The 2015 Ball for the Children's proves the strength of the community around its children
MONTREAL, May 22, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Just 3 days before the Montreal Children's Hospital moves to a new state-of-the-art facility on the Glen site, Montreal's business and philanthropic leaders came together at the Ball for the Children's, held on May 21 at the historic Windsor Station. The sold-out event's theme Evolution paid tribute to the legacy of the Montreal Children's Hospital while celebrating a future full of promises for child health.
Under the leadership of Patron of honor, Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, the Ball raised a record $ 1,307,000.
"This is a momentous time in the history of the Montreal Children's Hospital and one of Montreal's most important milestones in pediatric healthcare, and Air Canada is very proud to be closely associated with it," says Mr. Rovinescu. "Air Canada has partnered with the Montreal Children's Hospital for well over two decades. Through our Hospital Transportation Program, we provide transportation to children requiring medical services not available locally. Additionally for 25 years, our employees' Dreams Take Flight charity has taken sick children on the trip of a lifetime to Disney, making magical memories for many generations of special kids. The Air Canada Foundation continues to give direct support to the Children's, as well as to its partner foundations. We believe children's health and development is the best possible investment anyone can make."
PK Subban scores big with live auction.
One of the highlights of the evening was a surprise visit from Montreal Canadiens defenseman, PK Subban, who, in an electrifying performance with his manager Martin Ross, conducted a live auction of hockey memorabilia that brought the crowd of 650 people to its feet and raised $138,200. Subban also gave 11-year-old Children's patient Gabriel Bellefleur the thrill of a lifetime with an invitation to be his personal guest at a home game, an opportunity to meet some of his fellow Canadiens players and a post-match visit to the team's dressing room.
"'The look on Gabriel's face when PK came onstage is something I will never forget,'' says his father Eric, who earlier had shared Gabriel's ongoing battle with Blackfan-Diamond Syndrome with the crowd. "With 5 surgeries, more than 450 hospital visits, and having just completed his 141'st blood transfusion, Gabriel has been through a lot. When his idol, PK Subban of the Montreal Canadiens, offered him a chance to watch him play, meet some more of the players and visit the team after the game, it was a dream come true. Our family will be eternally grateful to the Foundation and to PK for this generous act of kindness.''
"We are thrilled to have so much support from members of the business, philanthropic and sports communities, particularly as our hospital enters an exciting new era of pediatric care," says Marie-Josée Gariépy, President of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation. "They are the reason the new Children's will be able to continue its tradition of offering the kind of state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge services that would have been unthinkable in the previous outdated facilities. We owe a debt of gratitude to our Patron of honour, Calin Rovinescu, PK Subban of the Montreal Canadiens and Martin Ross, our Award of Excellence sponsors Global Montreal, the Gustav Levinschi Foundation, Jean Coutu Group, National Bank, Shire, TransForce and TD, as well as our other sponsors Pfizer, Bell and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec along with our Platinum and Gold sponsors, our many volunteers, guests, partners and donors. We are also pleased to begin a new partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited which, as part of their proposed new state-of-the-art store project, would include space dedicated for temporary housing for out-of-town parents with children admitted to the new hospital."
It was also an opportunity for the Children's community to congratulate its 2015 Awards of Excellence recipients, eight dedicated staff and volunteers who, through their work, have greatly contributed to maintaining the Children's reputation of cutting-edge and family-centred pediatric care.
Funds raised at this year's Ball for the Children's go to the Healthy Kids Fund to meet the patient's most urgent needs with innovative programs and services throughout the hospital, including 70 ambulatory clinics with 120,000 patient visits, the busiest pediatric Emergency Department in North America with 78,000 visits and 6,000 children who are admitted each year. The Healthy Kids Fund also supports the Children's world-renowned researchers, who have made internationally-recognized breakthroughs in areas as diverse as childhood brain tumours, cancer, diabetes and blindness.
ABOUT THE MONTREAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The Montreal Children's Hospital is the pediatric teaching hospital of the McGill University Faculty of Medicine. The Children's is a leader in providing a broad spectrum of highly specialized care to newborns, children, and adolescents from all across Quebec. The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation raises funds to help The Children's remain on the cutting edge of teaching, research and care. The foundation completed its Best Care for Children campaign to build the new state-of-the-art hospital on the Glen site, which opens its doors to patients on May 24, 2015. For more information, please visit childrenfoundation.com.
ABOUT AIR CANADA
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 180 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2013 served more than 35 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 72 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,269 airports in 193 countries. For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.
SOURCE The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation
Image with caption: "Gabriel, 11, a patient of the Montreal Children's Hospital shows Montreal Canadiens defenseman PK Subban his original artwork that was auctioned off for $11,000 at the Ball for the Children's. (CNW Group/The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150522_C7545_PHOTO_EN_16915.jpg
Image with caption: "John Leopold, Vice-chair of the Board of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation; Marie-Josée Gariépy, president of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation; Elaine Rovinescu; Joanne Leopold; Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada and Patron of honour of the Ball for the Children's. (CNW Group/The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150522_C7545_PHOTO_EN_16916.jpg
Séverine Defouni, Assistant Director of Communications, Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, Tel. (514) 934-4846 ext. 29238, [email protected]
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