Emily Bigioni Respite Endowment Fund

I'm raising funds for The Emily Bigioni Respite Endowment Fund, which will support outpatient respite services at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Please help me reach my $1 million goal by supporting me online. Donors who make their donations online receive official income tax receipts to their e-mail address. I'm glad to be helping Holland Bloorview create a world of possibility for kids with disabilities!

The Bigioni Family

My goal is to raise funds for: Respite Services

Respite services provide families with short-term rest and relief from the physical and emotional demands of caring for a child with a physical and/or developmental disability. Holland Bloorview's respite programs provide both high quality medical care and recreation activities for the child, so that families feel comfortable taking a break, knowing that their child is receiving excellent care in a safe and stimulating environment. Standing apart from other community programs, Holland Bloorview is able to provide overnight, inpatient respite within a complex continuing care and rehabilitation environment, as well as a variety of day respite programs, including creative arts, music and recreation camps.

Personal Message:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The day my little girl, Emily, was born was one of the proudest days of my life. Nine months later was one of the most devastating days. I found out that my daughter had a brain condition known as pachygyria, which is similar to cerebral palsy. Emily is now 13 years old, uses a wheelchair exclusively and communicates only with her eyes and a smile. But, thanks to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, when she is there, we know she is happy.

Holland Bloorview is the gold-standard in care, research, and education for kids with disabilities. As Canada’s largest children’s rehabilitation and complex continuing care teaching hospital, it is an international leader in childhood disability.

Over the years, Emily has attended numerous programs at Holland Bloorview’s Centre for the Arts where there are countless opportunities for self-expression, creativity, connection, and spontaneity. She loves to paint, but she can also participate in other remarkable programs – like poetry, drumming, storytelling, clay, live percussion, music therapy, drama, woodwork, ceramics, and puppetry. Every single one of these programs allows her to grow artistically, socially, physically and mentally. Emily gets the chance to expand her skills, build confidence, and hang out with her friends.

My family, like so many others, depend on Holland Bloorview’s respite care programs. It’s not surprising - the strain on a family raising a child with a disability can be debilitating. Families who care for children with chronic illness or a physical or developmental disability are often exhausted and need short-term relief from those demands. The children also need to have the opportunity to socialize outside the family, to play and interact with other children, and to participate and contribute in activities that give them new outlets for self expression and a sense of accomplishment.

In August 2007, I made a personal commitment to Holland Bloorview and the kids and families they serve. I had a dream and made a promise to raise $1 million to keep the Respite Care Programs at Holland Bloorview open forever. Funding cuts were going to cancel two of our favourite respite programs, the Creative Arts March Break Camp and the Weekend Respite Programs. I am proud to say that because of our fundraising efforts so far, the March Break Camp operated without interruption and the weekend respite program’s funding was restored in October 2008.

Thanks to the tremendous support of my family, friends and generous donors, I have raised over $800,000. But we still need your help ensuring the future of respite programs at Holland Bloorview.

By making a gift to The Emily Bigioni Respite Endowment Fund today, you will be helping outpatient respite programs like The Smart Centres Creative Arts March Break Respite camp, which will help many children like Emily and their families.

On behalf of my family and the many families who depend on respite care, thank you.

Yours truly,

Vito Bigioni

P.S. Please join us for Light Up the Night on July 16th, 2010 at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. The event will take place in Holland Bloorview's beautiful Spiral Garden and feature a performance by Canadian songwriter Justin Hines, as well as dinner, drinks and a silent auction. Tickets are $100 per person. Please call 416-424-3809 to order.


You can also purchase tickets for the Raffle for Respite. Prizes include a 2010 Toyota Yaris, a 3 night stay at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas including a $1,000 flight voucher, a Sony LCD HD TV and more. Raffle tickets are on sale now $20 each or 3 for $50. Only 5,000 tickets are available. The draw will be held on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 9:00 pm. Call 416-424-3809 to purchase your tickets now or visit www.hollandbloorviewfoundation.ca for more information.

Vito and Emily Bigioni

See Vito’s Fundraising in Action:

SmartCentres Supports Bloorview’s Creative Arts March Break Respite Camps
http://www.hollandbloorview.ca/foundation/donors/smartcentres.php

The Bigioni Fundraiser
http://www.hollandbloorview.ca/foundation/communitygiving/bigioni.php

The Holland Match
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs024/1102441261410/archive/1102441312321.html

Yveline Audemars and Humberto Rivero
http://www.hollandbloorview.ca/foundation/about/reporttodonors/corporateleadershipgifts.php