Wednesday, January 25 was national Wear It Pink Day, a day when we celebrate the lives and health of those who have been challenged by breast or gynecologic cancers, and the day that we launched this year’s Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend To End Women’s Cancers.

This year’s event in Toronto is going to be extra-special. It’ll be our 10th anniversary – we’ve tagged it 10 Years Strong. And through the 9 years leading up to this year’s Weekend, which will take place September 8 and 9, 42,348 participants have raised a staggering $123.4 million for critical research, clinical enhancements and survivorship programs at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

So, the city of Toronto was draped in pink on Wednesday. At the Shoppers Drug Mart location at 3366 Yonge Street, our Weekend Warrior, Chad Cieslik, was walking 60 kms on a treadmill to illustrate the duration of our robust two-day event (there is a 30 km, one-day option, too). And, of course, he was wearing pink. Companies across the GTA got into the spirit, with team captains mobilizing their colleagues for Wear It Pink Day. At The Princess Margaret, Dr. Bob Bell, President & CEO of the University Health Network, joined me in making a short speech and then, with Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, Medical Director of the Cancer Program at PMH, and Justine Jackson, Sr. VP and Chief Financial Officer of UHN, we cut up a huge pink WEWC cake for staff as well as patients, their family and friends (and wowzer, was it good!). Staff at The Princess Margaret and our sister hospitals, Toronto General, Toronto Western and Toronto Rehab, were invited to wear pink (or teal for gynecologic cancers) and received a ballot for each item of pink or teal they were wearing. Our amazing Barb Tisano, who we know and love for her stellar work at PMH reception, must have earned 14 or 15 ballots – sweater, tights, slippers, bracelets, bunny ears – she had it all! Several participants had their ballot drawn and won prizes, including an LED TV, a DVD player, a digital photo frame and a one-year membership to the Toronto Zoo. The hospitals are still buzzing over Wear It Pink Day! And for those that registered to participate in our 10 Years Strong Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend To End Women’s Cancers, one name was drawn for a Blackberry Curve!

But as impressive as all of those activities were (and they were impressive!), what really awed me were two other things. At dawn, the CN Tower was illuminated in pink for the remainder of the day, while at dusk, Toronto City Hall was lit in pink as skaters flitted across the ice at Nathan Phillips Square. Both iconic structures were stunning in pink, and reminded residents of our special Wear It Pink Day and its significance to The Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend To End Women’s Cancers and the work being at The Princess Margaret to conquer women’s cancers in our lifetime.

The staff at the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation were treated to a visit today from three delightful young students and their principal from St. Clare Catholic School.  Claudia Femia, Maya Mulahmetovic, and Simone Mulahmetovic helped organize a penny drive at their school which they called Cents for Cancer, and they were excited to present us with $725.12….not all pennies, but over 45,000 of them!  The girls needed a trolley to get the thousands of coins up to our office.

Maria Fantauzzi, principal at St. Clare, told us that thinking of ways to ‘give back’ to the community is an important aspect to school life for her students, and she’s very proud of their efforts.

My staff and I love visits from our donors—young donors, old donors, and everything in between.  It gives us a wonderful opportunity to say thank you face to face, get our picture taken with some very special people, and to hear about the many personal stories that have motivated people to give and to fundraise for The Princess Margaret.

But there is really something extra special about meeting young children who are proud of their fundraising efforts and who are learning at a young age the special joy that comes from giving.  We want to thank the parents and teachers of the students at St. Clare for taking the time to teach these important values and for being great role models for their children.

We’re so grateful that others in our community are as motivated as we are to CONQUER CANCER IN OUR LIFETIME.

In an early (7am) morning meeting with senior staff of Princess Margaret, the idea of “Safe vs. Disruptive” thinking and strategies came forward from Dr. Mary G. We discussed this with some energy and enthusiasm. It is a profound insight for us. In a cancer hospital, patient care is always focused on “Safe” but research and new protocols might be thought of in “Disruptive” terms. Patients obviously want “Safe” treatment but often patients benefit from “Disruptive” research, science and thinking. The same applies in the Foundation as we think about raising the Financial Capital to support the Human Capital who embrace both “Safe” and “Disruptive”. We live in an ever more complex world with an explosion of date…….information and video on the internet is doubling every two years now. We live in the world of “Big Data”. Increasingly, we need “Big Ideas” to deal with big problems. That’s why understanding and embracing both “Safe” and “Disruptive” thinking is so important for us at Princess Margaret. Thanks to Dr. Mary G. for this outstanding insight. Mary is an incredible leader and a “Passion Capitalist” extraordinaire!

