We started The Tory Day Fund with modest goals based on a simple premise: that we could make cancer treatment more comfortable.

Before we launched the fund on June 8, 2017, we thought $30,000 would be a decent target to set — enough to at least buy a bed or two at the Odette Cancer Centre and fulfill Tory’s wish, and help a “buddy program” get off the ground.

Shortly after launch, with so many personal donations and interest in our fundraising event, Tory’s Night of Nonsense, we raised the target to $50,000.

There was only one problem, though: with vacations, kids’ activities, cottages … the summer is a really tough time to fundraise! It was looking like we’d fall short of our goal, something that none of us wanted to see happen.

In 2017 — our first year — we became the second-largest community-driven donor to the Sunnybrook Foundation.

See this post for an update on the fundraising campaign’s results, and here’s the full accounting of how the dollars were raised:

• Personal donations: $39,652.83
• Tory’s Night of Nonsense: $25,891.84
• Fundraising events (Wine FUN-raiser, Deuce Tattoos, Pampered Chef, ENJO): $3,673.10
• TOTAL: $69,217.77

But that only tells half the story (literally). I committed to matching every dollar donated to the campaign, dollar for dollar. After accounting for a donation made earlier to the campaign, that amounted to $59,218.77 — giving us a grand total raised for The Tory Day Fund 2017 campaign of $128,436.54!

UPDATE: Our 2018 campaign raised an amazing $73,874, bringing our two-year total up to $202, 291! Take a look at this post for an update on our 2018 campaign and priorities for the fund.