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Teens party the night away at first-ever SickKids dance

July 9, 2009

SickKids teens and their friends partied at an "After Hours Exclusive Event" at the hospital on July 9. The prom-inspired event was made possible by the Storfer family's Turning Wishes Into Memories Endowment Fund at SickKids Foundation.

While hospital patients and families began to settle down for bedtime at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), teenage patients and friends put on their dancing shoes to gear up for an evening to remember.

Complete with "mocktails," a disco ball and the grooving music of DJ Jason Chambers from Flow 93.5, partygoers enjoyed an "After Hours Exclusive Teen Event" at the hospital. The unique dance took place on July 9, thanks to the generosity of the Storfer family's Turning Wishes Into Memories Endowment Fund at SickKids Foundation, which provides unique opportunities for chronic and long-term patients at SickKids.

"Our family is thrilled to see patients' wishes becoming a reality and turning into long-lasting memories for their families," says Ellen Storfer, daughter of the late Ann Storfer who lost her short battle with mantle cell lymphoma in June 2005. "My mom would have been so proud to see the way we're helping bring to life unique and positive experiences for these teens while they're in hospital."

Ellen Storfer and her family know too well that memories created throughout the years provide solace and strength through difficult times. Established in December 2008 and inspired by her mother, The Turning Wishes Into Memories Endowment Fund provides just that. It gives children and teens in hospital the opportunity to take part in important life milestones they may otherwise miss due to extended hospital stays and difficult treatment processes.

The "After Hours Exclusive Teen Event", which included a special visit from So You Think You Can Dance Canada's Tamina Pollack-Paris, cast members from Degrassi: The Next Generation and Toronto FC's O'Brien White, was the first-ever dance of its kind.

Caron Irwin, Entertainment and Donations Coordinator, Child Life Department, SickKids, helped to create the prom-inspired event for the patients, some of whom have been in hospital throughout prom season. After seeing its success and the impact it made on patients, she hopes to continue the tradition for years to come.