TELUS Ride for Dad supports prostate cancer research of UPEI’s Dr. Bill Whelan
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men, with one in seven developing the disease in his lifetime. An average of 65 Canadian men are diagnosed every day, and 11 of those men will die from it. 90% of cases can be cured thanks to medical advances, but early detection is the key.
Every year, motorcycle enthusiasts from across the country join together to raise funds to fight prostate cancer in the TELUS Motorcycle Ride for Dad. In this year's edition, some of the money raised by the PEI chapter will support the research Dr. Bill Whelan, professor of physics at UPEI.
Dr. Whelan's research uses technology called optoacoustics, which uses light and sound to detect cancer. With optoacoustics, short pulses of light are sent into tissue, and sound is created. Measuring the strength and frequency of the sound may help to better locate cancerous cells and possibly sooner while the tumour is small.
This new partnership with the PEI TELUS Ride for Dad will support UPEI's ongoing research efforts in developing optoacoustic imaging to improve prostate cancer detection and treatment monitoring," said Dr. Whelan.
"According to the Canadian Cancer Society, PEI Prostate cancer mortality rates are 35% above the national average. This is quite disturbing,' said Tamara Shores, Chairperson of the PEI TELUS Ride for Dad. 'We are very fortunate to have Dr. Whelan performing his research right here on PEI and we are pleased and excited to be able to contribute to his research.'
'We at UPEI are grateful for the contribution of every participant and donor to the TELUS Ride for Dad,' said Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies at UPEI. 'This contribution allows Dr. Whelan to hire and train a student to aid in his research. This is the second award to UPEI from the Ride to support research at UPEI, and we're proud to continue this relationship.'
The mission of the TELUS Ride For Dad is to raise funds to save men's lives by supporting prostate cancer research and raising public awareness of the disease.
Funds are raised through large-scale, one-day motorcycle, snowmobile, watercraft, and ATV ride events and through ongoing public fundraising throughout the year. TELUS Ride For Dad events take place in multiple cities across Canada, representing every Canadian province. The PEI Ride is Saturday, June 13, 2015.
Since 2000, the TELUS Ride For Dad has donated more than 15 million dollars to the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation to support prostate cancer research and awareness in the communities where the funds were raised. For more information, visit ridefordad.ca.
