The Alberta Cancer Foundation, Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary announce largest donation in Alberta Health Service’s history to the new Calgary Cancer Centre

CALGARY, Alberta, June 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF), Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the University of Calgary (UCalgary) are thrilled to announce a historic and transformational $50 million donation to the Calgary Cancer Centre from the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation. With this donation, the cancer centre, set to open in 2024, will officially be named the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. The gift will accelerate research innovations and provide world-leading cancer care and treatment to Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians when the centre opens next year.

This donation represents the largest gift in the history of Alberta Health Services.

“With this historic donation from the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation, the Alberta Cancer Foundation will be able to provide educational and research opportunities for those pursuing careers in the medical field, and world-class cancer care for patients navigating cancer treatments,” says Wendy Beauchesne, CEO, Alberta Cancer Foundation. “This gift will transform cancer care and research for generations of Albertans and Canadians.” 

The Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre will be the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Canada and a world-leading healthcare facility for research and education in oncology, delivering fully integrated cancer care under one roof. Its design, made up of two curving, L-shaped forms coming together in an embrace, will provide patients, families and staff with a warm, comforting environment that invokes hope and healing. 

“AHS is grateful for this generous gift in support of health care innovation and excellence. The support of philanthropists and our partners helps our teams improve care and care outcomes for all Albertans facing a diagnosis of cancer,” says Mauro Chies, AHS President and CEO. “We look forward to the innovation, ground-breaking work, and world-class technologies that will be made possible for cancer care in this province, thanks to the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation.”

Arthur J.E. Child was a prominent businessman and former majority shareholder and CEO of Burns Foods of Calgary, known both for his financial acumen and his personal philanthropy until his passing in 1996. He has been recognized for his impressive record in business, military, education and public service – evidenced by Mr. Child receiving the Order of Canada in 1985. To further his legacy, the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation was created to receive the majority of his estate to continue his generosity beyond Mr. Child’s lifetime.

“As an advocate for perpetual advancements in science and specifically medicine, Mr. Child was committed to supporting causes that will make a significant difference through research,” says Lorne Jacobson, Vice Chairman and Co-Founder, TriWest Capital Partners and Lead Trustee, Arthur J.E. Child Foundation. “This $50 million donation closely aligns with Mr. Child’s commitment to accelerate cancer care and research, not only in Alberta, but to help defeat cancer at every level around the world.”

The Arthur J.E. Child Foundation has donated nearly $100 million to a wide variety of charities across the globe, with approximately $9 million in support of projects across various faculties at UCalgary. Some of these existing investments support the attraction, retention and development of leaders in research and innovation in the areas of cardiology and rheumatology.

“UCalgary’s translational research enterprise is strengthened by The Arthur J.E. Child Foundation’s longstanding commitment to our institution and our province,” says Dr. Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor, University of Calgary. “This transformational gift to OWN.CANCER will accelerate our learning health model for the cancer centre – one in which researchers work side-by-side with care teams to dramatically improve outcomes for patients and families.” 

OWN.CANCER is an ambitious fundraising campaign actively raising $250 million for cancer care and research at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, bringing researchers, medical teams, prevention experts, patients and families together in ways never before possible. The Arthur J.E. Child Foundation’s donation is propelling the OWN.CANCER campaign’s focus on tackling cancer in five critical areas: decreasing cancer in the population, improving cancer treatment, improving patient experience, improving cancer outcomes and empowering the best and brightest in cancer care and research.

The Arthur J.E. Comprehensive Cancer Centre is scheduled to open in Calgary in 2024.

For more information, or to donate to the OWN.CANCER campaign, visit www.owncancer.ca.

For more information about the Alberta Cancer Foundation, visit www.albertacancer.ca.

Alberta Cancer Foundation 

Albertans helping Albertans is at the core of everything the Alberta Cancer Foundation does. Our very purpose comes from our desire to create more moments for all Albertans facing cancer, no matter where they live or the type of cancer they are facing. From the Canmore mountains to the canola fields in Lloydminster – we support leading edge treatment, care and research that is making a difference for cancer patients across the province. 

As the fundraising partner for the 17 Alberta Health Services cancer centres, including the new Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary, we make life better for Albertans facing cancer by supporting world-class research and patient care, right here in our own backyard. 

Alberta Health Services 

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow. 

University of Calgary 

UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 35,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at UCalgary. 

The Arthur J. E. Child Foundation

The Arthur J. E. Child Foundation is a private foundation created by Arthur Child to steward his charitable endeavors and was permanently endowed with his estate upon his passing in 1996. It has since disbursed nearly $100 million in charitable grants, with virtually no administrative costs, to a wide variety of worthy recipients ranging from personal health care to medical research, from international poverty relief and refugee programs to domestic violence and addiction recovery programs, from military history to youth literacy and specialized education programs. The Trustees of the Foundation have been guided in their granting of awards by a personal familiarity with Arthur Child and his passion for excellence, personal improvement through discipline and hard work and compassion for those disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control.

OWN.CANCER 

The OWN.CANCER campaign is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the landscape of cancer research, care and treatment with the goal of raising $250 million in support of Calgary’s new world-class cancer centre, the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. This game-changing initiative is backed by three trusted community institutions: Alberta Health Services, Canada’s first and largest fully integrated provincial health system; the University of Calgary, a globally recognized leader in medical research and home to tomorrow’s health-care professionals; and the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the official fundraising partner for all 17 cancer care centres across the province. Currently under construction, the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre will open its doors in 2024 as one of the largest comprehensive cancer centres in North America. 

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