The Neuro鈥檚 annual brain cancer fundraiser, A Brilliant Night, took place on Oct. 19, 2022, bringing the total to more than $6M net raised since the gala鈥檚 inception in 2015.
A Brilliant Night was founded by a group of volunteers, each of whom had lost family members to glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Many of their family members were treated by Kevin Petrecca, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of Neurosurgery at the 苹果淫院 Health Centre and head of the Brain Tumour Research Centre.
These volunteers decided to start a gala event to support Dr. Petrecca鈥檚 cancer research. The funds raised through A Brilliant Night since 2015 have allowed Dr. Petrecca鈥檚 lab to make significant research breakthroughs, including their discovery of the origin brain cancer cell, a finding which has changed the trajectory of brain cancer research around the world.
鈥淚n the spring of 2018, my mother, Sarah Kenny, was diagnosed with glioblastoma,鈥� says Sophie-Danielle Perron, MD, who spoke at the event. 鈥淓ven today I relive the first moments of her diagnosis with despair. But then we transferred to The Neuro. Relief, hope, and comfort were reborn. The treatments she received at The Neuro extended her life, and were able to relish every moment she had left by her side. Our gratitude to the entire treatment team at The Neuro is immeasurable.鈥�
This year鈥檚 event took place at Le Jardin Royalmount. Guests began the evening with a dynamic video shown on 360-degree screens featuring a look back at the event鈥檚 history, from the overall mission to the many dedicated individuals who have made the event a continued success. The Honorary Chair of the 2022 event, Nicole Collet, General Manager of Business Applications Canada at Microsoft, spoke about her involvement.
鈥淚 cannot begin to tell you how moving it has been for me to chair this committee. Meeting Dr. Petrecca, discovering what has motivated the people at the heart of A Brilliant Night, and learning about the world-class scientists working right here in Montreal - all of this has been breathtaking, encouraging, and inspiring鈥�.
The main sponsors for A Brilliant Night 2022 were BMO Banque de Montr茅al, TD, Banque Nationale, CIBC, Metro, Desjardins, Canderel, Constructions CAL, Courchesne Larose, Les Entreprises d'脡lectricit茅 EG Lt茅e., Logistec, Plomberie Charbonneau Inc, KPMG, Miller Thomson, the Rossy Family Foundation, the Gainey Foundation, and the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation.
