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Jackson and Elmore have strong wins at Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k to Fight Prostate Cancer

Over 1100 runners enjoy the Stanley Park sunshine, raising over $200,000 for the Prostate Centre at VGH

Photos by Chris Relke

Vancouver, March 20, 2011 — In a surprise upset, Abbotsford's David Jackson outran defending champion and pre-race favourite Willy Kimosop at the fifth annual Harry's Spring Run-Off Vancouver 8k. In the women's race, last year's winner Malindi Elmore once again had no close competition, easily besting the field by nearly a minute. Getting the 2011 Canada Running Series off to a fast start, Jackson and Elmore led over 1150 runners around the world famous Stanley Park Seawall under beautiful blue skies — rare and welcome sunshine in an unusually cold and damp West Coast spring. Spirits were further lifted by the record $200,000+ raised for prostate cancer research at VGH.

Jackson and Kimosop broke away from the crowd right from the start. Only Langley's Steve Osadiuk was able to go after them, shadowing the pair by about 5 seconds as they circled Lost Lagoon and headed out around the seawall. Osaduik caught up at 5k and for the next couple of kilometres the trio stayed together, exchanging the lead several times. Then Jackson made his move. "I didn't want it to come down to a sprint against those guys," said Jackson. "I don't have that kind of speed — I have to go early." And go he did, opening up a 7 second gap over Kimosop over the final 800 metres, with Osadiuk a further 5 seconds back at the finish.

Jackson, who is coached by previous Harry's SRO winner Jon Brown, was very happy with his time of 24:19. "That was 50 seconds faster than I ran here last year — and a personal best for me," he said. "This bodes well for next month at the Sun Run."

In contrast the women's repeat victory posed no problem for Elmore,  whose 26:43 clocking went unchallenged. The $1000 first prize made a nice belated birthday present for the 2010 Sun Run champion, who turned 31 a week ago.

Behind Elmore, Port Moody's Natasha Wodak and Calgary's Lisa Harvey ran together for the first kilometre before Harvey dropped back. Wodak went on to achieve a personal best by 12 seconds. Vancouver's Gillian Gook overtook a struggling Harvey to claim third spot.

Harvey did manage to recapture the Masters title that she gave up last year, while hanging on to fourth spot. On the men's side, Vancouver's Kevin O'Connor also earned a fourth place overall finish while taking the Masters title.

For many people, the highlight of the day was the record $200,000+ raised for prostate cancer research — exceeding the fundraising target by $50,000. Founded in 1998, the Vancouver Prostate Centre at VGH has become Canada's leading — and one of the world's foremost — prostate cancer research and treatment centres. Over 2,500 patients are seen annually by the Vancouver Prostate Centre.

There were a number of teams running for the fastest team results, but Deloitte's team came out on top with a fastest 4 time of just 2:07:37. Teams from VFAC Blue Cheetahs, Douglas College Running Club, Methanex, The Right Shoe, Busby Perkins & Will, Harry Rosen, The Nomads, UBC Alpha Kappa Psi, George Marr Realty, Ron's Runners, Rod's PSA Team, BDO Canada LLP, Running Joe's, The Seahorses and Grandview all had strong showings.

Full results can be viewed at www.canadarunningseries.com/spring8k/

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Vancouver General Hospital a Winner at Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k to Fight Prostate Cancer

Four-year total of more than $500,000 donated to Vancouver Prostate Centre at VGH

VANCOUVER, BC (March 7, 2010) — On a beautiful Sunday morning in Stanley Park, more than 1,000 participants showed their support to raise over $121,000 for the internationally recognized Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital in the fourth annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8K to Fight Prostate Cancer.

"We are so proud to say that we've reached the half million mark after four years, with the $121,000 from this year's run," said Larry Rosen, CEO and Chairman of Harry Rosen Inc., who led Harry Rosen's team of 45 associates in the event. "We couldn't be happier with the level of participation and the amount of money raised from today's race — especially given all the excitement going on in Vancouver so far this year. I'd like to personally thank all the runners, walkers, sponsors and volunteers for continuing to embrace the cause and helping to make Harry's Spring Run-Off 2010 a resounding success."

