Incredible 3rd Edition of A Brilliant Night Gala Raises A Spectacular $1.223 Million For Brain Tumour Research at The Neuro, Groundbreaking Discoveries Revealed
Montreal, Oct. 18 – The 3rd annual A Brilliant Night gala for The Neuro was a sell-out success, with 800 guests joining together with sponsors and donors who raised an incredible $1.223 million, of which 90% will be donated to brain cancer research at The Neuro!
Glowing dancers by Manina Productions welcomed guests into the elegant Le Salon Richmond. Inside was scrumptious food and cocktail stations donated by Montreal’s top eateries and distributors. An LED installation by George Simeo illustrated The Neuro’s brain tumour research. A touching, artistic-inspired video by John Feifer featuring dancers from Danse Imperium animated personal stories about brain cancer.
Dr. Kevin Petrecca, William Feindel Chief in Neuro-Oncology at The Neuro, highlighted the stellar impact A Brilliant Night had on his team’s research of glioblastoma multiform (GBM). GBM is the most common and devastating form of brain cancer that recently took the life of Gord Downie. GBM patients survive an average of 16 months.
Over the last three years, A Brilliant Night has raised $2,998,000 million, enabling Dr. Petrecca and his GBM research team to embark on the largest single-cell RNA sequencing project in cancer worldwide. Analyzing over 20,000 cancer cells led to the discovery that early cancer stem cells are those to initiate cancer—whereas conventionally, late cancer cells are most studied and treated.
“Now we know almost all of the changes that have taken place to give rise to the cancer, and we’re more in an enlightened way trying to develop strategies to treat this cancer,” he said during his speech.
Dr. Petrecca’s team expects this groundbreaking knowledge to have global impact. “There’s absolutely no way over the last two years that any of this work would have
been even conceived of would it have not been for the financial support of all of you
here. We are very, very, very, very grateful.”
Lee Haberkorn, Virgin Radio Host, emceed the event. His father Max Haberkorn passed away in February 2017, and was treated by Dr. Petrecca.
Ivan Boulva, Vice-President of Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd., and A Brilliant Night Vice-Chair, was also an emcee. Boulva lost his son Dr. Francis Boulva, 27, a young pediatrics resident, to GBM in 2010. Boulva and his wife, Marie-Claude Lacroix, A
Brilliant Night co-founder, have since worked tirelessly to raise money and awareness for the disease.
A Brilliant Night was founded in 2015 by loved ones and those who were lost to brain cancer at The Neuro, along with their friends. The 2017 committee also proudly featured brain cancer survivors.
A spectacular thank you to Honorary Chair Eric LaFlèche, President and CEO of Metro Inc., who went above and beyond for the cause. Also thank you to Brilliant Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Genius Sponsors Desjardin and Metro. Thanks to Expert Sponsors Transcontinental Media; Prodigy Sponsors AgroPur Dairy Cooperative, Alre Properties Inc., Apotex Inc., Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, Construction C.A.L., CGI, Fednav, Logistec Corp., Maple Leaf Foods, Normandin Beaudry, Paysafe, Power Corporation of Canada, Rossy Family Foundation; and to Gifted Sponsors Bell Canada, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Jarislowsky Fraser, and Vigilant Global
