Dubbed the season of giving, it’s the time of year where many shoppers generously reach into their pockets to dispose of left over change while trying to find that perfect gift.

Unfortunately, the Toronto Police have had to launch an investigation into an illegal coin collection campaigned disguised as supporting SickKids Foundation. Counterfeit coin canisters have appeared in food courts and shopping malls throughout the Greater Toronto Area including Vaughan Mills and Yorkdale Mall.

The holiday season is when SickKids Foundation generally sees an increase in donations but there is a fear that this incident will affect genuine fundraising efforts. Donations are a critical source of funding for The Hospital for Sick Children and the Foundation is still strongly encouraging you to donate.

Here’s how you can tell the real from the fake. In the images below, the photo on the left displays the counterfeit coin collection can. The two on the right are SickKids Foundation approved coin collection boxes.

The fake canisters also include the phone number 416 742 3715, which is in no way associated with SickKids Foundation.

If you’d like more information or if you’d like to make a donation directly to the Foundation, visit our website or give us a call at 416 813 6166.

If you have any information that could be of use to the detectives working on this case, please call 416 808 7300 or Crime Stoppers at 416 222 TIPS.

Today we celebrate an occasion near and dear to our hearts, National Child Day.

Canada has celebrated this day for more than 15 years to honour the adoption of two documents that focus on children’s rights: The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Children (November 20, 1959) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (November 20, 1989).

Some of these rights include: the right to health care; the right to be protected from harm; the right to freedom from discrimination; the right to an education.

While these rights may seem innate to us, there are children around the world who have never had these privileges.

To underscore the occasion, The Hospital for Sick Children held a panel discussion entitled Health Equity from the Start. Some of the best minds in children’s health care joined together to stress the impact of early education, early development and child health equity beginning at an early age while the mind is in development.

In addition, HealthyKids International, a SickKids Foundation initiative, announced its campaign to raise more than $700,000 to fund the SickKids Global Child Health Program in Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

This commitment followed a significant funding announcement of $2.4 million to the SickKids Global Child Health Program by the Ministry of International Cooperation, which oversees the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation for the Government of Canada, made the announcement at SickKids this morning.

The SickKids Global Child Health Program addresses priority needs in education, research and clinical care internationally.

It’s that time of year: time for the mad-dash through the bustling shopping centres that marks the beginning of the holiday season.

This year, SickKids Foundation provides an alternative to battling the crowds of shoppers to find that unique and special gift. It offers two gift-giving programs so you can be sure to cross a few people off your shopping list.

SickKids Foundation has partnered with some extraordinary retailers to offer you an easy and convenient way to shop and support SickKids Foundation at the same time. Each of the retailers have committed to donating a portion of their sales to the Foundation on select products.

On the Shop SickKids website you will find retailers including:

• Bravery Hearts – Gorgeous glass-beaded jewelry that support Bravery Bead programs at children’s hospitals across North America;
• Ital Florist – Meets all floral needs with creative flower arrangements;
• Peter & Paul’s – Offers luxurious corporate and personal gift baskets; and
• Suetables – Silver-plated heart and star holiday ornaments, as well as hand-crafted sterling silver jewelry.

SickKids Get Better Gifts is a brand new program to SickKids Foundation. The exclusive online catalogue of symbolic gifts features one-of-a-kind items that truly make an impact to children and families in The Hospital for Sick Children.

The process is simple. Select a gift from one of the four categories: Like Home for the Holidays, Support a SickKids Family, Playful Healing and Enabling Equipment. Once you’ve chosen the perfect gift, head to the checkout and select whether you’d like to e-mail or print a card of your choice. You can personalize the card to that special someone and it will include a description of the gift you’ve purchased on their behalf.

With gifts ranging from $25 to $5,000, you’ll be sure to find something in your price range. It’s the gift that gives twice with all purchases supporting the most critical needs of the Hospital.

Happy shopping!