The donor: Salima Virani
The gift: Helping raise $897,000 and climbing
The cause: The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto
When Salima Virani had a seizure and ended up in a coma a couple of years ago, she had an inspirational vision that has driven much of her life ever since.
"I had a dream and a lady said 'Salima you are meant to do more,' and then I woke up and that's what I remembered very vividly," she recalled from her home in Toronto. Ms. Virani recovered and took the message to heart, becoming an active volunteer with a number of organizations.
She has also joined a group of women at her workplace, gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., who will be participating in the Rexall OneWalk to Conquer Cancer on Sept. 9 to raise money for Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. They're part of a team called Women In Mining which has been entering the Toronto event for the past 10 years and has raised nearly $900,000 in total. The team is hoping to top the $1-million mark at this year's 40-kilometre walk and Ms. Virani's goal is to raise $5,000.
"I just feel like I'm here for a reason," she said. "I want to do as much as I can."