I was walking through The Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday and spotted this saying handwritten on a white board across from the blood lab: “The way of Courage passes directly through your greatest fear.” Courage is a concept that comes up in a cancer centre on a regular basis. We see many, many patients and their families display incredible courage. We also see staff like doctors, nurses, security guards and patient flow coordinators all display courage as well. Courage is a word and a concept well-known to cancer patients and their caregivers. What is interesting is how seldom the word and concept of “courage” is used in the business community. Sure, entrepreneurs are often described as courageous, but nearly always after they are successful. In the business world, courage is not a word that is commonly used. Courage does not show up on most performance appraisals. Courage is not ‘taught’ or even discussed in most business schools. I have learned a great deal about courage in my work at The Princess Margaret. Courage is the third principle of Passion Capital and all Passion Capitalists possess courage. Courage is the ‘soul’ of Passion Capital. Here’s to all those who understand the meaning of: “The way of Courage passes directly through your greatest fear.”

I can remember quite vividly going to the movies to see Bo Derek in ’10’ back in 1979. And while I can’t remember much about the film, I do recall that that was the era of rating people: “I went out with a girl who was an 8.5,” or, “My new boyfriend is an absolute 10.”

That concept has long faded along with much of the superficiality of the era. But, we’ve resurrected the ‘10’ concept at The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in conjunction with our Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend To End Women’s Cancers.

‘I’M A 10’ reflects two things: we’re celebrating 10 years strong – the 10^th anniversary of our landmark Weekend To End Women’s Cancers -- as well as the beauty, both internal and external, exhibited by our participants.

You’ll start seeing our ‘I’M A 10’ campaign everywhere – television, bus shelters, brochures and banners.  If you’re driving past the hospital on University, you won’t be able to miss Mehre Zuckerman’s smiling face on the banner that adorns The Princess Margaret. Mehre is a survivor and a longtime participant in The Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend To End Women’s Cancers. At various locations in the city, I have also seen the smiling faces of Audrey Loeb, who initiated The Weekend To End Women’s Cancers in 2003, Chad Cieslik, our event ironman, and Vicki Fiddler, who will be participating in her 10^th Walk – all 10’s for their roles in The Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend To End Women’s Cancers.  

We’re celebrating 10 years strong in 2012 and we need you when we take to the streets, united in one ground-breaking movement to advance Personalized Cancer Medicine and end all women’s cancers. Will you join us and BE A 10 in 2012?

I’m really looking forward to walking in my 10^th Weekend To End Women’s Cancers (and its earlier incarnation, The Weekend To End Breast Cancer) this year, so I’M A 10, too! Just don’t expect to see me with braided hair like that other ’10,’ Bo Derek.

Visit www.ima10.ca for more info and to see some great stories.

This is an overview but is by no means a comprehensive look at all of the extraordinary accomplishments and activities of 2011.

It is a heartfelt thank you for the generous support of all of our staff, our donors, and our community of supporters. In 2011, The PMHF received financial support in one form or another from about 1 million residents of Ontario. This is an incredible group of supporters and we are deeply grateful for their generosity.

In 2011, we are grateful to all of the Walkers and to Shoppers Drug Mart and our sponsors for helping us make The Weekend to End Women's Cancers in Toronto the most successful Walk of its kind in North America. We are grateful for the Riders and sponsors in The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer that helped us raise nearly $19 million in Toronto and over $40 million nationally, making it the most successful multi-day fundraising event in Canada. The Walk and the Ride both provided critical funding for The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute. We are grateful to all of those who participated in our inaugural Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event, and those who participated in the Joe's Team Triathlon as well as our two hugely successful 5K events. We are also grateful for over 150 volunteers who led and sponsored events benefiting The Princess Margaret. We are grateful to the hundreds of thousands of purchasers of our Princess Margaret Hospital lotteries. Both lotteries sold out this year and the lotteries continue to be the largest source of funding for cancer research in Canada.

We are very grateful for the leadership of Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, who has also brought honour to The Princess Margaret by being named as incoming President of the Geneva-based UICC, the most important cancer control agency in the world.

We are grateful to Dr. Ben Neel for leading The Campbell Family Institute to incredible success in 2011. Of course, we are especially grateful to the Campbell family, Linda, Gaye and Susan, along with the rest of their family members, for their very generous support which has been transformational for cancer research in Canada and globally.

We are also grateful to Emmanuelle Gattuso and Gary and Allan Slaight and the Slaight family, for their special and generous support of The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre. As well, we are grateful to Margaret and the late Wallace McCain for their support of the pancreatic program. In addition, we thank Carlo Fidani for his ongoing generosity and his support of the launch of Techna Institute led by Dr. David Jaffray. We have so many major donors and philanthropists to thank for their extraordinary support.

Also, we are grateful to our donors who mailed in over 10,000 personalized doves and supported us with monthly donations and treasured tributes to loved ones.

We are grateful to The Foundation's Board members for their incredible support and involvement. I am personally grateful and proud of the staff of The Foundation, who collectively earned their award as one of Canada's Top 10 Corporate Cultures.

