St. Mary’s Girls for the Cure: Montreal students participate in fundraising walk for cancer

More than 1,2000 students from seven Montreal schools came together with a common purpose Thursday: to help raise money for women-related cancer treatments and services at St. Mary’s Hospital Centre.

It was part of the 30th edition of St. Mary’s Girls for the Cure.

“We’re here to celebrate all of our efforts and fundraising because it’s truly such an important cause,” said Lauren Barakett, a student at Lower Canada College (LCC).

“I think it’s important because it does raise awareness and it also gives us incentives to fundraise all just to be able to gather together as like so many different schools and celebrate the difference we made.”

The event began in 1994, and to date, has raised over $3.8 million to help women fighting cancer.

Participants of the walk collected donations from their family and friends and participated in a five-kilometre walk, from their school campuses, through Mount Royal, reuniting at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium to celebrate.

Schools taking part in the event were Bialik High School, Miss Edgar’s and Miss Cramp’s School (ECS), Lower Canada College (LCC), Sacred Heart School of Montreal, The Study, Trafalgar School for Girls, and Loyola.

For students like Sasha Dimock, participating in events like this hold significant meaning. 

“It’s important for me specifically because my grandmother actually passed away from breast cancer this summer and so it’s very fun to raise money and be here in her honour,” she said.

“It’s an opportunity for us to be in front of the girls in their school environment as well, with testimonials, with exchanging about preventative reasons, different kinds of decisions in their lives that help them live the healthiest, strongest life they can going forward,” said Cynda Heward, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation.

 “As a foundation, it’s the next century of care. We are raising money to make sure that our doctors, our frontline, have what they need to continue to provide the best practices of care for the patients who have come to rely on us and know that our doors are never locked for them.”

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Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” was played at one point, as the crowd held a moment of silence.

“I feel like there is a positive outcome on every bad situation. So although there are a lot of women suffering from cancer, there’s always celebrations like this where everyone comes together to have fun and commemorate everyone,” said Dimock.