"Here in B.C, we are fortunate to have the best prostate cancer outcomes in the country," said Dr. Martin Gleave, Director of the Prostate Centre at VGH and Liber Ero BC Leadership Chair in Prostate Cancer Research. "With the support from donors and events such as Harry's Spring Run-Off, the team at the Vancouver Prostate Centre at VGH is developing new treatments and finding new ways to prevent prostate cancer from reoccurring. We would like thank all donors, sponsors and participants who contributed to this event for helping improve the odds for men with prostate cancer."

Willy Kimosop of Lethbridge took first place in the 8K competitive run, one of the earliest events of the Vancouver running season, with a time of 23:42. Malindi Elmore of Kelowna was the first female finisher with a time of 26:48.

Companies such as GWL realty, McCarthy Tetrault and HSBC entered corporate teams, with the Prostate PSA team winning the coveted prize of $1,000 in Harry Rosen gift cards for Fastest Team. Other awards were given out to Dominic Smaldino for the Best Dressed Runner. The top individual and team fundraisers will be announced on the website in the coming weeks once final tallies are done, with the team that raises the most money winning $2,500 in Harry Rosen gift cards, as well as thousands of dollars in gift cards from The Running Room for individual fundraisers.

The $121,000 raised in today's event came from a combination of registration fees and pledges to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. In addition to title sponsor Harry Rosen Inc., funding for the event was generously provided by HSBC Bank Canada, presenting sponsor; The Running Room as key sponsor, and The Vancouver Sun, media sponsor.

More information about today's run, including full results, can be found at www.canadarunningseries.com/spring8k.

About VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation

VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is a registered charity that raises funds for the latest, most sophisticated medical equipment, world-class research and improvements to patient care for Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. For more information, please visit www.worldclasshealthcare.ca.

About the Vancouver Prostate Centre at VGH

The Prostate Centre at VGH is a UBC Centre and National Centre of Excellence uniting a trans-disciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists to study molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, identify gene targets for intervention, and use this information to create new therapies to improve care for men with prostate cancer.

About Harry Rosen

Harry Rosen Inc., Canada's leading quality men's wear retailer, is celebrating its 56th year in business in 2010. Founded in 1954 by the man whose name the chain still bears, Harry Rosen Inc. has grown from a single 500-square-foot store in Toronto to become a powerhouse in Canadian retailing with 15 stores across the country, accounting for 40 percent of the Canadian market in high-end men's wear. Harry Rosen stores offer extensive collections of the world's finest men's wear labels including Tom Ford, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Armani Collezioni, Brioni, Canali, Ermenegildo Zegna, Versace, Hugo Boss, Prada, Cole Haan, Salvatore Ferragamo, Loro Piana and J.P. Tilford by Samuelsohn.

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The Prostate Centre at VGH a Winner at Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k to Fight Prostate Cancer

$140,000 raised

VANCOUVER, BC (March 8, 2009) – More than 1,200 participants showed their support this morning in Vancouver's Stanley Park to raise more than $140,000 for the internationally recognized Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital in the third annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8K to Fight Prostate Cancer, presented by HSBC.

"We are extremely pleased with the level of participation and the amount of money raised from today's race," said Larry Rosen, CEO and Chairman of Harry Rosen Inc., who led Harry Rosen's team of 45 associates in the event. "We truly appreciate everyone's generosity, especially given the state of the economy. I'd like to personally thank all the runners, walkers, sponsors and volunteers for embracing the cause and helping to make Harry's Spring Run-Off our largest prostate cancer initiative to date."

"Here in BC, we are fortunate to have the best prostate cancer outcomes in the country," said Dr. Martin Gleave, Director of the Prostate Centre at VGH and Liber Ero BC Leadership Chair in Prostate Cancer Research. "With the support of donors, the team at the Prostate Centre at VGH is developing new treatments and finding new ways to prevent prostate cancer from reoccurring. We would like thank all donors, sponsors and participants who contributed to this event for helping improve the odds for men with prostate cancer."

