Why I run for NYGH – Rally in the Ravine

Guest post by Shana Haberman
Project Coordinator, Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care,
North York General Hospital

I love my job and I love my team. That’s the first thing you should know about me. I often tell my friends and family that I’m lucky to have found that rare jewel of a job that is stimulating and gratifying, and a supportive team that makes me look forward to coming to work each day. As cliché as that may sound, it’s the truth. As Project Coordinator for the Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care, I’m involved with interesting research, quality improvement and volunteer projects that allow me to not only work closely with the clinicians and allied health members on my team, but also to partner with different departments and programs at North York General Hospital (NYGH).

Last year, I participated in Rally in the Ravine and enthusiastically fundraised for a community event in support of North York General. I felt proud to approach my circle of family and friends and ask them to sponsor my 5K run because I knew that the dollars raised would directly enhance the care we provide. In my role, I see firsthand the impact that donations have on patient care.

Last year, I was one of nearly 700 supporters who came out for the inaugural Rally in the Ravine and part of fundraising efforts that ultimately raised $178,000 (this includes revenue generated from online donations, registration fees and corporate sponsorships). It felt amazing to be part of that effort. This year’s fundraising goal is an ambitious $250,000 to support the redevelopment of our paediatric care environments, orthopaedic care and our hospital’s most urgent needs. There are incentives to fundraise too: if you’re in the top 3 individual fundraisers, the top community fundraising team or the top hospital fundraising team, you’ll be awarded with a fabulous prize. It doesn’t matter which area of the hospital you work in – Rally in the Ravine is relevant to everyone.

Here are some interesting stats I learned about last year’s Rally. There were 536 registered participants and 46 registered teams. A total of 974 individual donations came in; the average online donation was $84.11 and the average offline donation was $1,107.63 (includes corporate sponsorships). And the largest single donation? That was $5,000 (not including corporate sponsorships). I encourage everyone to contribute whatever they can to this year’s fundraising efforts for Rally.

My advice to potential fundraisers and participants is, don’t be shy to ask for donations! People love to support a great cause. NYGH is a wonderful hospital with an outstanding reputation in the community. We can even brag that Newsweek ranked us #2 in Canada. You never know how people might have a connection to NYGH – chances are that they know someone who received amazing care with us. They themselves may even have been a past patient.