Fighting Cancer: A Collaborative Effort
Magna and its supplier partners are uniting to bring their passion and resources together to prevent, treat and cure cancer, now the second leading cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization.
Recently, 29 cyclists from 10 Magna divisions and groups, along with friends and family, raised $81,300 by riding in the Princess Margaret Ride to Conquer Cancer. All proceeds raised support the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, in Toronto, which is one of the top five cancer research centers in the world.
In the eight years of participating as a team in this event, Magna has raised a total $583,600 to support cancer research. These efforts have also been enhanced through the Magna Matching Program, which boosts employee contributions in charitable causes.
“We’re helping to drive a global effort to find a cure,” said Avin Duggal, Magna Director of Global Environmental, Remediation and Due Diligence, and one of the 29 Team Magna employees, family and friends who cycled in the 2023 ride. “Our supplier partners, such as MJM Electric and Team Solutions, have been very supportive for the past eight years. And Magna has matched the funds raised by our employees. Together, we can make an even bigger impact.”
The two-day cycling event is a 143-mile journey from Toronto to Niagara Falls, with many of the participants riding in honor of friends and family that have been touched by cancer.
Duggal, who served as a co-captain for this year’s event, said one of the people he rides to honor is his 16-year-old nephew Rishi, who was diagnosed with leukemia five years ago.
Duggal was a part of Rishi’s support team during his cancer treatment, visiting him in New Jersey, playing online chess and talking about basketball, especially the Toronto Raptors.
“He spent a good part of his adolescence fighting the disease, but he never complained, and he was very determined to not let the disease get the better of him,” Duggal said. “Today, he’s doing normal kid things again, playing golf on his high school team, designing sets for the school play, and getting ready to apply to college, where he would like to study psychology. We know cancer research can help kids like Rishi. That’s why we ride.”
This year, Avin carried a list in his rider pouch of 23 people he knows who have had cancer or died from the disease.
“They inspire me,” Duggal said. “You also meet inspirational people on the ride, including ones who are going through treatment and still cycling. It’s their way of showing ‘I’m not going to let this get the better of me.’”
Duggal continued, “I’m proud of our team’s accomplishments. We’ve formed a powerful network with our employees and our partners. We proved that you don’t have to be an expert rider or have the best bike. You just have to be determined. We do this so we can see the end of cancer in our lifetimes.”
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