Fund Raising Efforts

Late Fall, 2019

It was a magical evening! This painting was a true labor of love (120 hours to create).

A 150,000.00 were raised all together! It was awesome! This painting found a happy home with a lovely optometrist. All proceeds went to raise much needed funds for the breast cancer community for research, education and services in Phoenix and Scottsdale. Thank you for your love & support!

Warmest Regards,
Lucie

Honoring research my parents and passion:

My mom who is one of the kindness souls I have had the privilege of knowing became an orphan at age eleven. Her father was killed during the Second World War and her mom died from breast cancer at age thirty one. Having been blessed with a close relationship with mom I can’t imagine losing both parents at young age. This and so many other stories made me want to contribute in whatever way possible to research. Although there certainly has been progress more funds and are desperately needed. Please help in the fight against this devastating illness.

Events for 2016-17

Art Gala at the Atrium
Saturday, 30 September 2017

Delight the Senses || Different Artists, Same Purpose
Saturday, 30 September 2017

by Kristyn Anthony

It was this time last year that Lucie Marlo got the scare of her life. Diagnosed with a tumour that would turn out to be benign, the Victoria nutritionist had a lot of time to think while in hospital recovering from surgery.

Faced with the big questions life can pose in trying times like those, Marlo asked herself what was truly important going forward. She says she was fortunate to have avoided a cancer diagnosis, but so many others aren’t so lucky.

In honour of them, she has assembled a group of artists to donate works to ‘Delight the Senses; Different Artists, Same Purpose’, an evening of fine food, live music and an art auction where 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Society in support of breast cancer research.

“The concept behind this event is something that’s been in my heart and in my mind for a really long time,” Marlo says, describing it as one of those “someday projects” she dreamt about. She started making calls as soon as she was well enough, and keeping an eye on her vision enabled her to find the strength to recover.

“Some day is now,” she asserts.

First Nations painter Rande Cook and Victoria jeweler Rafal Zebrowski will auction off original pieces created solely for the event. Pianist Iryna Graifer and violinist Tatiana Kostour will perform throughout the evening, and auction off private home concerts.

A painter herself, Marlo will auction a piece dear to her heart, originally created for a friend whose own battle with cancer was lost. “The only thing better than to do what you love most for a living is using your talent to make a difference,” she says.

Breast cancer survivor Tracy Young will speak about her family’s incredibly difficult journey through the disease. Carriers of the rare BRCA2 gene, Young’s mother and aunt passed away from breast cancer. While Young is now in remission, her daughter has also been diagnosed with genetic predisposition to the rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.

“I cannot talk to one person who in some way, shape, or form was not affected by this monster,” Marlo says, citing her own grandmother and a family friend among the women who have succumbed to the disease.

Her own surgery didn’t exist a few years ago and she credits modern medicine, propelled financially by events like this fundraiser. The number of women who have died from breast cancer has declined since the 1980s with the impact of mammograms and improvements in treatment. Still, it is estimated that one in eight Canadian women will be diagnosed with the disease, and one in 31 will die from it.

“I dream of a world where no child has to lose their mom to breast cancer; there’s been too many,” Marlo says.

 

My Father who passed away on December 25th/2015 was an established artist from Montenegro. Although fluent in seven languages, a published author and a long standing teaching career, art remained his passion. Children and art are the loves we shared most. Few things would make him happier than when I would share with him any success in my painting career. He was not well for a long time and being motivated to make him smile I would happily announce to him even all the small successes like the sales of my limited addition prints. I can’t think of a better way to honor my dad than to take my painting to greater and greater highs and donate a percentage of all sales to the orphanage which has a part of both of our hearts. I am so grateful to live my passion and make a difference in any way in the lives of these amazing children. Thank you for your support. It is much appreciated!

Many people have never heard of Montenegro and it’s one and only orphanage. Montenegro is a small country that emerged from the most recent wars in the Balkans. Over 2000 children have called the orphanage home since its opening in 1946. It currently houses 160 children from infants to teenagers. Pamela Anderson generously donated $10,000 when she visited a few years back but the need continues to outpace funding. In addition to providing a safe place, the orphanage is spearheading the development of important programs like a 24 hours emergency kid help phone line, the only one in the country.

Other urgent needs are the development and implementation of programs for children with developmental disabilities, therapy and counselling for children who have endured severe abuse or neglect, and housing for teens who have aged out of the home (at 18 years of age) and have nowhere to go. They can become easy prey for traffickers and drug dealers. Funds are badly needed to hire qualified staff for those initiatives as well as support day to day operations. Donations can be made directly to the orphanage and any amount is greatly appreciated.