MONTREAL, Sept 11. -The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation is pleased  to announce that the Cole Foundation has pledged a donation $1.5 million in support of The Best Care for Children capital campaign. This very generous donation will be dedicated to the Pediatric Division of the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, and more specifically, will be used to support the work of the Penny Cole Laboratory.

The Cole Foundation and The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation have been working closely for many years. John (Jack) Cole, founder of the Cole Foundation, was the first Chairman of The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation Board. He remained Honourary Chair until his death in 2004. Mr. Cole and his wife, May, had a daughter, Penny, who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 12. Penny died of the disease on her 20th birthday.

After the loss his beloved daughter, Jack Cole dedicated much of his time to The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation. He founded the Penny Cole Laboratory for research into pediatric leukemia. Today, Dr. Nada Jabado heads this team of researchers. Jack Cole also endowed a Chair in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at McGill University to benefit The Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute. The Chair is currently held by Dr. Janusz Rak.

Under Chairman Barry Cole, the Cole Foundation has reinforced its mandate to become a philanthropic leader in the field of research into pediatric and young adult leukemia. It has also widened its reach to include all Montreal-based medical networks (McGill University Health Centre, Université de Montréal, CHUM, Hôpital Sainte-Justine and Institut Armand Frappier). Its vision is to make Montreal a nationally recognized centre of excellence in research and patient care in pediatric leukemia and lymphomas.
 

"The Cole Foundation has been an important ally of The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation for many years. Its support will no doubt inspire others to help build a new, modern hospital and a state-of-the-art
research institute for all sick children in Quebec," said Marc Courtois, Chairman of The Best Care for Children capital campaign.

The goal of The Best Care for Children capital campaign is to raise $100 million to build the new Montreal Children's Hospital and its Research Institute. Construction is expected to start in 2010, on the Glen Campus. The McGill University Health Centre Research Institute recently received a $100 million grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation for this construction project. This grant must be matched by an amount of $50 million in private funds, to which the Cole Foundation gift will be applied.

 

For further information: Barry Cole, President, The Cole Foundation, (514) 938-9428; Danielle Gabrielle Roy, Director of Communications, The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, (514) 934-4846, ext. 29236