Jon Brown of Victoria, BC took first place in the 8K competitive run, one of the earliest events of the Vancouver running season, with a time of 23:56 minutes. Lisa Harvey of Calgary, AB was the first female finisher with a time of 28 minutes.

Companies such as HSBC Bank of Canada and Penfolds entered corporate teams, with The Prostate Centre team winning the coveted prize of $5,000 in Harry Rosen gift cards for the team that raised the most money. A Zegna Sport backpack was given to the best-dressed runner, and a Karma Coffee prize-pack (a small Vancouver Island coffee roaster) was given to the person who brought the best karma to the race. The top individual fundraisers will be announced on the website in the coming weeks once final tallies are done.

The $140,000 raised in today's event came from a combination of registration fees and pledges to the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. In addition to title sponsor Harry Rosen Inc., funding for the event was generously provided by HSBC Bank Canada, presenting sponsor; Zegna Sport and Penfolds, key sponsors; the Running Room, supporting sponsor; and The Vancouver Sun and CBS Outdoor, media sponsors.

More information about today's run, including full results, can be found at www.canadarunningseries.com/spring8k.

About VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation

VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is a registered charity that raises funds for the latest, most sophisticated medical equipment, world-class research and improvements to patient care for Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. For more information, please visit www.worldclasshealthcare.ca.

About the Prostate Centre at VGH

The Prostate Centre at VGH is a UBC Centre and National Centre of Excellence uniting a trans-disciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists to study molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, identify gene targets for intervention, and use this information to create new therapies to improve care for men with prostate cancer.

About Harry Rosen

Harry Rosen Inc., Canada's leading quality men's wear retailer, is celebrating its 55th year in business in 2009. Founded in 1954 by the man whose name the chain still bears, Harry Rosen Inc. has grown from a single 500-square-foot store in Toronto to become a powerhouse in Canadian retailing with 15 stores across the country, accounting for 40 percent of the Canadian market in high-end men's wear. Harry Rosen stores offer extensive collections of the world's finest men's wear labels including Tom Ford, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Armani Collezioni, Brioni, Canali, Ermenegildo Zegna, Versace, BOSS Hugo Boss, Prada, Cole Haan, Salvatore Ferragamo, Loro Piana, Arnold Brant and J.P. Tilford by Samuelsohn.

A copy of the above release can be found here.

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Brown and Harvey victorious in tough competition at 3rd Annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k

VANCOUVER, BC. March 8, 2009: Nearly 1300 participants came out for the 3rd annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k on a crisp sunny morning in Stanley Park, happily avoiding a rare West Coast spring snowstorm by about 10 hours. After a rousing warm-up routine that put a smile on everyone's face, a bagpiper led the crowd to the start line at Lumbermen's Arch. The field included many of the top early season competitors who have been going head to head since the Provincial 8k Championships on January 11, and Sunday was no exception.

During the first 3km as the course circled Lost Lagoon, a lead pack of about 6 emerged that included Jon Brown, Steve Osaduik, Richard Mosley and Shane Carlos. The initial pace was somewhat conservative as the leaders carefully negotiated the twisty portion of the course, but once they hit the open seawall the pace picked up and the group was soon whittled down to just those four. Between 4km and 5km Carlos was gradually dropped. At 5km Brown and Mosley made a move and put a little distance between themselves and Osaduik. By 6km, Brown had pulled away from Mosley as well. "I surprisingly started to pull away without really making any conscious effort," said Brown. "Once I realized I was pulling ahead I then took advantage and increased my effort."

Behind him Osaduik, who had never let the gap between himself and Mosley get very large, was able to reel Mosley in before hitting the 7km mark. With just 1 kilometre remaining, they got into a short but intense see-saw battle until Osaduik finally pulled ahead into second place. Though he was able to narrow the gap slightly between himself and Brown, it was too little, too late and Osaduik had to settle for second place, 12 seconds behind Brown. Mosely crossed the line just 5 seconds later. Back in fourth place, Carlos had to work hard to avoid being caught by a fast-closing Jerry Ziak, just managing to hold him off by 2 seconds.

