St. Michael’s sets Angel Ball record, raising $4M to finish ED renovations

TORONTO – St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation raised a record $4 million net at its Angel Ball Saturday, completing its most successful fundraising campaign ever.

Proceeds from the ball will go specifically to completing the renovation of the Slaight Family Emergency Department, which treats some of the most critically ill and injured patients in the city and the region.

Chaka Khan performs at the Angel Ball gala. Photo by Peter Bregg, courtesy of St. Michael’s Hospital (CNW Group/St. Michael’s Hospital)

Doubling the size of the Emergency Department will allow St. Michael’s to accommodate its growing volume of patients, reduce wait times and continue to fulfill its mandate as a Level 1 trauma centre while providing faster, more efficient care in a better-designed and more comfortable environment.

Completion of the Emergency Department is part of a larger project to transform St. Michael’s Hospital into Canada’s premier critical care hospital, which includes construction of the 17-storey Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower for critically ill patients.

“We have already opened the first part of our new world-class emergency department, and completion of our Inspire 2018 fundraising campaign is going to allow us to finish the project,” said Dr. Robert Howard, president and CEO of the health network uniting Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital.

“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we will have a state-the-art space with more patient treatment areas to serve the growing population, as well as diagnostic imaging inside the department, a special section for quicker diagnosis and treatment of patients with less severe illness or injury and a fully renovated and enhanced trauma room.”

More than 1,500 people from the arts, business and health-care communities attended the Angel Ball at the Beanfield Centre. The name of the ball honours the fact that St. Michael’s is known as Toronto’s Urban Angel, for its downtown location and quality patient care.

“We’re so proud to be celebrating our Angel Ball,” said Frank Techar, board chair of the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation. “This year we have raised $4 million net for the Slaight Family Emergency Department, which we could not have done it without the tremendous support of our donors, volunteers and sponsors.”

The Angel Ball entertainment included performances by Chaka Khan, Thelma Houston and Kayla Diamond. The menu was designed by celebrity chef Mark McEwan.

The Angel Ball is held only once every three years. The first gala, held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Oct. 24, 1992, marked the 100^th anniversary of the founding of St. Michael’s Hospital. The 2017 Angel Ball marks the hospital’s 125^th birthday.

The three gala chairs were John Doig, chief marketing officer at Scotiabank, James McPhedran, executive vice president of Canadian Banking at Scotiabank, and Gillian Riley, executive vice president of Canadian commercial banking at Scotiabank.

This event was presented by BMO Financial Group, CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank and TD Bank Group, and sponsors included Honeywell, Mackenzie Investments, the Waugh Family Foundation and the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation.

SOURCE St. Michael’s Hospital