2026 Winner

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation faced a longstanding gap in its fundraising efforts: while South Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities represented significant charitable potential, traditional events had struggled to engage them in ways that felt relevant or inclusive. Rather than retrofit existing formats, the campaign identified cricket as a cultural entry point – one tied to identity, pride and community – and reimagined fundraising through that lens. “Cricket to Conquer Cancer” transformed Mississauga’s Celebration Square into a full-day street-cricket festival, complete with 11 mini-pitches, fast-paced matches and more than 40 corporate and community teams competing to raise funds, while carnival dancers, ethnic DJs and appearances from cricket legends like Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder grounded the experience in authentic cultural expression. Supported by multilingual media and community partnerships, the event drew more than 5,000 participants and raised $1.16 million in its first year, with dozens of new major donors from target communities. By building the experience around a culturally meaningful platform rather than asking audiences to adapt to existing norms, the campaign demonstrated how participation and trust can be built when fundraising meets communities on their own terms.

Credits

Ethnicity Matters
Bobby Sahni - Co-Founder, Partner Howard Lichtman - Co-Founder, Partner,
Wendy Castillo McFarlane - Managing Director
Kate Molina - Group Account Director
Jason Harper - Senior Account Director
Cyril Kirian - Writer & Creative Director
Vibhash Shetty - Art Director
Lilian Lo - Senior Media Director
Aakash Patel - Senior Media Director

Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
Brendan Ennis - Snr. Director Corporate and Community Partnerships
Jordan Harding - Sr. Manager, Corporate Partnerships
Steve Merker - VP, Corporate & Community Partnerships
Ashni Ramsammy - Manager, Cricket to Conquer Cancer
Wendy Morgado - Snr. Marketing Director
Kenzie Broddy - Director of Communications
Ali Richardson - Snr. Marketing Coordinator
Mark Rawlinson - Creative Director

Astound Group
Katie Piccott - Snr. Director, Client Partnerships
Eric Savoia - Snr. Account Manager
Kelly Dixon - Snr. Director, Client Partnerships
Mark Scattolon - Vice President Strategy & Creative