The power of one

Who: Vito Bigioni, father to Emily, 13, who has disabilities, uses a wheelchair and doesn’t speak. Emily is an artist who loves to paint and work with clay.

What: Vito’s dream to save Bloorview’s March Break Creative Arts Respite Camp for children with complex needs. The program provides a creative, social and safe environment for Emily while giving her parents a break from roundthe- clock care. In 2007 Vito learned the camp was being cancelled due to a change in government funding allocations. Vito, who owns a construction company, set out to raise money to ensure its survival.

Why: “I’ve seen changes to other programs, but I couldn’t swallow this one. I can’t get that arts programming in a respite service anywhere. Raising money gives us a sense of giving back for what we’ve received from Bloorview. It’s a way of thanking the staff for running a great program. For Emily’s brother Max, it’s an important life lesson. He sees that we’re helping and that we don’t have to just sit on the sidelines and take whatever is given to us. We can be out in the community and make a difference.”

How: Vito met with Bloorview Kids Foundation and developed a plan to raise enough money to keep the program running for five years – $250,000. Then he went to family and business associates to ask them to support him. Within three months he’d reached his five-year goal and set a new target of raising $1 million for the Emily Bigioni Endowment Fund, to keep the program going forever. The foundation provided a personal fundraising page on its web site; support when Vito presented to potential donors; and organized special events, including a gala reception. Vito has raised over $750,000 to date.

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