Fight To End Cancer is proud to announce FTEC 2015 Fighter, Erica McMaster as our new Director of Public Relations.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Theodorou
FIGHTING CANCER IN THE MEDIA | FEATURING ERICA MCMASTER
Friday January 26, 2017
Article By: Rebecca Webber
We are so honored to announce that one of our most fearless fighters from the 2015 Fight To End Cancer gala, Erica McMaster, will be continuing the fight outside of the ring, as our new Director of Public Relations. I recently had the chance to ask her some questions about her history with the organization and her place in the Fight To End Cancer Family. Erica has been a part of the team since she trained and fought two years ago. In 2015, her partner Craig Lauzon, saw a post about the Fight To End Cancer on Facebook and expressed interest in being a part of it. Craig told Erica about the event, she researched it further and it was obvious to her that she had to participate as well.
Erica and her opponent Paige awaiting the results after fighting their hearts out at FTEC2015
Photo Credit: Spencer Wynn
Erica: It was a no brainer for me, as I lost my mother to breast cancer when I was just shy of my twelfth birthday, and many more people close to me since. I’ve been a competitive athlete since I was a kid, however the idea of learning to box, something I’d never even considered, was all of a sudden very enticing. The fact that it was for a cause so close to home made it a no brainer. I ended up getting selected to fight that year, against Paige Cunningham, who at the time was working for Princess Margaret Hospital. Craig was also supposed to fight that same year (2015) but had to pull out due to a theatre contract. I stuck with it, and to this day it is one of the best experiences of my life.
Erica has remained very involved in the Fight To End Cancer since fighting in the event. Her partner Craig realized his dream to fight in the 2016 event and she gladly supported him by continuing to train with him at Kingsway Boxing. Erica is a voice actor and because of this expertise, we asked her to do all of the event related voice overs, which she was more than happy to do.
Erica and her partner Craig Lauzon on the FTEC red carpet
Erica: Not fighting last year and watching Craig go through it, was almost more nerve wracking, at times, than my own experience. When his fight was over I think we both felt a bit of a come down – you devote so much time and energy to this incredible event and when you’re done, you kind of go, now what? So, when the opportunity came up this year to be more involved on the committee side, I figured it was perfect timing.
Erica has experience in various industries where networking and promoting is essential. She loves taking on new and exciting opportunities, so extending her involvement with Fight To End Cancer to PR director was an easy decision for her.
Erica: I have a background in communications, Radio and TV arts, and am a professional voice actor. I plan to draw on all my skill sets, including my personal experience as a fighter, to help promote this incredible event and all the people who are giving so much of their time and energy to make it happen. It will involve putting out press releases, keeping media informed of upcoming deadlines, acting as a liaison for the fighters and seeking out opportunities for increased publicity.
The Fight To End Cancer motto, “Defeat Is NOT An Option”, is meaningful to everyone for a variety of reasons. It’s a very powerful message for Erica about getting back up when you fall down.
Erica McMaster kisses her partner Craig Lauzon, who fought in Fight To End Cancer 2016.
Erica: When I was going through the training the year I fought, there were countless times where I wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into. I’d recently lost a childhood friend to pancreatic cancer and a close family friend to lung cancer. It seemed all around me people I cared about were dealing with cancer on some level. To me, this motto is not only about the fight against cancer, which as we all know, is a very complex one. It’s about continuing to get back up when you fall, in all aspects of life. To never give up. We love the motto and cause so much, that Craig and I got it tattooed on our forearms!
It’s been such a joy to have someone as dedicated and hard-working as Erica fighting alongside us. We are so excited to have her take on this new role as PR director and cannot think of anyone better for the job. It’s obvious through her significant contributions to date, how much the Fight To End Cancer family means to her, and we are very lucky to have her on the team.
MEDIA… ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT FTEC OR MEETING OUR 2017 CHARITY BOXING TEAM?
For all media inquiries and interviews of the Fight To End Cancer fighters and team, please contact:
Erica McMaster, PR Director
Fight To End Cancer
Email: pr@fighttoendcancer.com
Direct Number: +1 (416) 909-4735
JOIN THE FIGHT TO END CANCER
Erica and Craig have done so much for the Fight To End Cancer, and we could not be more proud to have them on our team and in our Fight To End Cancer family. We are always looking for more people ready to take on the fight and if you’re interested in joining the team, please Contact Us! Together we can end cancer once and for all!
