The Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation's 2025 Grow On Windsor fundraising campaign is focused on raising money to support radiation treatments in the community.
In March 2025, the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre began operating a fourth linear accelerator, or LINAC, to conduct radiation treatments on cancer centre patients.
The radiation bunker and state-of-the-art accelerator are needed as the three older existing machines are replaced, but money is still needed to support the process.
Executive Director of the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Houida Kassem says the radiation bunkers are quite expensive.
"We're still looking at over $3 million in order to ensure we have those upgraded," she says. "I can say that strongly that we don't have a goal specifically, but if we can raise enough funds to cover the costs of that, that would be fantastic for our patients."
The annual campaign during the month of November calls on individuals, groups, or a team of people to help raise funds in support of research and treatments at the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre.
Events and fundraising efforts could include growing a beard, shaving a beard, or any other idea to help raise money.
Businesses, community groups, and individuals can join the campaign at www.growonwindsor.com by creating a profile, taking part in community promotions, and attending local events throughout November.
Windsor Regional Hospital's Vice-President of Cancer Services Jonathan Foster says they recorded around 330 to 350 new prostate cancer diagnoses in Windsor-Essex in 2024-2025, and that's growing steadily.
"We've seen about a 10 per cent increase across all types of cancer in Windsor-Essex, which is one of the higher growth rates across Ontario; that's why the need is so great," he says. "The good news about getting new technology like this is that by renovating our bunkers, which will support the new radiation treatment machines, we can treat more people in a day, faster, with fewer treatment doses overall."
Foster says they did around 30,000 radiation treatments in 2024-2025, which is up from 20,000 cases in 2020-2021.
"The addition of the fourth bunker lets us treat another 10,000 to 15,000 more treatments per year, so that's phenomenal in terms of impact; that really brings us where we need to go," he says.
The hospital hopes to have one of the three older LINACs replaced and a new one online by the end of 2025.
At least three of the LINACs will be in operation at one time until all the existing ones are replaced.
The new machines will be moved to the new Fancsy Family Hospital at County Road 42 and the 9th Concession, once construction is complete.