On May 1, 2026, music will fill the arena in St. George, Ont. Friends and neighbours will gather around raffle tables, local bands will take the stage, and hundreds of people will come together for one shared goal: raising funds for brain tumour research.

The event is called Tumour Take Down, and what began as a small community fundraiser has quickly grown into a powerful show of support for families affected by glioblastoma.

Behind it are four women—Leslie, Fiona, Stacy and Trish—who have rallied their community year after year in support of Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.

For Leslie, the idea started with a conversation she couldn’t forget.

“I came home that night and I just thought, this is so terrible,” says Leslie. “I want to do something.”

Turning an idea into action

Leslie first met Stacy in 2022, shortly after Stacy’s husband, Mike, had been diagnosed with glioblastoma. During their conversation, Stacy showed Leslie the brain scans taken the night Mike experienced seizures, and another scan from just 10 days later.

The experience stayed with her.

“I never told anybody,” Leslie says, “but that night I started planning a fundraiser in my head.”

What began as a simple idea, with live music, a community gathering and a chance to raise funds, quickly turned into something bigger. Leslie and Fiona brought the idea to life together in 2023, organizing the first Tumour Take Down event and drawing hundreds of people together in support of brain tumour research.

Encouraged by the response, they organized the event again the following year. Now, with Stacy and Trish joining the organizing team, Tumour Take Down continues to grow.

A cause that’s deeply personal

For the organizers, the fundraiser is driven by the people they’ve met along the way.

Two of their close friends are currently living with glioblastoma, and through the event they’ve connected with many others navigating the same diagnosis.

“We’ve met so many people through this,” Leslie says. “Every single case is different. No two experiences are the same.”

They’ve also experienced loss within their community. In 2024, they lost Gary Wright, a friend whose strength and humour left a lasting impression.

More recently, on January 12, 2026, the Tumour Take Down community lost one of its earliest volunteers, Bruce Wells, to glioblastoma. Bruce had been part of the event from the beginning, and his dedication and generosity helped shape the spirit of the fundraiser.

His memory, and the memories of others lost to this disease, continue to inspire the event and the people who make it happen.

A community effort

One of the most powerful parts of Tumour Take Down is how the community has rallied behind it.

Local businesses have stepped forward with sponsorships and prize donations. Volunteers come together to help run the event. Musicians have offered their time to perform.

This year’s event will feature live performances from The Village Joke and Grace 2, a Tragically Hip tribute band, bringing energy and music to a night built around connection and purpose.

There will also be raffle tables, donated prizes and food prepared by supporters who believe in the cause. One of those supporters is ChefD, who first joined the event after Leslie reached out to ask if he would sell food during the fundraiser.

Instead, he surprised the organizers.

At the end of the night, rather than keeping the proceeds, he chose to donate everything back to the cause and has continued to do so each year since.

“It’s amazing how many kind and generous people we’ve met along the way,” Leslie says.

Even Canadian music icon Rob Baker of The Tragically Hip has shown support, recording a promotional video for the event after learning about the fundraiser and the community behind it.

For Leslie, that moment was unforgettable.

“I think I had to watch the video five times before I could get through it without crying,” she says.

Looking ahead

For the organizers, the goal is simple: raise as much as possible to support research and help move progress forward.

“The more we raise, the more it goes toward research,” Leslie says. “And the more research that happens, the better the chance of finding answers.”

Event details

• • Tumour Take Down
  • May 1, 2026
  • 7 p.m.
  • St. George Arena, St. George, Ontario
  • Purchase tickets

The evening will feature live music, community raffles and a chance to come together in support of brain tumour research.

Proceeds from the event support Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and its work to fund research and provide programs and support for Canadians affected by brain tumours.