FAQ

Each participant can decide what area they would like to support. We have many areas of research, patient care and programs that need your help. Please see our Cancer Funds section for more info.

Absolutely everyone can take part in this family-friendly event with the option to participate in 5K, 3K, and 1K distances. With the virtual event: anyone in the world can participate and still have an engaging experience from their hometown.  For in-person events: dogs, wheelchairs, and strollers are also permitted!  Parental Guidance is suggested for children under the age of 16 and kids 12 and under are free and do not have to meet the fundraising minimum.

Whether you participate in-person or virtually, registration fees are required (except for kids 12 and under as they are free) and non-refundable. Your registration fees help to cover administrative and operational costs related to the event so that we can create an engaging experience for our in-person and virtual participants.  This way, more of the donations raised can be used for life-saving cancer research and care.

Conquering Cancer takes a significant amount of dollars. Every dollar raised by the Journey funds breakthrough research and enhanced care initiatives at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. By implementing a fundraising minimum, we incentivize our participants to raise more funds for the area of cancer research they are passionate about.

If you need help to reach the fundraising minimum or your fundraising goal, simply reach out to our Support Team and we’ll help you to get there!

Email: journey2conquer@thepmcf.ca
Phone: 416-946-2382

It's easy with our secure online credit card process. Click the "Donate" button at the top of this page and select the participant or team you want to donate to. Choose a donation amount and follow the instructions. All donations over $15 will receive a tax receipt via email.

We make every effort to protect your personal information. The software we use for registrations and donations on our website uses industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information travel securely over the Internet. Credit card information is never stored in our database or on our software provider's database. 

Simply visit the participant’s and/or team’s Fundraising Page and click on the ‘Donate’ button. You will then be directed to the donation page that provides you with the option to download an individual or team donation form. From here, you can print and mail your completed form with a *cheque or the relevant credit card information. If preferred, you can also email our Support Team for your copy of the form: journey2conquer@thepmcf.ca.

Please include a valid email address to receive your receipt by email, otherwise, we can mail your tax receipt to your residence with your provided address details. 

*Note: Do not mail in cash donations.

Yes, you can absolutely receive cash donations but please do not mail the cash to us! We cannot be held responsible for cash donations that get lost in the mail. Instead, write a cheque for the donation amount and mail it in with your donation form (see “how do I donate by mail?” above). Just be sure to enter the donor’s contact information in all the required fields on the donation form. You can also make the donation online using your credit card, just be sure to put the donor’s contact information in all the required fields.  

No. Virtual Participants are not required to reach the fundraising minimum. However, those who reach the fundraising minimum will receive a Journey T-Shirt and Virtual Participant Kit in the mail, as well as other forms of Journey swag once they reach higher “Route to Rewards” incentive levels.

Yes, if the funds raised by your team are equivalent to $125 per participant, then all members on the team can participate. However, we encourage every participant to reach out to family, friends and loved ones to raise much needed funds for life-saving cancer research.

No, each participant over the age of 12 must raise the minimum of $125 to participate in-person at Journey. We want all participants there with us on the day of Journey, so there are options in place for those who have not raised the minimum by June 18:

• Participants can self-donate the remaining balance to reach the fundraising minimum.
• Anyone who chooses not to participate in The Journey is welcome to switch their registration to volunteer. Please check out the Volunteer Page (link to volunteer page) for more details.
• Participants can participate virtually instead, with no minimum fundraising amount required. This gives you the freedom to walk or run wherever, whenever, and with whoever you want while still raising money for cancer research.

After clicking ‘Donate’ on the participant’s fundraising page, you will be directed to the donation page where you’ll find a click through to an online USD donation form. Upon completion of the form and all the required fields, you will receive an email with an eligible U.S. tax receipt.

The Participant Centre refers to the password-protected fundraising platform on The Journey website. Upon registration, each participant can log into the Participant Centre with their own username and password to access the tools which allow you to set up your Participant Page, track donations, communicate with donors, teammates, and more.

Below is a summary of what is available to you in the Participant Centre: 
 
My Page 
Your Personal Page serves as your main communication piece to tell your story to potential donors, appeal to sponsors, and show your fundraising progress. Update your page with photos and videos to let people know why you are participating! You also have the option to personalize your webpage URL name and update your fundraising goal.  

Send Emails 
The E-mail Centre provides a host of sample e-mail templates that you can customize to send to donors, or the option to create your own, to help support your fundraising efforts.   

