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POGO Gala
April 4, 2009

The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) held their 8th anniversary POGO gala at the Liberty Grand on the grounds of the C.N.E. in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, April 4, 2009 in support of children with cancer. The POGO Gala was attended by local sports, entertainment, and business leaders who dressed up in their best black tie wardrobes and came to support kids with cancer.

The evening featured a live auction, a great silent auction, a raffle by Tiffany & Co, and the after-party. Within the last eight years, this gala has raised $1.7 million to fund research, financial support for families of children with cancer and program support for survivors with cognitive challenges from having had cancer.

The POGO collaboration has since 1983 worked closely to develop funding and infrastructure to implement an integrated, innovative, equitable and evidence- based childhood cancer control system in Ontario. According to POGO, "This enduring collaboration has ensured timely advice to the Minister of Health, coupled to practical action plans and strongly supported by prospective providers. Our province is an international leader and health service innovator in the specialty. Childhood cancer service delivery models, developed in Ontario, have received very positive attention from medical professionals around the world and have been shared by request with other provinces in Canada, with our American colleagues, and with developing countries."

About POGO

POGO was founded in 1983 by a group of pediatric oncologists to champion childhood cancer care and control. This charity is a collaboration of five specialty pediatric oncology programs: namely: The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto), McMaster Children's Hospital (Hamilton), Children's Hospital of Western Ontario (London), Kingston General Hospital and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Ottawa), as well as a growing number of partners drawn from community hospitals, community services, other members of the health care sector, families of children who have, or have had cancer, corporate and private benefactors and volunteers. POGO works to ensure that all of Ontario's children have equal access to state-of-the-art diagnosis, treatment and required ancillary services as the representative voice of the childhood cancer community. "Through strong partnerships with Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and the childhood cancer community, POGO has built a reputation for recommendations based on solid provincial data, scientific evidence and extensive clinical experience. Today, POGO is the official source of advice to the MOHLTC on pediatric cancer care and control, and the Ministry has assigned Pediatric Cancer Priority Program status, thus assuring separate planning and committed funding for the disease. The joint efforts of POGO and its partner hospitals have created an environment in which the gaps in cancer care and control are identified, and a secure and appropriate flow of funds to treating hospitals may be negotiated with government, and continually adjusted to accommodate new treatments and new service demands. Thanks to POGO, care for Ontario's children with cancer has been integrated into an exemplary, province- wide system supported by practice guidelines, professional education, accurate information and research. The POGO collaboration strives to improve quality of life during all phases of a child's battle with cancer - from diagnosis to palliation, or from diagnosis to cure and beyond." [www.pogo.ca]

POGO 2009

The POGO gala was a huge success and raised funds for a worthy cause. Check back here for details and mark your calender for next year's POGO Gala! For more information on POGO or to donate click on this web page for its web site.

Photographs & Article by G.C. Eyre © 2009 All Rights Reserved