FALL/HOLIDAY 2017 | Newsletter for our Donors & Medical Volunteers | www.facethefuturefoundation.ca
FACING THE FUTURE WITH NEW HOPE HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!
As we enter the last few months of the year, I am excited at all that we have accomplished in 2017 and new opportunities that we are exploring for 2018. We made a smooth transition from our outgoing Executive Director, Holly Bannerman, to our new Executive Director, Norma Meneguzzi Spall. Our annual fundraising event at The Berkeley Church took a different approach and proved very successful for us. And I had the honour of being invested into the Order of Ontario on June 28, 2017. It was a very humbling experience and I am grateful to all those who made this honour possible. Most importantly, we had two successful missions earlier in the year to Kigali, Rwanda and Ulyanovsk, Russia thanks to our very dedicated and committed team of volunteer surgeons, physicians and nurses. It goes without saying that our work would not be possible without these internationally renowned medical specialists who take time, freely and enthusiastically, out of their busy schedules to participate in the Foundation’s missions. I have just returned from a promising, exploratory trip to Ethiopia which I hope to be able to share more news about early in the New Year. When we live in North America and have available the best medical care in the world, it is
hard to imagine that, in some countries, sophisticated, highlevel surgical procedures are just not available, either because the medical system does not offer them, or the cost is too prohibitive for families to pay for them. That is why our work is so important. The young people we treat often come from rural towns without any medical facilities and their families are very poor. For them to even travel to the hospital for a consultation often requires a financial sacrifice on the family’s part. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the specialized skill of our surgeons, we are making a significant difference in our patient’s lives. Often ostracized in their small village communities for the way they look, our patients are often able to re-integrate back into society, return to school or find work after surgery and recovery. This is one of the most gratifying aspects of the work we perform — knowing that these young patients will be able to face the future with new hope. Thank you again for your generosity and your belief in the work we do to help families in need in developing countries. It is making a real difference.
Peter A. Adamson, OOnt, MD, FRCSC, FACS President and Founder
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OH, WHAT A NIGHT! hanks to your support of our May 16, 2017 annual fundraising event, we raised over $80,000 for our missions! More than 150 people attended our fundraiser held at The Berkeley Church. The room was abuzz with conversation, good food, and a wonderful array of silent auction items. The format was a departure from our usual sit-down dinner. However, we felt this reception-style setting gave us the opportunity to introduce the Foundation to a new, younger audience as well as to reconnect with our long-time supporters. We were delighted to present a performance by the Rise and Shine dancers, a local Rwandan dance group. The evening would not have been possible without our corporate sponsor, Allergan Canada. Allergan Canada has been supporting our cause for 11 years now and we are extremely grateful for
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their belief in our humanitarian cause. Thank you to Barefoot for providing the wine and to Side Launch for the selection of craft beer that was on tap. Both were very popular additions to our evening. Our event also included special guests such as Rwanda Honourary Counsel William DeLuce and Theophile Rwigimba, President of Rwandan Community Abroad Canada, and Vito Schiavone, President of Flemingdon Park Golf Club, our newest supporter. And finally, we were delighted to have John Moore — Newstalk 1010 Morning Show host — return as our Master of Ceremonies. Thank you John for all that you do to support Face the Future™ Foundation. Here are a few photos from this stellar evening in support of our missions:
THANK YOU! Face the Future™ Foundation would like to acknowledge our silent auction sponsors: •• Adamson MD Associates •• Nora and Peter Adamson •• Sylva and Klaus Brose •• Canadian Tire, Dixie and Dundas, Mississauga •• Carole and Blair Cowper-Smith •• Domain Designs •• Shirley and Brian Domelle •• Empire Life •• Fairmont Chateau Whistler •• Flemingdon Park Golf Club •• Fortunes Fine Jewellery •• Mary and Bryan Graham •• Garrett Florists •• Pam and Gordon Henderson
•• Mary and Doug Kirk •• Michael Kluthe Salon and Spa •• Dr. Richard Levine •• Wayne Levine •• Erin Leydon Photography •• Medcan Clinic •• Sally and Bob Medland •• Oliver & Bonacini •• Osler Brook Golf and Country Golf •• Julia Pletneva •• Porter Airlines •• Joe Sheehan •• Kathryn Siddall •• The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery •• Cynthia and Ian Webb •• Ginnie and Tom Wright
DR. PETER A. ADAMSON INVESTED INTO THE ORDER OF ONTARIO Wednesday, June 28, 2017 was a very special day for Peter. That was the day he was invested into the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour that recognizes the extraordinary achievements of Ontarians. Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell presided over the ceremony held at Queen’s Park, handing out the award to Peter and 25 of his fellow inductees. Following the induction, a very moving ceremony was held at Roy Thomson Hall. It commemorated Canada’s 150th Anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the Order of Ontario. Peter was honoured for his work as an international leader in head and neck surgery and for his work that he does for the Foundation, an organization that he created in 1996.
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WHO WE SERVE
AGNES AGWANEJA |
14 YEARS OLD
Agnes was in a small truck with her uncle sitting beside her in the front seat. The vehicle lost its brakes and Agnes’ uncle pulled her out with him as the vehicle lost control. Only she survived. Agnes suffered multiple facial and nasal fractures and severe scarring of her forehead, cheek, nose and eye. Our team of surgeons extensively reconstructed her cheek, eyelid and eyebrow. She is a bright girl who wants to be a doctor one day. We feel we have given her new hope to fulfill her dream.
SAVE THE DATE
Watch for our Save The Date email in January 2018 with details about our 2018 Fundraising Event this coming spring!
FLEMINGDON PARK GOLF CLUB
We cannot thank Flemingdon Park Golf Club, and all of its members, enough for its ongoing support of our Foundation. In July 2017, Flemingdon Park Golf Club held their annual music day and Face the Future™ Foundation was the beneficiary. Vito Schiavone presented us with a cheque in the amount of $2,700 and then later in August we received another cheque in the amount of $6,000 resulting from the proceeds raised through their annual fundraising golf tournament.
FOUNDATION SUPPORT CONTINUES TO GROW
We would also like to thank the continued support we have received from Northpine Foundation, RBC Children’s Charity, Florence Minz, Wayne Levine, our very generous anonymous donor, and everyone who remembers us with their generosity. We also received a wonderful donation from Nelles Public School in Grimsby whose students chose the Foundation as a recipient of the Me to We Campaign. It is truly inspiring when young people are learning the spirit of giving and help those less fortunate.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEWS
Norma Meneguzzi Spall joined the Foundation as its Executive Director. She has an extensive background in communications, event development, fundraising and non-profit management, having worked for Kids Help Phone, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Leave Out Violence and the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. You can reach Norma at 416-686-9110 or norma@ facethefuturefoundation.ca.
GIVING HOPE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
In this season of holiday cheer and time spent with those we love, we hope you will consider those less fortunate such as the young people Face the Future™ Foundation helps through our humanitarian medical missions. Our medical surgeons donate their time on our missions, but your donation helps to fund travel costs, transportation of heavy medical equipment for use during the missions as well as translation services and nutrition both pre-and post-surgery for our young patients. Your generosity will make a real difference in the lives of young people with facial deformities in developing countries. To make a donation, visit www.facethefuturefoundation.ca or contact Norma Meneguzzi Spall at 416-686-9110, norma@facethefuturefoundation.ca.
WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
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