Speciality plates support childhood cancer studies

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This article was published 25/06/2020 (1932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A LOCAL charity that supports research into childhood brain cancer is the latest organization to collaborate on the short list of Manitoba specialty licence plates.

The Madox’s Warriors plate has a “Cure childhood cancer” slogan on the bottom and a gold cancer awareness ribbon on the side.

Madox’s Warriors Inc. is a non-profit formed in the memory of Madox Suzio, who was nine when he died in 2014 due to diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare brain tumour. Funding raised through merchandise, local events and donations supports childhood brain cancer research and Madox’s Warriors also works with Manitoba-based charity the Dream Factory, which annually funds around 30 trips for youth with life-threatening illnesses.

“Both myself and our government wish Madox’s Warriors Inc. all the best in their pursuit to promote and sell this new specialty licence plate,” said Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton, who unveiled the design Wednesday with Madox’s parents (and founders of Madox’s Warriors), Marco and Suzanne Suzio, outside the Manitoba Legislative Building.

The plates were years in the making, and the Suzios said the goal was to provide families with a way to support those in their lives suffering with cancer.

“We pushed forward with MPI after listening to different parents and their extended families who wanted something concrete to support and represent children going through the fight of their lives,” Suzanne Suzio said. “These plates are honouring and representing those children who have lost their lives to cancer, those who are currently fighting and those who will one day be diagnosed.”

The Madox’s Warriors plate is the 12th such specialty design to be offered through auto insurer Manitoba Public Insurance, and the second to be introduced in recent weeks (a revamped Winnipeg Blue Bombers plate was introduced June 1).

While $30 of every specialty plate purchase goes to a charity, regardless of design, this is only the second to be dedicated to a specific non-profit organization (the first being the Winnipeg Humane Society).

Wharton said charities interested in collaborating with on specialty licence plates should reach out to MPI. The program has sold more than 80,000 such plates and generated $2.4 million in proceeds donated to organizations around the province.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_