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NEWS RELEASE — June 1, 2005
Tsawwassen marathon runner turns his talents to a good cause for the Breast Reconstruction Program at UBC Hospital
TSAWWASSEN, June 2, 2005 — Ron Dumouchelle, President & CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, and a long-time resident of Tsawwassen, is combining his day job with his personal passion for running to honour the memory of a colleague.
Ron has lived in Tsawwassen for 18 years and on any given day you can see him running through the community or along the dikes around Boundary Bay. Generally Ron runs marathons but doing the half-marathon this June has special meaning for him. He is running the half-marathon to raise funds in support of the Breast Cancer Reconstruction Program in memory of one of his colleagues at the hospital, Dr. Patty Clugston.
Dr. Clugston pioneered an approach that allows women who are undergoing a mastectomy to have a new breast reconstructed at the same time. This immediate reconstruction procedure results in less scarring and can help reduce some of the social, emotional and psychological effects associated with undergoing a mastectomy. Dr. Clugston was well known for the kindness and dedication she gave to her patients. She also earned an international reputation for her work and was sought after as a teacher, speaker and author in the plastic surgery community.
Sadly, on March 1, 2005 Dr. Patty Clugston succumbed to scleroderma, a disease that attacks the soft tissues of the body. She died in the prime of her life but left behind a legacy for women in British Columbia who wish to have immediate breast reconstruction as part of their treatment. Many of her friends, family and colleagues have committed to raise funds for an endowment to support the Dr. Patty Clugston Chair in Breast Reconstruction Surgery. The Chair will build on the work started by Dr. Patty Clugston, combining clinical activities with research to help advance treatment options for women who are faced with a mastectomy.
More than 4,500 people are anticipated to attend the 7th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run / Walk on June 26th, 2005 to raise much-needed funds for VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. This year participants can choose to raise funds for the program or cause that means the most to them, Your Health — Your Choice. Causes include the Breast Cancer Reconstruction Program, the Spine Centre, the Eye Care Centre, the ALS Clinic, Ovarian Cancer Research Program and the in it for life Fund, which funds top priority needs at the hospitals.
Ron Dumouchelle is a featured fundraiser and can be pledged by visiting canadarunningseries.com/svhm. For more choices, visit the event website at canadarunningseries.com/svhm.
The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5K is part of the prestigious Canada Running Series, and is also part of the Sun Run Series. For more information on the event, please visit canadarunningseries.com/svhm. For more information on VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, please call (604) 875-4676 or visit supportvgh.ca.
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For more information contact:
Clifton Cunningham, Race Director, Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K, (604) 839-7889 clifton@canadarunningseries.com
Jennifer Baxter, Scotiabank (604) 668-2008, jennifer.baxter@scotiabank.com
Grace Chan, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation (604) 875-5167, grace.chan@supportvgh.ca