Odlum Brown team members from branches throughout BC annually join together and fundraise for the CIBC Run for the Cure. In support of the Canadian Cancer Society, Odlum Brown team members have participated in the Run for the Cure for over 20 years.
The Odlum Brown team has received the Corporate Spirit Award for Vancouver, awarded to the top corporate fundraising team, 13 times. In 2019, Odlum Brown was humbled to receive the Corporate Team Spirit National Impact Award, the highest honour bestowed by the Canadian Cancer Society. This award recognizes a business that embodies the spirit of the Canadian Cancer Society and serves as a model for other teams across the country in terms of fundraising, community engagement and mission integration. In 2020, Odlum Brown was nominated by the Canadian Cancer Society and United Way BC and subsequently awarded the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Giving Hearts Award for Outstanding Corporation.
+ Learn more about the CIBC Run for the Cure.
What did you to get involved?
“I was inspired to get involved with the CIBC Run for the Cure through the leadership of colleague Luisa Di Palma whose passion for the cause is contagious. I was also inspired by the many friends and family who have courageously battled breast cancer. Over the years, we have been fortunate to work with incredible race organizers (most recently Rachel Zapp of the Canadian Cancer Society) who have helped in every way possible to set our team up for success. They create an amazing atmosphere on run day – high energy and fun – while also paying tribute to those who have fought and those who continue to fight the disease.”
– Lisa Cunliffe, Manager, Sales Support, Vancouver
“I got involved in Run for the Cure originally as an Odlum Brown team member – spending time and having fun with my colleagues outside the office. When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, it became personal. We’ve made the run a family event now, with my wife and daughters running or walking alongside me. It’s an opportunity to raise money toward a cure, but it’s also important for my daughters to hear the stories, see the public response and commitment, and participate in something that could one day save their own lives."
– Pete Jando, Director, Portfolio Manager, Branch Manager, Victoria
“I married my husband when my stepkids were four and six years old. They had lost their beloved Mom to cancer a year prior, leaving their Dad to raise two very small children and run his large company all on his own. My heart broke for both them and my husband. I can see how cancer can touch the lives of so many innocent kids, and I would do anything to help prevent one more child from losing his or her mom."
– Monica Pratt, Administrative Assistant, Branch Administrator, Victoria