The Neuro’s annual brain cancer fundraiser, A Brilliant Night, took place on Oct. 19, 2022, bringing the total to more than $6M net raised since the gala’s inception in 2015.
A Brilliant Night was founded by a group of volunteers, each of whom had lost family members to glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Many of their family members were treated by Kevin Petrecca, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of Neurosurgery at the McGill University Health Centre and head of the Brain Tumour Research Centre.
These volunteers decided to start a gala event to support Dr. Petrecca’s cancer research. The funds raised through A Brilliant Night since 2015 have allowed Dr. Petrecca’s lab to make significant research breakthroughs, including their discovery of the origin brain cancer cell, a finding which has changed the trajectory of brain cancer research around the world.
“In the spring of 2018, my mother, Sarah Kenny, was diagnosed with glioblastoma,” says Sophie-Danielle Perron, MD, who spoke at the event. “Even today I relive the first moments of her diagnosis with despair. But then we transferred to The Neuro. Relief, hope, and comfort were reborn. The treatments she received at The Neuro extended her life, and were able to relish every moment she had left by her side. Our gratitude to the entire treatment team at The Neuro is immeasurable.”
This year’s event took place at Le Jardin Royalmount. Guests began the evening with a dynamic video shown on 360-degree screens featuring a look back at the event’s history, from the overall mission to the many dedicated individuals who have made the event a continued success. The Honorary Chair of the 2022 event, Nicole Collet, General Manager of Business Applications Canada at Microsoft, spoke about her involvement.
“I cannot begin to tell you how moving it has been for me to chair this committee. Meeting Dr. Petrecca, discovering what has motivated the people at the heart of A Brilliant Night, and learning about the world-class scientists working right here in Montreal - all of this has been breathtaking, encouraging, and inspiring”.
The main sponsors for A Brilliant Night 2022 were BMO Banque de Montréal, TD, Banque Nationale, CIBC, Metro, Desjardins, Canderel, Constructions CAL, Courchesne Larose, Les Entreprises d'Électricité EG Ltée., Logistec, Plomberie Charbonneau Inc, KPMG, Miller Thomson, the Rossy Family Foundation, the Gainey Foundation, and the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation.
