Hoping their music can help those affected by cancer, the Songs of Hope Society has announced it will host a fundraising concert this April.
“Certainly Lethbridge, as well as everywhere else in the world, is affected by cancer and we want to do our part from a musical standpoint,” said Don Robb, president of the Songs for Hope Society.
Called the CancerBlast concert, the event will be held in partnership with the University of Lethbridge to help raise money for research at the institution.
“I’m enormously grateful to the foundation for organizing this event, for taking this big responsibility forward,” said Olga Kovalchuck, a biological sciences professor at the University of Lethbridge.
Kovalchuck said the research predominantly being done at the university is looking at ways to diminish cancer cells, as well as minimizing the effects of cancer treatments on the body.
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“In my lab we do research in two directions: we’re looking at how to find new effective ways to kill cancer cells, and we’re also looking at how to find new effective ways to prevent cancer therapy side effects and this is the focus of research we discussed with the Songs of Hope Society,” Kovalchuck said.
“Even though we have enormous success with treating cancer using radiation therapy and chemotherapy, those do not come without side effects.”
The concert will feature performances from the Bridge Brass Quintet, Anna McBryan, the Lethbridge Brass Ensemble and Jens Lindeman. Set to hit the stage at the Southminster United Church on Apr. 13, Robb said the idea to create this concert came from a popular event in the United States named CancerBlows, that brings in musicians from around the world to support the cause.
Robb hopes this local concert can spread as much hope.
“We want to support that research and offer some hope as well as our good wishes to those suffering from cancer, and also as a memorial to those who are gone because of cancer,” Robb said.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online. All proceeds will go towards cancer research efforts at the University of Lethbridge.
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