Why art&fact Is Running in Calgary’s CIBC Run for the Cure This October

Every October, thousands of Canadians come together for the CIBC Run for the Cure, raising funds and showing their support for people affected by breast cancer. This October, the art&fact team will be joining them in Calgary for our fourth year participating in the Run for the Cure.

As a plastic surgery clinic, breast cancer is something we see from a different perspective. Our plastic surgeons care for patients undergoing breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, helping them through one part of a much larger breast cancer journey. It is a connection that makes supporting the CIBC Run for the Cure especially meaningful to our team.

Somewhere along the way, signing up also turned into a clinic-wide poetry competition, a winning poem from our nurse injector Jean and a reminder of exactly why we are running in the first place.

What Is the CIBC Run for the Cure?

The Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure is an annual event held across Canada to raise funds for breast cancer research and support. Every October, thousands of people participate, whether they are running, walking or sauntering for themselves, someone they love or in memory of someone they have lost.

Funds raised help support breast cancer research as well as programs and services for people affected by breast cancer.

This year, the CIBC Run for the Cure takes place on Sunday, October 4, 2026. In Calgary, the art&fact team will be taking on the 5K for our fourth year participating.

Why the CIBC Run for the Cure Matters to art&fact

For our team, the CIBC Run for the Cure has a direct connection to the work we do. At art&fact, Dr. Alexandra Hatchell, Dr. Mieke Heyns, Dr. Peter Mankowski and Dr. Justin Yeung perform breast reconstruction for patients who have undergone mastectomy as part of their breast cancer treatment.

Breast reconstruction can also mean caring for patients long after their cancer treatment itself has ended. Reconstruction may involve more than one procedure, and our surgeons continue to follow patients over time as they heal and move through different stages of their reconstruction.

That means many of the patients we meet through breast cancer become patients we get to know over the long term. Supporting the CIBC Run for the Cure is one way our entire team can support a community that is already such an important part of our practice.

For the fourth year, we will be running, walking and, for some of us, probably sauntering the 5K together.

Breast Reconstruction Beyond Cancer Treatment

Breast reconstruction does not always happen at one point in breast cancer treatment. For some patients, reconstruction begins at the same time as their mastectomy. For others, it may begin months or even years later.

It is also not always a single surgery. Breast reconstruction can happen in stages, with additional procedures or revisions along the way. Because of this, our plastic surgeons may continue to care for their patients long after treatment for the cancer itself has ended.

For our surgeons, this can mean getting to know their breast reconstruction patients over several years.

“One of the unique parts of breast reconstruction is the relationship we build with our patients. We may meet them during one of the most difficult periods of their lives and continue caring for them for years after their cancer treatment is complete.”

– Dr. Peter Mankowski, Plastic Surgeon

Breast reconstruction is only one part of breast cancer care, but it creates a connection with many of the patients and families the CIBC Run for the Cure supports. That connection is a big part of why this event means so much to our team.

A Little Friendly Competition for a Good Cause

Somewhere between signing up for the Run for the Cure and getting ready for the 5K, we decided a clinic-wide poetry competition was necessary.

There were plenty of creative submissions, but our nurse injector Jean ultimately took the win:

Some women have none,
Some women have two,
We all run for the cure
But I'd run for you

Very deserving of the win, if you ask us.

You can check out the rest of our Run for the Cure fun on Instagram. And if Jean's poem has inspired you to try your hand at one, send us a message. We would love to read it.

Come Find Us at the art&fact Tent

We won't just be on the 5K course. art&fact will also have a tent at the Calgary CIBC Run for the Cure, so make sure you come find us and say hello.

If you would like to support the art&fact team, you can donate to our team or join us at the Run on October 4. We will also be sharing more on Instagram as we get closer to the day.

Whether you are running, walking or sauntering, we hope to see you there.

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