Quebecers raise funds to fight Cancer at the 31st Daffodil Ball

The community showed up and showed out at Montreal’s Windsor Station on Thursday for the 31st annual Daffodil Ball. The event by the Canadian Cancer Society is the largest fundraiser gala in Québec to help those with cancer. With a goal of raising $1.3 million this year, funds will go toward Quebec’s research and support programs. 

The event brought together nearly 400 people from the worlds of business, politics and the arts including the night’s featured performer, singer-songwriter Amélie Beyries.

Having been diagnosed with breast cancer twice herself, Beyries said, “when you go through something like this, you need to talk about it and you need to feel that you’re not alone. You need support.

“It really transformed my life in a way I couldn’t even imagine,” she added.

The festive atmosphere was centered around the year’s theme “The Big We.” Created in 1994, the Montreal Daffodil Ball has played a crucial role in cancer fundraising, with more than $40 million collected over the last twenty years.

“We’re here to celebrate and be hopeful about what the future holds,” Nadia Wendowsky, vice-president of leadership and corporate giving at the Canadian Cancer Society, told CityNews. “Nothing big, especially something as big as cancer, gets resolved on its own. It truly is a community effort,” she added.

According to the Society, over 45,000 people have benefited from their programs and support services . Those who wish to donate can do so by visiting daffodilball.ca.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the donors who contributed to the success of this year’s Ball. Every dollar raised represents renewed hope for people affected by cancer,” Wendowsky said.