The women's competition for the top spots was even closer, with last-minute entry and frequent racer Cheryl Murphy mixing it up with defending champ Lisa Harvey and 2008 runner-up Kristina Rody. The lead changed hands between these three several times in the first 3km, but half a kilometre later it was down to a two-woman race with Harvey leading Murphy around the seawall. At one point Murphy took over the lead but it was short-lived as Harvey seemed intent on a three-peat, putting in a fantastic effort to move ahead once more and hold her advantage right to the wire. She was hard pressed by Murphy, who at age 39 has been racing better than ever with multiple wins and PB's in distances up to the marathon. Rody ended up only 17 seconds behind for a very strong third place finish. Nearly a minute behind, Suzanne Evans was very disappointed with her performance, finishing well off her usual pace. Another 13 seconds back, Rachel Ruus held off Meagan McCollum by less than 2 seconds for the fifth and final cash prize position.

The masters race saw some new champions on both the men's and women's sides. Norm Tinkham, who has dominated the masters scene for several years now, had to concede to just-turned-40 Mark Bomba, who didn't find it easy to beat Tinkham despite the age advantage. His strategy was simple: "I just tried to stay ahead of Norm." A distant third was claimed by Keefer Whan of Mount Vernon, Washington.

In the women's 40+ competition Nancy Tinari was being hotly pursued around the seawall by Rita Ivanauskas, yet appeared to be on her way to another masters win when her knee collapsed with 1km to go. "I could hardly put any weight on it or take more than very short steps," said Tinari. "I could feel tendons sliding around weirdly inside my knee." Ivanauskas moved ahead quickly at this point, finishing with an excellent sub-30 clocking. Tinari still managed to cross the line in the next women's position, losing only 13 seconds in the last kilometre despite the knee problems. She later recalled twisting the knee while doing some exercises at the gym a week earlier, and figures she must have somehow sprained it. Joan MacGrath was just 20 seconds back in the third masters spot after a hard-won battle with open competitor Katherine Moore pushed the pace.

In the team competition the clear winner was Vancouver Falcons Athletic Club (VFAC) led by Jay MacDonald, with an average finishing time of 28:24 and the top 5 all finishing under 30 minutes.

A record $140,000+ was raised for prostate cancer research at the Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).

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Harvey repeats as women's champ at 2nd Annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8K; over $130,000 raised for Prostate Cancer research

Photos: Teresa Nightingale

VANCOUVER, BC. March 9th, 2008 — A record 1029 registered participants enjoyed dry weather this year at the second annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k to fight Prostate Cancer. The lack of rain was greatly appreciated by the organizers, volunteers and sponsors as well. Ryan McKenzie of Windsor, Ontario took home $1000 and the men's title while Calgary's Lisa Harvey repeated as women's overall winner, also pocketing $1000. VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation was the biggest winner of the day with over $130,000 raised for prostate cancer research.

Ryan Hayden of Richmond, last year's winner, blasted off the start line at a pace he couldn't maintain, soon to be overtaken by McKenzie. The Ontarian took command for the rest of the race, gradually pulling ahead and cruising to a 23:40 finish. Behind him, Hayden held off a determined chase by Vancouver's Jerry Ziak and Langley's Steve Osaduik who battled for third spot for the entire 8 km—taking turns surging, each one unable to shake off the other. Ziak finally prevailed with a late sprint for the finish. He and Osaduik recorded a quicker final 1km split than McKenzie or Hayden, just not quite fast enough to move into second. Fifth and final cash prize spot was claimed by Victoria's Steven Murenbeeld.

