Chair's Message

Hello and welcome to HEART & MUSIC!

This annual fundraising event is in support of ovarian cancer research, a disease that affects so many of us in many different ways.

As some of you may know, Darrin's Mom, Jackie, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago. Since that time, her health has been in the capable and compassionate hands of doctors, nurses, orderlies and volunteers in various hospitals. To survive, these hospitals depend upon millions of dollars in donations from people like you and us. And it is because of that generosity from people like you, we are happy to say that Jackie is here today to celebrate this event with us.

Susan also has an emotional connection to the fight of ovarian cancer which has touched her life in more ways than one. While Susan mourns for the countless deaths attributable to ovarian cancer including that of a very dear friend, Susan herself is alive today because of an early diagnosis and treatment.

One in seventy women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Despite all of the money raised and all of the research conducted, a cure has not yet been found. To find a cure, we need much more in donations and we must tap into the intelligence and ingenuity of future research scientists.

And this is where the TEAL HEART Scholarship and Awards at Ovarian Cancer Canada come in. These awards will enhance the training and education of Canadian graduate students researching cures for ovarian cancer. With your help, events like HEART & MUSIC help fund this very necessary research. In 2009, we raised more than $13,000 for the fund and our first recipients will be announced in September of 2010. This year we want to raise even more money to assist more researchers in finding a cure.

It is our hope that, one day, a breakthrough will be made that will save the lives of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and friends around the world. And who knows? Perhaps a cure may even be found by a recipient of a TEAL HEART Award.

With heart and music, we thank you for your part in helping make that happen.

Best Regards,

Darrin Bast
Co-Chair &
Founder, HEART & MUSIC		 Susan Antonacci
Co-Chair &
Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Living
Susan Antonacci
Event Co-Chair & Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Living Magazine

Darrin Bast
Event Co-Chair & Founder of HEART & MUSIC

Lee Poulin
Producing Artistic Director & Creator of HEART & MUSIC




Susan Antonacci
Co-Chair

Susan Antonacci is the Editor-In-Chief of Canadian Living and has worked in publishing for over 25 years.

Susan is married with two children; both husband and children work in the arts. She is actively involved in volunteering, is a founding member of the Breakfast for Learning Foundation where she continues to volunteer, and works with Free the Children. She currently sits on the board of SOS, a foundation that promotes the importance of learning assistance in school curriculum's for all students from grade school to university level. Susan also works to promote the importance of the arts in Ontario's school curriculum.

Susan has lost close friends to ovarian cancer and if not for early detection and treatment, she too could have been a victim. She is honoured to be involved with HEART & MUSIC and believes that if we all make one small step, we can make a difference in the lives of others. Believe and it can happen.

Darrin Bast
Co-Chair & Founder

Darrin grew up in rural Ontario but later moved to Toronto where he became widely known, widely admired and widely accepted as a leader in his field of scientific research.

Leaving behind his impressive credentials of a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from the University of Guelph, a doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Toronto and a formidable array of publications, Darrin entered into the realm of real estate. He is now an accomplished sales representative with the prestigious Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. and is a member in good standing with the Toronto Real Estate Board, the Ontario Real Estate Association and the Canadian Real Estate Association.

With HEART & MUSIC, Darrin is fulfilling a dream, a mission if you like, to pay back to the community that has helped his Mom through some difficult times. Darrin would like to thank all of the people involved, the volunteers, the sponsors, the donators and you, the audience in making this event come to fruition. He would likewise encourage others to give back in a similar fashion whether it be a much smaller or a much grander manner.