My Contacts 
Your address book allows you to add or import contacts from other e-mail programs and platforms. You can edit contact information, send messages, and track responses relating to your fundraising efforts.   

My Account 
Contains your user information, including your Participant ID, username, password, and your personal information like your selected shirt size.  

Donation History 
The Donation History section allows you to monitor your fundraising campaign by tracking your donations in relation to your fundraising goal and provides you with the option to re-issue donors’ tax receipts.

Follow-Ups 
The Follow-Ups section helps you track and monitor your campaign communications with handy reminders letting you know who has opened your email, who has visited your Personal/Team page, who has donated, who you need to send a “Thank You” e-mail to, and much more!  

To learn more, take a look at our helpful Participant Centre Guide: Here or Watch our Participant Centre Tools & Resources Video Here

Simply log in to your Participant Centre and click on ‘My Page’ then select ‘Edit Page’ to adjust your goal. Type in your new goal in the ‘Fundraising Goal’ text box and press the ‘Save’ button to update the goal listed on your fundraising page

To understand why there has been no single cure to cancer, the most important thing to know is that cancer is not one disease. Instead, it’s an umbrella term for more than 200 distinct diseases. Types of cancer vary considerably in their causes and the way in which they spread and are treated. The complexity of cancer means one single cure for all cancer types is unlikely. That said, thanks to decades of investment in cancer research at The Princess Margaret and centres around the world, we have made remarkable advances in technologies that have enabled us to greatly improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with cancer.

Did you know that the 5-year survival rate for Canadians with cancer has improved from 25% in the 1940s, to 64% today? Or that the female breast cancer death rate has dropped by nearly half since the mid-1980s? This progress is remarkable, and a profound reminder of how our efforts in raising funds through events like the Starlight Investments Journey to Conquer Cancer are translating into real hope for cancer patients across the globe.

We invite you to visit our website to learn more about The Princess Margaret’s recent cancer discoveries and to see how your investments are accelerating promising advancements in life-saving cancer research and care.

Thank you for your continued support of The Princess Margaret.

Still Have Questions?
Please click here 

Yes, in order to register, all volunteers will need to create an account on the Timecounts Volunteer Hub which will act as your primary platform for signing up to volunteer, shift scheduling, information, and updates. This central hub will be your one-stop shop.

Yes, all volunteers do need to register for the 2024 event and provide updated information and preferences, but if you volunteered with us in 2023 you already have an account. Please go to https://timecounts.app/pmcf-journey and sign in before you complete the registration form.

If you need assistance with registration, please contact the Volunteer Services Team by email at pmcfteam@conquercancerevents.com or give us a call 289-351-2515.

Go to the sign in home page and click “Forgot Password.” From there, follow directions to reset your password. You will receive instructions via email.

Thank you for submitting. After you have completed the registration form, you will receive an email confirming we received your submission and that you have been approved to volunteer. After this email confirmation, stay tuned for the next steps on assignment, schedules, training and more. On the Resources Page, you will find the Volunteer Road Map, a resource to help guide you through the different stages of your volunteer experience.

On the landing page of the volunteer hub, you will find a description of each volunteer team, including duties, skills and requirements.

Please note that volunteers for the Journey to Conquer Cancer must be over the age of 16 years old at the time of the event. Volunteers between the ages of 16-18 years old must be accompanied for their volunteer shift by a legal guardian chaperone and a legal guardian must complete the registration form on their behalf.

It is free to volunteer and there are no fundraising requirements, however, all volunteers will be offered the opportunity to fundraise. Any donations or fundraising amounts you can raise will help fund our research to conquering cancer! Every dollar counts!

• Dress for the weather: The Journey will take place rain or shine and in the summertime, so please ensure you wear appropriate clothing for the conditions (i.e. raincoat, light layers, hat, comfortable shoes). Don’t forget your volunteer t-shirt!
• Bring your water bottle: It’s important to stay hydrated and you can help us have a more sustainable event by bringing a reusable bottle. Water stations will be available to refill your bottle.
• Wear sunscreen: Some positions require being in the sun, so stay protected!
• Leave valuables at home: Please leave any valuable items that you cannot carry on your person. We cannot guarantee there will be a secure place to store your items, so please be mindful of this when packing for the day.
• Review your volunteer handbook: This resource will have all the information you need to set you up for success. The handbook will be provided closer to event day.