Community Highlights

Destination Kitchen is a series of exclusive dinner parties hosted by some of Toronto’s most generous philanthropists. In April 2023, we set the table for Sinai Health’s second Destination Kitchen. After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, this unique event returned to support Sinai Health’s highest-priority needs. To date, Destination Kitchen supporters have raised more than $2 million in support of Sinai Health’s world-class care.

Future Sinai is a group of young professionals passionate about supporting world-class care. In May 2023, the group hosted its annual Discovery Brunch (formerly Recovery Brunch) in support of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. The event was a chance to network and connect with other young philanthropic leaders while raising funds to advance groundbreaking research.

In partnership with Fairchild Radio, Sinai Health Radiothon broadcast 11 hours of programming to raise more than $290,000 for Sinai Health. Listeners heard inspirational stories from patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses and social workers about the exceptional care provided by Sinai Health. Funds raised will be directed toward the hospital’s greatest needs, including supporting the mental health of the Chinese community, and delivering personalized treatment for people with cancer, chronic disease or the diseases of aging.

Last year’s annual Mount Sinai Classic, presented by Equitable Bank and Peerage Capital Partners, was a terrific success. Thanks to our supporters, nearly $800,000 was raised to fuel research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, helping to transform care and change countless lives. Over the past 29 years, the Mount Sinai Classic has raised approximately $13 million for Sinai Health — all thanks to our incredible community.

Spin for Sinai was founded by Stacey and Jonathan Gitlin, after Stacey was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and became an advocate for people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Since 2019, Spin for Sinai has raised more than $1.5 million in support of IBD care, fellowships, and research at Sinai Health, striving to discover the causes and cures for IBD, while improving care for those living with IBD.

This year marks a decade of the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI). The research, education and health policy institute was established in 2013 by a founding gift from The Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation. Over the past 10 years, Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman’s ongoing commitment to improving emergency care has been essential to SREMI’s success. They have inspired a growing community of donors who share their vision of improving patient care through emergency medicine-focused research and education.

Since 2006, Hold’em For Life Charity Challenge events have raised more than $50 million for cancer research initiatives across Toronto, including the Hold’em For Life Oncology Fellowship Program, a transformative commitment to oncology research at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and its partner hospitals, including Mount Sinai Hospital. The Asset Management and Real Estate events combined to raise $5 million to support 68 new fellowships at U of T’s affiliated hospitals.

The fifth annual Duck & Dodge in support of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) research, a rare genetic disorder, raised $112,000 for game-changing research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. Created by Claire and Craig Rankine after their son Jonathan was diagnosed with NF1 as a baby, Duck & Dodge has raised more than $500,000 since 2019.

Sinai Health Foundation’s second annual ultimate 3-on-3 basketball tournament, in partnership with the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, was an enormous success thanks to the generosity of 600 participants and spectators. This year’s tournament raised more than $750,000 for game-changing research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. Special congratulations to the 2024 Champion, TorQuest, and to the top fundraising team, Metropia, who raised more than $100,000.

Venture Sinai (VS) groups raise funds to help advance world-class research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI). VS groups participate in annual curated dinners — each with an educational component on a topic of interest to the group. This year, a dinner hosted by VS Chairs Mark Grammer and Tom Friedland featured an interactive tour with LTRI experts. Mark and Tom are celebrating more than 15 years of supporting research and innovation.

Leadership Sinai is a professional donor community and home of our next generation of philanthropic leaders. Leadership Sinai hosts a monthly series, Lunch with Leaders (LWL), providing exclusive access to prominent business leaders and philanthropists. A recent LWL featured Lexi Miles Corrin, founder and CEO of WAXON Laser + Waxbar. This session provided insights from Lexi on encouraging innovation, resilience and the importance of leveraging networks — all while navigating motherhood.

Many of our community supporters have dedicated a moment or event to fundraise for Sinai Health. For example, mother-daughter duo Carol and Cassie Durno ran the Paris Marathon and raised over $6,000. The NICU Parent Advisory Committee raised over $4,000 to support families who are cared for by the Newton Glassman Charitable Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.