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.

His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada and his wife, Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, paid a special visit to SickKids last night to celebrate the dedication and generosity of our donors at our annual celebration event, Donor Hall.

The Governor General was at SickKids to recognize excellence in philanthropy and volunteerism, pillars of his mandate as Governor General. His visit began with a hard hat tour of the SickKids Research & Learning Tower, currently under construction. He then proceeded to the Reading Room at SickKids for story time with patients. Though his accomplishments include being a former hockey star at Harvard University and President of the University of Waterloo for 11 years, the Governor General referred to himself simply as “Grandpa Book” – a nickname his eight grandchildren coined for him in reference to his love of reading.

In front of a crowd of about 300 donors, His Excellence went on to recognize their commitment to the Tower and thanked them for their contributions to the future of children’s health care. “This new addition will increase the Hospital’s ability to heal, conduct the necessary preventative research that is so vital to the health of our children, and teach a new generation of medical professionals. When you look around at this facility, at these children, you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that your generosity has made this possible, that you have made a difference.”

Read his entire speech here.

Seven-year-old Daniel counts down the days until he is able to return to The Hospital for Sick Children. For the past three-and-a-half years, SickKids has been like a second home to Daniel and his family. He was treated at the Hospital for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer.

“Going to SickKids is like coming home to family,” says Marlene Frotten, Daniel’s mother. “Daniel thinks of SickKids as a fun place to visit and every encounter we have here is positive.”

This April marks the one-year anniversary of Daniel’s last chemotherapy treatment at SickKids. After that final treatment, he celebrated by throwing a party with family and friends. Instead of accepting gifts, he collected donations for SickKids Foundation as a thank you for the care he received.

This year they celebrated that milestone with an oversized cheque – with a lot of zeroes!

The Frotten family – parents Marlene and Ken and children Daniel and Hannah – were the lucky winners of the SickKids Lottery $1,000,000 grand prize*. This was the first SickKids Lottery ticket the family has ever purchased. The cheque was presented to them today at the Hospital by SickKids Foundation staff and some familiar faces including Daniel’s primary doctor, Dr. Ahmed Naqvi, and nurse, Glynis Wrathall.

If you missed out on the grand prize last lottery, don’t worry - the $1,000,000 grand prize* is up for grabs once again. Tickets are now available for the spring SickKids Lottery. The Early Bonus deadline is midnight May 27 where you’ll be entered to win a 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder or $30,000 cash††. Purchase your tickets online or by calling 1-888-356-KIDS (5437).

And don’t forget that net proceeds generated by the Lottery are used to further the mission of SickKids Foundation and help support The Hospital for Sick Children. To learn more about the lottery, visit the SickKids Lottery website.

* †† see Rules and Regulations for details. Please visit for more information: www.sickkidslottery.ca LL 3796.