(May 6, 2015; Toronto): Ask any real estate agent and they'll tell you the three most important considerations in finding a new home are 'location,' 'location,' 'location.' And so it is with Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, the fundraising event benefiting the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre that will take place on Saturday, September 26 this year.
Through its first four years, participants enjoyed playing road hockey at Ontario Place, but it became necessary for Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer to find a venue partner that could address our long-term growth and needs, beginning with its milestone fifth year.
The organizers of Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer were perplexed – where to find a suitable location with plenty of space and in an area accessible to all participants? While several locations were considered with varying degrees of interest, Woodbine Racetrack quickly emerged as the perfect new home for Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer.
Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), Woodbine Racetrack is located at 555 Rexdale Boulevard, just five minutes from Pearson International Airport. Woodbine Racetrack is easily accessible no matter where participants will be arriving from, and is also well located for those choosing to take transit.
"We're very proud to host Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer at Woodbine in September," said Jim Lawson, CEO for Woodbine Entertainment Group. "Woodbine Entertainment Group supports the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in our collective vision to help those in need and making a meaningful difference in the quality of life in our communities. We wish the best for the event in its pursuit of world records for participation and funds raised."
"We're thrilled to partner with Woodbine Entertainment Group on the new venue for Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, especially in our fifth year of this incredible event," commented Shawn Burt, Chief Hockey Officer at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. "It's a world class venue for a record-breaking event and it delivers us the ability to grow and scale our event accordingly. We can't thank the Woodbine team enough for their support and desire to support us in our vision to: Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime!"
Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer is a dawn-to-dusk road hockey event which, through its first four years, has raised over $9 million for Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret. Teams of 8 to 12 players play five games through the course of the day, with food, beverages, massage therapy, live music and interactive games engaging participants between games. A celebrity component allows top fundraising teams to draft an Honorary Captain onto their team to play or coach.
In this, the milestone fifth year of the event, Road Hockey has issued a global challenge for teams to join the event in Toronto. In addition, the event is aggressively pursuing two world records: most participants at a fundraising road hockey event in a single day and most money raised by a fundraising road hockey event in a single day.
For more information about Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, or to register or donate, visit www.teamuptoconquercancer.ca
Kevin Shea
Director, Public Relations
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
About Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has achieved an international reputation as a global leader in the fight against cancer and delivering Personalized Cancer Medicine. The Princess Margaret, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world, is a member of the University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. All are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto. www.theprincessmargaret.ca
About The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation at University Health Network is raising funds to lead the way in Personalized Cancer Medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world, which includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research. www.thepmcf.ca
About Woodbine Entertainment Group
WEG is the largest horse racing operator in Canada offering world class horse racing at both Woodbine (Toronto) and Mohawk (Milton) racetracks. WEG also operates off-track wagering through its Champions teletheatre network throughout Ontario, which includes WEGZ Stadium Bar in Vaughan, Turf Lounge in the heart of Toronto's financial district and Greenwood in the Beach area of Toronto. Remote wagering is also available to customers through HPIbet (formerly HorsePlayer Interactive), the company's telephone, internet and mobile account wagering service. WEG operates HPItv, a CRTC licensed digital television channel that broadcasts its racing product into homes across Canada.
