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A gift of life

Scott Cameron lives his life by the words of Winston Churchill: "We make a living by what we get…we make a life by what we give."

Steve and Scott Cameron

Steve and Scott Cameron

In 2001, the president of Cameron Stephens Capital Mortgage Ltd. and father of six watched as his sixteen-year-old son, Steve, battled cancer. Steve completed 12 months of chemotherapy, sacrificing a year of school and a season of hockey, couch-bound with every drug side-effect imaginable. That’s when Scott decided it was time to give back in a new way.

After a conversation with his financial advisor, Scott chose publicly listed securities and stock options as his gift of choice for SickKids Foundation. By avoiding the capital gains tax, Scott was able to give even more generously. "I think givers end up being the receivers," Scott says. "I think if more people understood the power of that, the community would be even more open to being generous."

In the process, Scott has formed valuable friendships, an even greater community involvement and a personal sense of accomplishment. He says he feels like a better person. "People need to go see the hospital," Scott says. "Just hearing the stories, the overwhelming need and the statistics are very powerful."

Steve, now in his twenties and in remission, also donates to cancer through his charity, "Friends for Life." Its June 2007 event raised $8,000 for cancer research and $8,000 for charity. This year, "Friends for Life" will hold an even bigger event in June 2008. Following in the footsteps of his father, the proceeds will go to SickKids Foundation.