A Brandon dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors has launched a new campaign to support local cancer research at Brandon University. Waves of Hope, a group serving the Westman and Parkland regions, is aiming to raise $150,000 for the university’s Breast Cancer Cell and Molecular Research Laboratory by 2029.
The team announced the new fundraising initiative, titled Hope in Our Backyard, during their Day of Hope and Education event held at the university’s Harvest Hall in April 2026. To mark the start of the campaign, the organization presented an initial donation of $25,000 to the lab.
The research facility, which was founded in 2023, is led by Dr. Mousumi Majumder, a professor in the Department of Biology and a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Genotoxicology. The lab was established with $2.5 million in support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, and Research Manitoba.
Dr. Majumder’s team is currently working to develop a non-invasive blood test for early breast cancer detection. This research is intended to address the gap in screening options for younger women, as routine mammograms are generally not accessible to women in Canada until age 50.
Waves of Hope was founded in Brandon in 1999 and stands as one of the oldest breast cancer survivor dragon boat teams in the country. Michelle Gerrard, the team manager and a 23-year survivor of triple-negative breast cancer, noted that this specific type of cancer is a primary focus of the research being conducted at the lab. Longtime member Betty Stewart, who is 86 and has been paddling with the group since its inception, also participated in the event to support the mission of promoting education and innovation in cancer care.