The women's race was led from start to finish in 28:05 by defending champion Harvey, who is currently preparing for the World Cross-Country Championships in Scotland at the end of the month. Chasing her around the seawall was Whistler's Kristina Rody, who finished half a minute back for the silver. Like in the men's race, third place was hotly contested, with masters competitor Nancy Tinari of Coquitlam edging Rachel Ruus of Richmond. Ruus collapsed after crossing the finish line, but recovered in time for the awards ceremony later. New Westminster's Joan McGrath rounded out the top five while taking second in the masters competition. Third female master was Britni Bark, over 3 minutes behind McGrath.

In the men's masters race, Warren McCulloch of Coquitlam ran a strong 26:57 for 12th overall, over 40 seconds clear of Kevin O'Connor and a minute up on Bertrand Plouvier, both of Vancouver.

For full results click here.

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CRS 2008 set to launch with record crowd at Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k Vancouver to fight Prostate Cancer

Photos: Teresa Nightingale

VANCOUVER, BC. March 7th, 2008 — Canada Running Series 2008 is all set to open for another exciting season with a record crowd and strong field at Harry's Spring Run-Off Vancouver 8K to fight Prostate Cancer, this Sunday March 9th, on the world-famous Stanley Park Seawall.

More than 1,000 participants are expected to toe the line for the 10am start at Lumbermen's Arch in Canada's most spectacular urban park; and they expect to raise $130,000 for research at the Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Both marks are well ahead of last year's totals and will set new marks for the second-year event.

To lead the charge, Harry Rosen CEO, Larry Rosen, will be joined by a competitive field that includes some of BC's best. The men's race promises to be a good battle between Richmond's Ryan Hayden, the 25-year-old recent winner of the First Half Half Marathon, Nanaimo's Steve Osaduik [winner of the 2006 Victoria Marathon], and Vancouver's Jerry Ziak. Jerry had a strong marathon debut at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last September, where he placed 11th in 2:17:24. Hayden is the defending champion, having crossed the line first in the inaugural Harry's Vancouver 8K last March, in 23:47; Osaduik placed 4th almost 50 seconds back.

Calgary's veteran Olympian, Lisa Harvey, will start as women's favourite, to be challenged by Whistler's Kristina Rody and Coquitlam's Nancy Tinari. Lisa hopes to start '08 where she left off in 2007, as the Canada Running Series Women's National Champion. She started her 2007 season with a victory at Harry's Vancouver 8K, then showed her versatility, going undefeated with subsequent victories at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half in June, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in September, and the Oasis ZooRun 10K at Toronto Zoo in October.

The forecast for Sunday looks excellent for running, with a temperature of 9° Celcius, variable cloudiness, only a 20% chance of rain, and a very light breeze of just 5km/hr from the East. There's still time to sign up, with in-person registration on Saturday from 10am to 5pm at the Running Room store at 679 Denman, on the corner of Georgia.

And don't forget... Daylight Saving Time begins on Saturday night [Sunday morning at 2am to be exact], so move your clocks forward one hour. Don't forget and turn up one hour late!

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Inaugural event a fundraising success

March 11, 2007: Congratulations to the 741 runners who registered to compete in the inaugural Harry's Spring Run-Off! Together we were able to raise in excess of $105,000 for prostate cancer research at Vancouver General Hospital in Stanley Park's first annual Harry's Spring Run-Off 8K to Fight Prostate Cancer. See RESULTS & PHOTOS here!

"We couldn't be happier with the turn-out and the amount of money raised from today's inaugural Vancouver race," said Larry Rosen, CEO and Chairman of Harry Rosen Inc., who led Harry Rosen's team of 53 associates in the event. "I'd like to personally thank all the participants, sponsors and volunteers for helping to make Harry's Spring Run-Off our largest prostate cancer initiative to date, a huge success both in terms of raising funds and awareness. We look forward to building on this success in future years by making this an annual Vancouver event."

"The proceeds from Harry's Spring Run-Off will make a difference for prostate cancer patients. These proceeds will help us advance our research into the causes of this disease, and find new ways to diagnose it earlier and treat it better," says Dr. Martin Gleave, Director of the Prostate Centre at VGH and Liber Ero BC Leadership Chair in Prostate Cancer Research. "The public awareness that has been raised for prostate cancer as a result of the event is truly invaluable."

