>Stair stepping for a cancer cureStep It Up for the Cure, a 24-hour stair climbing marathon, will have individuals and teams running up and down Molson Stadium on Sept 9 at 12 p.m. in order to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.
One Canadian dies of cancer every four minutes, so the challenge to each participant is to raise $240 by running one set of stairs every four minutes.
Event organizer Dan Fischer came up with the event with a friend whose father died of cancer. “We all used to run stadiums together a lot and after he died we decided to use it as a way to raise awareness and research money,” Fisher said.
Enrolled individuals range in age from five to 85 and people from all over Canada are coming to climb. Most volunteers and participants are involved with McGill but there are many high school and CEGEP students participating as well.
The goal for this event in 2006 was to raise $60,000 for the Cancer Research Society in three cities, but it had to be altered due stadium shortages. “We were going to take it to Ottawa and Vancouver as well, but the stadiums fell through so I don’t know if we’ll be able to make goal just in Montreal,” Fischer said, ” but we’re hoping to branch out more next year.”
– Kate SpirgenAnyone interested in helping to raise funds and awareness for cancer may register online at http://www.stepupforthecure.com/stepup.htm.
Elevator Grinds to a HaltSixteen freshman had their partying interrupted Tuesday night when the elevator they had piled into to take them to the top of Gardner Hall ground to a halt between the fifth and sixth floors. According to Leigh Bryant, a floor fellow at Gardner, the students then had to wait in the cramped quarters of the elevator car for 45 minutes while a technician was summoned to lower it to the basement, where they were let out. None of the students were seriously hurt during the ordeal, though one fainted and broke her nose, requiring the attention of paramedics.
Rumours flew through the residences about the incident, which involved 13 residents of neighbouring McConnell Hall, one Douglas resident and two from Gardner. The Tribune initially received reports that an overloaded elevator had fallen in its shaft, but according to Bryant the initial reports were exaggerations.
Gardner’s elevator was out of service over the weekend, and large signs were posted reminding residents of the system’s weight limit.
“We were really glad it [was] not a big deal,” Bryant said.
-James Gotowiec
