The 11th annual Cedars CanSupport Dragon Boat race was held at the Père-Marquette park in Lachine on Saturday.
Cedars CanSupport is a privately funded organization based out of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The organization is dedicated to providing cancer patients with compassionate care, which can include making arrangements for practical needs such as transporting and educating patients.
The founder of Cedars CanSupport, Gwen Andrews Nacos, said the objective of the organization is to help cancer patients and their families one person at a time.
“We say if you don’t know where to go to find an answer to a question, come to us,” Nacos said. “If we don’t have the answer, we’ll help you find the answer.”
The event was hosted by the title sponsor FL Fuller Landau accounting who are in their ninth year of organizing the race.
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Landau spokesperson Michael Newton said they are poised to raised $500,000, exceeding last year’s total.
In the past nine years, Landau has helped raise $5 million.
For Pat Spadaccino, the team organizer for Simard transportation, coming back year after the year is a pleasure for the organization that he considers has an immediate impact on patients.
“It’s one of the events that I find helps a lot of people that deal with cancer,” Spadaccino said. “My sister-in-law went through four cancers, my wife went through two. The money we raise here literary goes to the victims themselves, whether it’s transportation, medication, whatever it is, it goes to the people that need it.”
To participate in the event, groups big enough to fill a dragon boat have to raise at least $12,500, they then participate in rowing races throughout the day.