A team of volunteers led by the CEO of Canadian Blood Services will begin a challenging climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa on August 6. the team raises funds through its ascension to help finance the first national public bank of cord blood in Canada.
African climb is one of the main events of the campaign "all Canadians" fundraising campaign, which was first launched by CBS earlier this year in January. The objective of the campaign is to raise at least $ 12.5 million to provide the necessary funds are not provided by federal, provincial and territorial governments.
Dr. Graham Sher is CEO Canadian Blood Services, and said the money raised by the rise in 1000 will help Canadians in need of cord blood stem cell transplants. Dr. Sher noted that the multi-ethnic population of Canada would likely benefit from an increase in cord blood bank, visible minorities are significantly underrepresented in Match Stem cells CBS and network marrow.
"We can be climbing Africa's highest peak, but the challenges we will encounter are nothing compared to what patients face daily when they are waiting for transplants of stem cells fight against life conditions such as leukemia or lymphoma threatening ".
CBS has increased by more than $ 275,000 as part of all Canadians to date fundraiser. Dr. Sher hopes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which is scheduled to last until August 16, will organize a big step closer to achieving its goal.