVETOLIVE in 2010 will be used to fund two specific research studies at the QEII Heath Science Centre in Halifax, NS. The first study, which has never been done before, will seek to improve the management of high-risk individuals by assessing the impact of a screening program and its ability to save lives. The second study aims to discover the first early screening method for individuals at risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Both of these studies will save lives and are being overseen by Dr. Molinari and Dr. Walsh at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. For more information on either of these studies, you can go www.craigscause.ca and click on Research Report.
1/4th to The Canadian Cancer Society
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.
Thanks to the generosity of donors and the hard work of volunteers and staff, the Canadian Cancer Society is leading the way in cancer control to actively prevent, cure or manage cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society takes the role as steward of donor dollars very seriously and makes every effort to allocate these dollars where they will make the most difference in making cancer history. For more information, please visit www.cancer.ca .
We have spent significant time with all of the organizations above and believe in their people and their ability to spend the funds we raise for them with diligence and prudence. In all three organizations, we have experienced a dedicated and passionate staff working long hours for less than they would earn in the private sector to ensure that costs are low and results are high. We encourage you to visit each of their websites for more information.
The vision of GIVETOLIVE is to expand our efforts in the future to fight other diseases around the world such as AIDS, malaria, mental health illnesses, Alzheimer’s, Tuberculosis, and more. At this time, we have not yet decided the details of where the money will be distributed post 2010, however, we remain diligent in partnering with organizations that are run efficiently and share our value of maintaining a foundation with low overhead costs.
