Johanne Bélanger, President, AVW-TELAV completes the Shoppers Drug Mart® Weekend to End Women's Cancers on September 11, 2011 (exert from her thank-you letter to supporters)
“The support I received for my 60km walk was so overwhelming; I’m afraid that I will miss thanking someone for their financial and emotional support in this journey. It’s been a full week since I completed this challenge, and today is the first day that I have successfully put on a pair of high heeled shoes. Although at times during the walk, I felt that having survived cancer might have been easier, the recovery period after the walk was certainly faster than the one I endured after fighting this disease.
So many of you have shared fantastic stories with me of your own experiences with cancer that each of you were with me, as I forced myself to continue to put one foot ahead of the other—especially when it got very hard to do so. Your energy and thoughtfulness allowed me to keep fighting.
To those who are still fighting, whose loved ones are fighting, and who have lost loved ones to this disease, I dedicated my walk to you. Through your generous donations and continual support, I successfully raised $18,335.00—a slight overachievement from my initial goal of $3,500. THANK YOU!
May we find a cure in our lifetimes!”
Joanne Kiriakidis, Senior Account Executive, AVW-TELAV Ottawa, completes the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure on Sunday, October 2, 2011
“I am a member of The Newfie Knockers, a team that was put together in 2009, to help raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer. The team captain’s mom had just undergone a year of cancer treatment, and the run was to celebrate her being cancer-free for one year and to give back to the organization that helped and supported her during her battle. This year, as she celebrated her third anniversary of being cancer-free, unfortunately two other members of our team had to battle the disease, so the entire team rallied behind these two ladies.
In just three years the team has raised just over $51,000, and we are already making plans for next year. We held a silent auction at Play, a very trendy restaurant in the Byward Market, and raised $10,000 in four hours.
I raised $1800 this year, as I did last year through generous donations from friends, colleagues, clients, and family. In three years, I have raised $4900, and I am extremely grateful or everyone’s support.”