So, in one word, we finish 2011 in gratitude. We are GRATEFUL to all who support our Creed, and our Vision - To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime. Again, this is not meant to be an exhaustive or complete overview of the many contributors, volunteers and leaders who make our cancer centre one of the world's top 5, but a simple reflection on the gratitude that we feel at this special time of year. Thanks everyone, and I know that 2012 will be our best year yet!

I think we live in a world where asking the right questions is even more important than having answers. I call this world, “the post-Google world.” You can go on Google and immediately get just about any answer to any question. So, asking the right questions is where the value is. The big, bold, provocative, “keep you up at night” questions I call Beach Ball questions. Beach Ball questions are like a beach ball that you blow up and try to hold under water. You simply can’t hold them under water. So, what is your Beach Ball question for 2012? Is it about your career or a relationship or maybe some bigger issue in the world? I have two Beach Ball questions for 2012. The first is, “How can the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre lead the world in the development and delivery of personalized cancer medicine?” The second question is, “What is the world’s most valuable asset?” So, as 2011 comes to an end, think about your Beach Ball questions and take some time to reflect on how they will shape your action and life in 2012. This is my last blog for 2011, but I’ll be back in January. To everyone reading this blog posting, thanks for everything this year and 2012 is going to be the best year yet.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is one of the world’s most successful corporations. J&J is a top performing company and has traditionally been a great investment. J&J bases all of its strategies and decisions on a simple one-page creed document they call their “Credo”. Their credo was written in 1943 by Robert Wood Johnson then head of the company and has basically been embraced since then virtually unchanged. J&J has been guided through good times and bad by their credo. A creed is basically what you believe. The J&J credo is a focused and specific statement of what they believe. The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation also has a creed. This creed is a one-page statement which directs all of the strategies and decisions of the Foundation. The creed is our DNA. It is the most important principle of Passion Capital. In 2011, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation is having another record year and is preparing for a very major revolution in personalized cancer medicine for 2012. We will be launching the largest campaign in the history of Canadian hospitals in 2012. The PMHF Creed is the basis for what we believe, what we do, who we do it for, and what our ambition is. It is our DNA. As we finish 2011, we have also been fortunate to be named as one of Canada’s Top 10 Corporate Cultures. Culture is another principle of our Passion Capital. I hope that as you read this, you think of your own personal creed and maybe draw some inspiration from Robert Wood Johnson and his credo for J&J or the PMHF creed which has become the foundation of our Foundation!

Every person who hears those three words, “You have cancer”, has a very personal response and one that is felt by loved ones and friends alike. We now know that every cancer is as individual as the person who has it. The response and the feelings that result when someone finds out they have cancer is likewise as personal. One of the most interesting books of the year was “The Emperor of All Maladies” which was a biography of the disease of cancer. The book was named one of the 10 best by the New York Times Book Review in 2010. The book was extremely well written but importantly, it was a very personal look at this disease. As we close 2011, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation is embarking on a very bold and revolutionary new approach to treating and researching cancer. Personalized cancer medicine is our vision, mission, and ambition for 2012 and for the future. This new approach to both clinical care and research is truly revolutionary and we hope to raise a record sum of financial capital so that our human capital can deliver this new promise. The future for Princess Margaret and for all Canadian hospitals who treat cancer patients will be created around this personal approach to this most personal and devastating disease. There are four major components of personalized cancer medicine and they are: 1. Detect 2. Diagnose 3. Target 4. Support. Each one of these four components will have specific strategies and techniques in order for us to deliver on the new world order of personalized cancer medicine. For all of our donors, supporters, volunteers and staff, cancer is much more than a disease involving unregulated cellular growth. Cancer is personal. Cancer medicine and cancer research will be equally personal. As we enter 2012 you will be able to learn about this new approach and importantly, we are going to be reaching out to our community of supporters with the most ambitious fundraising program in the history of Canadian hospitals. So, many thanks to each and every one of our supporters and we need you to learn, engage, and support the revolution in personalized cancer medicine.

As we turn the calendar to the last month of 2011, I am already thinking ahead to 2012.  Without question, the major theme and focus of The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre next year will be on Personalized Cancer Medicine.  In fact, every major cancer centre in the world will be preparing for this revolution in cancer care and research. You will be hearing a lot from us in the spring of 2012 on Personalized Cancer Medicine and our bold and visionary plans for delivering on the challenge of leading Canada and the world in this important new era.  It is exciting to know our focus and vision for 2012 has been so thoroughly thought through and discussed.  Our Board and staff are all aligned on the role and importance of Personalized Cancer Medicine.  As we begin to present our ambitious plans and vision, we believe all of our community of supporters will rally around this important new future in cancer medicine.  If you only knew how close we are to making Personalized Cancer Medicine a reality….. Much more on this subject in the spring of 2012!!!