The Princess Margaret receives a $100 million donation to mark the largest cancer fundraising campaign in Canadian history

TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation has launched a historic $2.5 billion fundraising campaign to accelerate cancer research, treatment, and care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, strengthening Canada’s position as a global leader in addressing one of the world’s greatest scientific challenges and the leading cause of death in Canada.

The campaign has inspired a landmark $100 million gift from an anonymous donor with a personal connection to cancer. Compelled by that experience and The Princess Margaret’s mission to create a world free from the fear of cancer, the donor made the largest gift ever received by The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. The gift will support the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre’s highest-priority needs across research, education and care, providing the flexibility to accelerate breakthroughs and innovations when and where they are needed most. It is also the largest donation ever made toward cancer in Canadian history.

The launch comes at a defining moment for cancer research. Around the world, advances in artificial intelligence, genomics, precision medicine and cellular therapies are converging to create unprecedented opportunities to detect cancer earlier and to develop more effective, personalized treatments. Experts have described this period as the “golden age” of cancer research, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform patient outcomes.

“The Princess Margaret is not just participating in the global cancer ecosystem; it is shaping the model others will follow,” said Dr. Miyo Yamashita, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. “This is a moment of real opportunity, and we can meet this challenge. The Princess Margaret has the talent, the model, and, with the driving support of philanthropy, the momentum. Every breakthrough brings us closer to a future where fewer families fear the words no one ever wants to hear, ‘You have cancer.’ Now is the moment to come together and help create a world free from the fear of cancer.”

The $2.5 billion campaign will focus philanthropic investment across three strategic priorities that have the potential to redefine the future of cancer care here in Canada and around the world.

Stage 0: Catching cancer at its earliest stages and finding it before it becomes life-threatening.

Beyond Chemotherapy: Advancing new approaches to cancer treatment, including precision medicine, immunotherapy, theranostics, genomics and AI-enabled care, to deliver more effective, personalized treatments with fewer side effects.

Boundless Cancer Care: transforming the cancer experience for patients and loved ones through survivorship, rehabilitation, mental health resources, and holistic support.

Together, these priorities reflect a broader ambition: to ensure Canada is not simply participating in the future of cancer research but defining it.

“Princess Margaret is one of the places where the future of cancer care is being created,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, President and CEO of University Health Network. “Across UHN, we have the extraordinary combination of clinical expertise, scientific discovery, innovation and education needed to move breakthroughs from the laboratory to the bedside—and ultimately change what is possible for patients. Carry The Fire will help us accelerate that work, extend its impact and continue pushing the boundaries of cancer care for patients in Canada and around the world.”

With a deeply collaborative global research network and one of the most diverse patient populations in the world, The Princess Margaret produces deeper biological insights, more robust clinical data, and discoveries that are applicable across populations and over 200 cancer types.

“Carry The Fire is about more than a fundraising campaign; it is a movement that will shape what becomes possible for people affected by cancer,” said Janice Fukakusa, Campaign Cabinet Co-Chair. “We have an opportunity to accelerate breakthroughs that will change lives here at home and around the world. That’s why I’m proud to stand behind this campaign and invite others to be part of this defining moment, and I am deeply grateful to all of the donors and supporters, including the visionary philanthropist whose extraordinary $100 million gift, the largest in our history, was entrusted to the Cancer Centre’s highest priorities. That remarkable act of generosity reflects the profound confidence our community has in this organization and the impact we can achieve together.”

ABOUT THE PRINCESS MARGARET CANCER FOUNDATION   

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is Canada’s largest cancer charity. We’re dedicated to raising funds for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the world’s leading cancer research and treatment centres, known for its breakthrough discoveries that transform patient outcomes. Together, our work benefits cancer patients everywhere in our mission to create a world free from the fear of cancer. Through philanthropy, fundraising events, and our world-leading lottery program, we’re changing how the world understands, prevents, diagnoses, and treats cancer, benefiting patients at The Princess Margaret, throughout Canada, and around the world.

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SOURCE Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation