The merger in June 2009 of Bloorview Childrens Hospital Foundation and Bloorview Kids Foundation set the stage for a remarkable debut of the new Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation.
Valerie McMurtry, President and CEO of the new Foundation, says, “This historic merger is a launching pad for Holland Bloorview’s No Limits Campaign. Thanks to the foresight of our two foundations and the generosity and vision of our philanthropic champions, there will be no limits to what Holland Bloorview can do for children and families.”
The merger of the two foundations created the largest pool of invested assets for a childhood disability charity in Canada – $60 million. Now, the new Foundation is poised to raise an additional $80 million to significantly increase the invested assets available to support Canada’s leader in pediatric rehabilitation care, research, teaching and learning.
“The Foundation is committed to both the present and future needs of Holland Bloorview,” says Tom Muir, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “There will always be children who will need our services and our support. We will continue to fundraise and manage our investments wisely to ensure the hospital will have the financial resources it needs to provide the best care through its programs and services, recruit the most talented and passionate staff, conduct groundbreaking research and teach the next generation.”
Throughout its long history, Holland Bloorview’s leaders, donors and volunteers have worked hard to improve the lives of children and families every day while building capacity for the long-term. In 1899, the Home for Incurable Children was made possible by public contributions, donations of furniture and a two-year rent free agreement for a home on Avenue Road. Sustaining the home in the early years demanded tight purse strings and a reliance on the generosity of others.
This legacy of community support endured through challenging financial markets, industrialization, world wars, the building of a Canadian national identity, universal healthcare and rapid technological developments.
As Canada grew and matured, so did the vision of a better quality of life for children with disabilities, and with it a proud legacy of raising, managing and investing donations from private individuals and foundations, community groups and corporations. The efforts of the former Bloorview Childrens Hospital Foundation and Bloorview Kids Foundation have contributed to making Holland Bloorview the largest and most innovative pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Canada.
So it was then as it is now. Fast-forward to 2010 where a new group of community and business leaders have a clear vision of Holland Bloorview’s future and a desire to be as successful as its predecessors in growing the invested assets of the Foundation. In this way, donors to the new Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation will continue to make history.
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