SickKids is a world leader in child health research and now, when you donate to our new Research & Learning Tower Campaign, your donations can go twice as far thanks to a generous matching program from the Government of Ontario.

Until March 31, 2012, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar, meaning you can help double the impact on the health of future generations of children. Scheduled to open in 2013, the state-of-the-art Research & Learning Tower will assemble more than 2,000 brilliant scientific minds under one roof to share ideas and make new discoveries that will help children locally, nationally and around the world.

“SickKids has a commitment to being better tomorrow than it is today,” says Ted Garrard, President and CEO of SickKids Foundation. “Research will help us keep that promise.”

Double your impact by clicking here.

(Donations over $25,000 will be matched $1 for every $2.)

Stephanie, 9, has called SickKids home for the holidays many times while in treatment for a rare intestinal condition. Stephanie can spend up to nine months of the year in the hospital, often too sick to be at home with family during the holiday season.

And she is not alone.

More than 250 children must spend the holidays at SickKids. With needle pokes and treatments mixed with presents and festive family dinners, the staff at SickKids work hard to make the most of this magical time of year.

Help make your gift-giving dollars count this year by giving SickKids Get Better Gifts to your loved ones. With every gift given you are supporting the most critical needs of The Hospital for Sick Children, including the programs that help make the holiday season a little brighter.

Browse the SickKids Get Better Gifts catalogue and choose from a wide-range of gifts at every price point. From A Stocking Surprise, Decorations for the Hospital to A Holiday Meal for a Family, there is something special for everyone on your list. Once you’ve chosen your gift, select a card, PDF card or e-card to send along with your gift to your family member, colleague, teacher or friend.

Read more on Stephanie’s SickKids kid story in the Toronto Star article, A Patient’s Best Friend.

Hart Togman, 24, and Adam McClare, 26, have always enjoyed hiking and the outdoors – but last year, they took their passion for climbing to new heights by raising funds and awareness for cancer through an event called Summit for SickKids.

“We wanted to do more for cancer research, so we took a hobby we both enjoyed to create a unique event,” Hart said. “We didn’t want to do a stereotypical run for the cure.”

Last year, Hart and Adam climbed Mount Rainier in Washington, raising $15,000 for SickKids in the process. The money was donated to the Haematology/Oncology Department at SickKids and the Cancer Genetics Program.

“It was important that our event forced us to challenge ourselves both mentally and physically,” Adam said. “Both Hart and I have watched family members go through cancer, so we wanted to symbolize the struggle and challenges faced by those dealing with the disease.” 

This year, they’ve set their sights on the 19,347 foot Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador. For both Adam and Hart, the decision to give to SickKids was personal.

“My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was three years old, and Hart and I both have a mutual friend who underwent treatment at SickKids,” Adam said. “SickKids has a huge research institute and we wanted to make a difference not only for children currently undergoing treatment, but also to fund new methods of treatment, and ideally, prevention.”

Two years ago, Hart watched his cousin go through cancer treatment at SickKids and saw first-hand the compassionate care the staff at SickKids provide. It helped inform their decision on where to allocate the funds raised from their climb.

“We decided to donate funds to the Cancer Genetics Program,” Hart said. “It’s relatively new and has limited funding, so our relatively small contribution can make a huge difference for these doctors and researchers and future generations of children with cancer.”

Adam and Hart hope to raise $20,000 this year for Summit for SickKids. They are holding a fundraiser called “A Night at the Summit” on Thursday, November 17, which features hors d’oeuvres, a DJ, dancing, a silent auction and more.

To learn more about Summit for SickKids, visit Hart and Adam’s website and Facebook page.