Dining out at over 100 restaurants across the city tonight will not only support local businesses, it will support fundraising efforts to bring new technology for fighting cancer in Ottawa.
The Superfoods Dine-a-Rama campaign led by Luke Rochefort, a testicular cancer survivor and the owner of St. Louis Bar and Grill in Centretown, asked participating restaurants to donate a portion of their sales on Wednesday Jan. 23 to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.
The money raised will be directed in part towards research involving CyberKnife technology— a technology used to treat Rochefort’s cancer.
CyberKnife technology costs $3.5 million to bring to the Ottawa Hospital, but allows patients to receive a much higher radiation dose in a safer treatment environment, according to the ORCF’s website.
It also provides a treatment option for inoperable tumors, surgically complex tumors or those who would prefer non-invasive treatment. However, it is currently available at only three locations across Canada.
The campaign’s goal was 100 restaurants and $100,000, according Linda Eagan, President and CEO of the ORCF.
The campaign surpassed the goal for participation, with 101 restaurants signing up, and many solicited donations beforehand in addition to the money they will raise through sales, according to Eagan.
“The restaurant industry is supposed to be competitive, but through collaborations like this one, we are reminded how people just want to give back in the best way they know how. We are so grateful to restaurant owners and patrons for joining us in our fight for cancer survivorship,” Eagan says.
Eagan says she hopes that the event will become annual.
A full list of participating restaurants can be found online at:
http://ottawacancer.akaraisin.com/dinearama