This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.
The active and exuberant participation of Ontario Mining Association members Hatch and Glencore Canada in the Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event helped the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation up its fundraising score. Consulting engineering firm Hatch had eight teams in the competition – a potential league of its own — and won the corporate challenge award by raising about $215,000, in total. The team from Glencore raised more than $24,000 and finished a very respectable 17th on the company contribution list.
Approximately 1,300 people participated in the Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event, which was held recently at Ontario Place in Toronto, and it netted $2.3 million for personalized cancer medicine. This was the third annual Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer fundraiser. One hundred and thirty teams played five games each throughout the dawn to dusk tournament.
More than 60 celebrities – hockey stars, media personalities, Olympians and stars from other sports – were drafted by top fundraising teams to aid their cause. Three-time Olympic gold medal winner and five-time world women’s hockey champion Jennifer Botterill enhanced the roster of Team Glencore along with Philip Bousquet, OMA Manager of Industrial and Government Relations.
“Our motivation was two-fold – first and foremost to help raise funds to fight a disease that has touched so many people’s lives. Most people, unfortunately, know someone who has been lost to cancer and Princess Margaret is doing some great ground-breaking global research to fight back against the disease,” said Brad Ryder from the corporate affairs department at Glencore Canada. “The other reason was to provide an opportunity for our staff to participate in a fun teambuilding event.”
Bruce MacKay, who led the Hatch team that finished third overall, accepted the trophy on behalf of all Hatch teams for being the highest fundraising company. “We wanted to aim high so that we could raise as much money as possible and make a truly impactful contribution in the fight against cancer,” said Mr. MacKay. “If you take into account all of the families of those affected, the number of people touched by cancer would be in the millions – it’s time to take a stand against cancer.”
Hatch is a consulting firm supplying engineering, project and construction management services, process and business consulting and operational services to the mining, metallurgical, energy and infrastructure industries. Glencore Xstrata is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies. It is a producer and marketer of commodities employing about 190,000 people, including contractors, around the world.
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation raises funds to support breakthrough research, patient care and education programs at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. It is a recognized as an international leader in the fight against cancer.
Mining companies are responsible, solution-providing partners in society. They do more than find, extract and process minerals essential to our modern lifestyle. They volunteer and add great value to the quality of life in their communities and beyond.