Past Campaigns

The It’s In Your Jeans campaign launched in June 2012 with a goal of raising $4 million to fund a new medical service dedicated to men’s urological issues, particularly prostate cancer. The campaign came to a successful completion in April 2014, with the Foundation announcing having raised $5.4 million.

The program was named the Dr. Richard Boyd Regional Comprehensive Men’s Health Program. Dr. Boyd was the respected Head of Urology at Windsor Regional Hospital who died suddenly in 2008. Cypher Systems Group (CSG) announced the naming and that CSG would be program sponsor. The Men’s Health Program will deliver one-stop coordinated care at Windsor Regional Hospital; provide earlier cancer detection and diagnosis; cut the wait time to treatment almost in half; and expand current treatment options to include da Vinci robotic surgery.

The funds purchased high performance laboratory and diagnostic tools to improve and expedite care. That equipment will be used for all cancers for men, women and children. The centerpiece of the campaign was the purchase of the renowned da Vinci Surgical Assisting Robot. It allows prostate cancer patients to receive less invasive and less painful surgery with quicker recovery and lower risk of post-operative complications than from conventional surgery.

The Field of Dreams campaign launched in 2004 with a goal of raising $3.5 million to purchase an MRI machine and construct a suite to house it. At the time, the only MRI in the city was located at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital, running at capacity at approximately 6,000 scans per year. The new MRI was the first in Ontario to be located within a cancer centre with a priority for oncology patients; it also serves patients with non-cancer issues. The campaign concluded in 18 months having raised $3.9 million. The MRI Suite opened in November 2006.

The Diagnostic Imaging Department received a Leading Practice Award from the Ontario Hospital Association in 2011 for reducing MRI wait times and increasing exam volumes. Remarkably, 10,000 scans are now completed each year.

A metal and stone statue was erected as enduring recognition of the community’s support of the campaign, located at the corner of Alsace and Kildare Roads, adjacent to the Cancer Centre.

Launched in 1996 as the first capital campaign of the newly incorporated Foundation, the Dreamweaver campaign goal was $2 million to upgrade and enhance the fixtures, finishes and equipment at the new Cancer Centre. The desire was to provide an environment that treated each patient as a whole, and not just the disease. The campaign goal was exceeded by almost $1 million by 1998. The evidence of the success of the campaign can be seen within the walls of the Cancer Centre where natural light, stone, and wood features shine through in the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired design. The Dreamweaver campaign was commemorated with a woven art piece that hangs in the lobby to this day.

The building design received many architectural awards and recognition, including:

Citation of Merit, Architectural Showcase, New Construction Category, Healthcare Design, Sept. 2002 (p. 62-63)

Honourable Mention, Institutional Category B, Perspectives OAA Journal, 2002 (p. 20)

Canadian Architect, March 2002 (p. 24-28)