The Tory Day Fund 2019 Annual Report

 

Hi again and happy new year! I’m back with another update on the progress we made in the past year to improve the comfort of cancer patients … And — cue the drum roll — it’s been another stellar year for The Tory Day Fund.

You likely know by now that when we started the fund (a bunch of us gathered around the living room almost three years ago and just a few months after Tory’s death) we had a pretty modest goal: raise enough money to buy a bed at the Odette Cancer Centre so more people could rest comfortably while receiving chemotherapy.

And in that first year we were successful beyond our wildest expectations. Because of the generosity of Team Tory we raised more than $128,000 and were able to purchase not one, but SIXTEEN state-of-the-art chairs. We also funded a Patient Buddy Service to make the first visits of cancer patients at Odette a little less stressful.

In 2018? We picked up right where we left off. Year 2 is always the toughest year for any charity – the emotion wears off, other charities pull at the heartstrings and wallets of donors – but we persevered, raising almost $75,000! With that we brought our funds closer to home and filled a gap that Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre in Oshawa had with its children’s programs. Those programs are now funded so kids impacted by cancer have a place to get the support they need. It’s exactly what Tory would want us to do, without a doubt.

And that brings us to 2019, the third year for The Tory Day Fund. About that drum roll…

I’m thrilled to tell you, Team Tory, we raised $65,843.40!

• We did it because you continued to support Tory’s Night of Nonsense, and an incredibly generous group of people bought tickets, donated prizes, and made it yet another unforgettable night.
• We did it because so many made a personal donation to the fund – and some of you even make a monthly donation.
• We did it because Tory’s colleagues at IBM Canada continue to make The Tory Day Fund the beneficiary of their annual Employee Charitable Fund campaign.
• We did it because organizations like Sklar Peppler, La-Z-Boy, the Canadian Progress Club, organizers of the Merry Market at Winchester Golf Club, an auction organized by Sarah Lambert Photography, and even Tory’s nieces and nephew selling painted rocks at the cottage – all raised money to fulfill Tory’s wish.

 

After three years, we’ve raised a total of $267,600.50! Amazing. More than a quarter of a million dollars and way, way, way beyond our most ridiculous dreams. It truly gets me choked up thinking how you all made it happen.

With those funds, we’ll continue to buy more chairs as Odette needs them… We’ll continue to fund the Patient Buddy Service… We’ll continue to ensure kids at Hearth Place get the support they need and deserve.

And we’ll look for other ways we can make Tory’s wish come true. One area we’d love to fund – a way for more cancer patients to receive wigs like Tory had that preserve their dignity and give them the superpowers needed during treatment. Know of an organization that can make this happen? Please let me know!

So what else is in store for 2020?

This much I know: we’ll continue Tory’s wish however we can, and look for new ways to continue fundraising. For example we’re looking at partnering with a company that takes donated mobile phones and refurbishes them, and then sends the proceeds to The Tory Day Fund. This would give us a way to fundraise on an ongoing basis, rather than just with events like Tory’s Night of Nonsense. Stay tuned.

And coming up in the next couple months is a profile of The Tory Day Fund in The Globe and Mail! The Sunnybrook Foundation asked us to participate in a feature they’re producing with the paper, and we’re honoured to have Tory’s story read by its million-plus readers. I read an early draft of the article and it perfectly captures Tory’s spirit. I can’t wait for you to read it.

Other than that, I honestly don’t know what’s coming up. One of the most exciting parts of The Tory Day Fund is how creative Team Tory is, and opportunities to fundraise happen at a moment’s notice. I expect that 2020 will be no different.

Know that when they do, you’ll be the first to know.

And with that I thank you for making The Tory Day Fund happen for three incredible years. I’m blessed to have you in my life, I can’t thank you enough for the sense of purpose you’ve given me, Kate and Tory’s friends and family. I wish you only happiness and good health this year and always.

Jason.