A Word From our CEO
June 17, 2014
Bev Heim-Myers
Volunteers have been very busy at the Huntington Society of Canada, of late.
This is truly the season of events and Chapter Development has been working tirelessly to support and attend events right across Canada.
So far, I have had the opportunity to attend a few events including the Peterborough Walk, the only walk where the Mayor authorizes the closure of the main street, the inaugural Durham Region Walk and the 3rd Annual Race Track event in Ottawa.
The planning and effort that our community volunteers put into making HSC events successful never ceases to amaze me. We could never achieve what we do without the commitment of so many caring and capable volunteers, working closely with our staff, to execute events that truly make an impact.
Together, we have also achieved one of our most successful Spring Challenges to date. Thank you to all of the donors who participated in the Spring Challenge this year, helping us reach our goal of $100,000. The exciting news is that these funds were matched by a very generous, anonymous donor. It is heartwarming and humbling to know that so many people believe in what we do.
This is a very exciting time at the Society. You, our generous supporters are engaged at a time when researchers around the world are quickly moving forward to better understand the underlying mechanisms of HD and early biomarkers of the disease. These discoveries will help better identify effective treatments for HD and move the HD Community closer to the upcoming clinical trials. We know what to do and what not to do. Other disease groups like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are looking to HD research to find answers for their diseases. There is reason to be optimistic.
Momentum is strong as we prepare for the scientific review of the 2014 Research Proposals that were submitted in January. We hope to fund all of the fundable proposals with help from some engaged donors. There are usually many more fundable proposals than we can afford. This year we hope to fund all of the excellent research that has been submitted, leaving no future answers for HD unexplored.
Thank you to our supporters, donors and volunteers for your commitment and dedication. Thank you for helping to make us the best that we can be.