Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer

This past Saturday i sang the national anthem for the PMH Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer tournament. It was so incredible to be sharing the stage with so many hockey legends, while being able to preform the national anthem to kick off the event.

Thank you very much to Paul Alofs for your kind words today on your blog!

“Last Saturday, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation hosted the 4th Annual Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer.  It was a phenomenal success with 1,387 players who formed 122 teams and raised a remarkable $2,219,000.  At the opening ceremony, Mr. Hockey, Paul Henderson, spoke about his courageous battle with cancer.  The absolute highlight of the opening ceremony was when Carley Allison sang the Canadian national anthem.  Carley was diagnosed in 2013 with an extremely rare sarcoma near her trachea.  She was successfully treated by Dr. Pat Gullane, one of the world’s great head and neck cancer surgeons and the leader here at Princess Margaret.  We also heard that Carley’s cancer had returned, this time in her lungs.  This incredibly courageous and inspirational first-year university student stood in front of a hushed crowd and sang a brilliant version of O Canada.  Courage is something we all talk about but it’s often difficult to define.  To me, I saw the definition of courage in the face of Carley Allison and heard the voice of courage as she sang.  Carley has an incredible family and circle of supporters who bring their passion and commitment to her treatment.  When I wrote the book on Passion Capital, I was thinking about courageous individuals like Carley Allison.    To top things off, she sang the national anthem at the ACC before the Leafs game on Sunday.  Courage, passion, and inspiration together in one very exceptional young lady.  Thanks Carley from all of us! ”

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