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Harry Rosen Announces Major Prostate Cancer Fundraiser in Vancouver

Harry's Spring Run-Off to benefit the Prostate Centre at VGH

TORONTO, Ontario (January 18, 2007) – As part of its ongoing commitment to prostate cancer research in Canada, Harry Rosen Inc. is proud to announce that it will be the title sponsor of Vancouver's newest charity run this spring. On March 11th, Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k to Fight Prostate Cancer will take place in Stanley Park, with proceeds being donated to research at the Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). This event marks the second Harry's Spring Run-Off in Canada, in addition to the April Toronto run, now in its second year.

"We are thrilled to expand Harry's Spring Run-Off to the West Coast and I've already started my training to lead Team Harry Rosen in the run on March 11th," states Larry Rosen, CEO and Chairman of Harry Rosen Inc. "For seven years we've helped spread the word and raise money through a variety of initiatives, but with this event we hope to raise in excess of $100,000 in Vancouver for the fight to find a cure for prostate cancer."

"Donations are essential to place our prostate research programs at the forefront of the world today, so that we can turn our pioneering research into the latest treatments for men with prostate cancer," said Dr. Martin Gleave, Director of the Prostate Centre at VGH and the Liber Ero BC Leadership Chair in Prostate Cancer Research. "We look forward to participating in Vancouver's inaugural Harry's Spring Run-Off to Fight Prostate Cancer."

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer threat to Canadian men. It will afflict one out of six men in their lifetime – approximately 20,500 men this year alone. Men over the age of 45 are urged to speak to their doctors about testing.

In addition to the money raised by entry fees, runners will be able to sign up for additional pledges online, with those proceeds going directly to the hospital. Among the first of the spring season in Vancouver, this run is part of the Canada Running Series and will be a valuable training effort for runners and will hopefully come to be seen as a rite of passage. Individual prizes will be awarded for the fastest times in a variety of categories. As well, the event will host a Team Challenge, inviting groups to enter a team of 10 with the chance to win group prizes of gift cards from Harry Rosen.

The registration fee for Harry's Spring Run-Off, presented by HSBC Bank Canada, ranges from $30 to $50, depending on when registered. The Run begins at 10:00 a.m. The event itself will include entertainment, gift bags and finishers t-shirts. Participants may sign up at www.canadarunningseries.com/spring8k.

Harry's Spring Run-Off is pleased to welcome HSBC Bank Canada as presenting sponsor and Zegna Sport as key sponsor.

The Run will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign, including advertising in the Globe and Mail and CBS Outdoor transit shelters as well as in-store and window displays at Harry Rosen's two Vancouver locations; and extensive use of websites, direct mail and email campaigns.

About VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation

VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is a registered charity that raises funds for the latest, most sophisticated medical equipment, world-class research and improvements to patient care for Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. For more information, please visit www.worldclasshealthcare.ca.

About the Prostate Centre at VGH

The Prostate Centre at VGH is a UBC Centre and National Centre of Excellence uniting a trans-disciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists to study molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, identify gene targets for intervention, and use this information to create new therapies to improve care for men with prostate cancer.

About Harry Rosen Inc.

Harry Rosen Inc., Canada's leading quality men's wear retailer, is celebrating its 53rd year in business in 2007. With 16 stores across the country, accounting for 40 percent of the Canadian market in high-end men's wear, Harry Rosen stores offer extensive collections of the world's finest men's wear labels including Brioni, Canali, Versace Classic, BOSS Hugo Boss, Armani Collezioni, Ermenegildo Zegna, Prada, Etro, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce and Gabbana and J.P. Tilford by Samuelsohn. Since 2000, Harry Rosen Inc. has raised money and awareness for prostate cancer in Canada. Through a variety of initiatives, over $700,000 has been donated to organizations across the country.

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