Legendary musician, generous donors raise funds for research into Crohn’s and colitis
Toronto, ON, May 10, 2018 – The Gala for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, which took place last night at the Universal Eventspace in Vaughan, hosted nearly 1,000 supporters and raised over $1.5 million to advance an unprecedented research study known as the GEM (Genetic, Environmental, Microbial) Project.
“We’re overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who supported our Gala,” said Mina Mawani, President and CEO of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. “The contributions that came in underscore the importance of our GEM Project, which holds promise in uncovering the possible causes of Crohn’s disease.”
The Crohn’s and Colitis Canada GEM Project is a worldwide research initiative that monitors healthy relatives of people living with Crohn’s disease to see if they too develop the disease, and what potential disease triggers could be.
The Gala featured entertainment from Randy Bachman, lead guitarist and founding member of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. World-renowned gastroenterologist, Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy, was honoured for his career of medical service to the Crohn’s and colitis community with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“We’re no strangers to these diseases, and our family has been deeply affected by them,” said Michael Thompson, who has two sons living with Crohn’s disease and one with ulcerative colitis. “We want to do everything we can to stop these diseases from turning lives upside down.”
Funds raised at the Gala will support the continuing efforts of researchers involved in the GEM Project. While the focus of GEM is to determine the causes of Crohn’s disease, discoveries from the project can help establish better understanding, and better treatments, for ulcerative colitis as well.
To learn more, please visit
crohnsandcolitis.ca/torontogala.
Toronto Gala chairs, Mimi Greenspoon, Ronda Taylor, and Tammy Seigel.
Mina Mawani, President and CEO of Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Mina Mawani, Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy, and Marilyn Finkelstein, co-founder of Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Lifetime Acheivement Award recipient, Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy.
Dr. and Mrs. Jeejeebhoy.
Stephen Thompson and Lucie Andlauer.
Toronto Gala emcee, Crystal Goomansingh, and Michael Thompson.
Gala live auction.
Randy Bachman performs.
Randy Bachman.
All photographs by
Macdonell Photography
About Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – are autoimmune diseases that cause the body to attack healthy tissue, leading to the inflammation of all or part of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, fatigue, internal bleeding, and frequent and urgent bowel movements, in some cases over 20 times a day. Canada has some of the highest incidence rates of Crohn’s and colitis in the world, with approximately 250,000 people diagnosed. One Canadian is newly diagnosed with Crohn’s or colitis every hour.
About Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is the only national, volunteer-based charity focused on finding the cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the lives of children and adults affected by these diseases. We are one of the top two health charity funders of Crohn’s and colitis research in the world, investing over $115 million in research to date. We are transforming the lives of people affected by Crohn’s and colitis through research, patient programs, advocacy, and awareness.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Nic Canning
Account Manager, Smithcom Ltd.
nic.canning@smithcom.ca
413-992-7187
Rasheed Clarke
Marketing and Communications Specialist, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
rclarke@crohnsandcolitis.ca
416-920-5035 x 215