André Marin (R) and Barbara Theobalds, 2007

I’m happy to say that the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman’s team, the Ombudsman Watchdogs, will be running in the 2012 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure for the fifth time. Our entire office has participated in fundraising this year. We have already surpassed our goal and are aiming even higher.

But I’m sad to say that we are doing all this without my longtime media relations adviser, Barbara Theobalds, who was an avid supporter of the CIBC Run for the Cure.

André Marin and members of Ombudsman Watchdogs team at the 2011 CIBC Run for the Cure.

Barbara bravely faced the challenges of breast cancer for many of the 12 years we worked together. Through it all, she kept up the spirits of all her loved ones and co-workers. Her endless optimism was a blessing to everyone who knew her.

Cruelly, breast cancer took “Barbara T” from us far too young – in her mid-forties. She died in March 2008, just five months after her last CIBC Run For the Cure. Like me, her colleagues miss her every day, and they started the Ombudsman Watchdogs team in her memory.

Our team is stronger and bigger than ever this year. Breast cancer continues to touch too many of our colleagues, families and friends. Our office supports the CIBC Run for the Cure because it promotes health and fitness as well as helping others, which is what we strive to do every day in our work.

We held a series of training runs throughout the summer and several intra-office fundraising events – now we’re ready for the run, and we welcome anyone who wants to support the Ombudsman Watchdogs and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation!

André Marin

Ombudsman of Ontario