Brock community members are stepping up to support cancer patients and their families across Niagara.

The University will host the 2026 Rankin Cancer Run on Saturday, May 23.

Brock Functional Inclusive Training Centre (Bfit) Manager Ally Fast (BKin ’12) is co-captain of the Brock team for the upcoming Rankin Cancer Run, which takes place at the University on Saturday, May 23.

Leading the Brock team this year are proud graduates Ally Fast (BKin ’12) and Crispin Bottomley (BA ’04, BEd ’05), who also helped organize the 2024 run.

“This year, we have a prime opportunity to show the Niagara community that Brock is ‘all in’ for local cancer care,” says Bottomley, adding that 100 per cent of the funds raised stay right here in Niagara.

Founded by Brock alumna Mary Ann Edwards (BPhEd ’76, BEd ’77), the annual event has raised more than $13.6 million for local cancer care organizations since 2006, including the Walker Family Cancer Centre, Wellspring Niagara, Hospice Niagara, Ronald McDonald House/Marotta Family Hospital and several local hospitals.

“The best part of Niagara is the community support, and the Rankin Run is an opportunity for Brock to give back to a community that has always supported us,” says Fast. “It truly represents what it means to be a part of the University.”

Bottomley and Fast are encouraging  Brock employees, students and graduates to participate in the event by:

• Registering to walk or run with the Brock University team.
• Pledging to sponsor a participant.
• Making an online donation to the Brock team on the Rankin Run website.
• Signing up to volunteer before or during the event.

To join the Brock team, register as a team member and enter Brock University as the team name. Participants can choose to complete one or five kilometres.

Bottomley — a cancer survivor, seasoned fundraiser and longtime Rankin Run supporter — says his choice to give back is deeply personal.

“There is a strong possibility you or someone you know will need cancer care, like I did in 2014,” he says.

The Brock University Alumni Association board member sees this year’s run as a “homecoming” for a cause that touches everyone and hopes more graduates will reconnect with the University by joining its team.

“I hope having the run at Brock for a second year in a row will bring alumni back to campus,” he says. “I also hope young runners will consider Brock as a place not just for learning but as a place they feel welcomed and make a difference in the lives of others.”

As Manager of the Brock Functional Inclusive Training Centre (Bfit), Fast has seen first-hand the difference Rankin Cancer Run funding can make.

Thanks to generous donation, Bfit has been able to offer exercise classes for current or former cancer patients and their caregivers since 2024.

“Our goal with the Active Beyond Cancer exercise program is not only to help people through various exercise but also to create a safe, enjoyable and supportive environment where members have others who understand what they have or are going through,” she says, adding the program has also created experiential learning and employment opportunities for students.

Visit the event website to learn more about the Rankin Cancer Run and its impact or register as a Brock University team member.