VICTORIA - The Victoria Foundation has pledged $100,000 - the largest single donation in the organization's history -- to the Vancouver Island Cancer Centre's $6 million Daring to Believe Campaign.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this unprecedented level of support," says Maryla Waters, Chair of the Board of Directors, The Victoria Foundation. "We are able to do so because of the vision of a donor - Helen May Noxon - now deceased, who bequeathed a portion of her estate specifically to establish a fund within the Foundation, the proceeds of which are to benefit organizations providing palliative care, and both research and equipment needed to battle cancer and heart disease."

"The Victoria Foundation's outstanding gift was one of our first," says Daring to Believe Campaign Chair Alex Campbell. "The leadership of this respected organization has inspired many others in the community to come forward and support the campaign."

The Victoria Foundation, through the creation and management of funds gifted in perpetuity, is in a unique position to respond to the changing needs of the community. According to Waters, "It takes amazing imagination to make a specific gift for future generations because it's almost impossible to foresee what a community will need in 40 or even in 10 years. But a gift made through a community foundation provides flexibility to adapt to changing community needs, as well as stability and permanence."

The BC Cancer Agency needs to raise $6 million dollars to fund research facilities in the new Vancouver Island Cancer Centre. The funding will pay for the molecular biology and medical physics labs that will be dedicated to research into the causes, treatment and cures for cancer. To date, the Daring to Believe Campaign has raised $4,209,301 million.

"It's wonderful how one woman's vision has contributed so much to our community today," concludes Waters. "It's her legacy."

Information on the campaign and the Vancouver Island Cancer Centre is available on the Daring to Believe Campaign Web site at http://www.daringtobelieve.com. Donations can be made through the web site, by calling the campaign office at 370-8811, or by mail to Vancouver Island Cancer Centre, 1900 Fort Street, Victoria, V8R 1J8.

For more information, contact:
Marnie Hill
Regional Development Officer
BC Cancer Foundation
Vancouver Island Cancer Centre
Tel: 250-370-8937
Fax: 250-370-8608
E-mail: mhill@bccancer.bc.ca