2024 – 2025UHN Foundation events
Each year, UHN Foundation holds a wide variety of community and fundraising events to raise funds in support of our world-leading patient care, research and education, and to inform our donors, their families and friends about the incredible work happening at UHN.
Each event is a unique and rewarding experience for those in attendance. We are grateful to our event organizers and committee volunteers for their tireless efforts and creative ideas that bring these events to life. We are also indebted to our sponsors who help ensure each event is a success.
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Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival
Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival, presented by HBNG, celebrated its 20th anniversary in spectacular style, raising a record-breaking $38 million to support UHN’s new surgical tower at Toronto Western Hospital. The largest event of its kind, Grand Cru is the top fundraising food and wine festival in the world and is a marquee event on the UHN Foundation calendar year after year. Grand Cru would not be possible without the dedicated support of Todd & Ellen Halpern, Adam Halpern, Colin Halpern and the team at Halpern Enterprises.
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Golf for Heart Classic
On June 4, 2024, UHN Foundation celebrated its 20th annual Golf for Heart Classic. As one of Toronto’s most exclusive charity golf tournaments, participants were treated to food stations around Eagles Nest Golf Course from some of our city’s finest restaurants. With thanks to incredible sponsors, donors, golfers and key supporters Todd, Adam and Colin Halpern, the event raised more than $600,000 in support of UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
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Diwali – A Night to Shine
Diwali – A Night to Shine, presented by Sprott and championed by UHN Foundation board member Kevin Hibbert, celebrated a record-breaking year raising more than $2M for UHN’s most urgent health care needs. The sold-out event, co-chaired by Vinny Bhathal and Sanjay Nakra, took place on October 5, 2024, at Beanfield Centre and brought together nearly 600 guests to celebrate Diwali, the vibrant South Asian festival of lights and the role women play in driving medical innovation across UHN.
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Rally for Rehab
On September 8, 2024, UHN Foundation proudly hosted the annual Rally for Rehab, presented by BMO. Guided by the dedicated leadership of UHN Foundation board member Barbara Muir and the Rally for Rehab Committee, the event raised more than $239,000 to support rehabilitation research, patient care and innovative programs at UHN. This year’s event was a resounding success, showcasing the incredible spirit of our community and the shared commitment of UHN and our supporters to advancing rehabilitation care.
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UHN Fairchild Radiothon
On February 27, 2025, UHN Foundation once again partnered with Fairchild Radio to host our 15th annual UHN Fairchild Radiothon. The 11-hour fundraising broadcast engaged the Chinese community across the GTA, raising more than $185,000 for health programs serving this population at UHN, the largest patient group of non-English speakers served at our hospitals.
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Kathy Classic Memorial Golf Tournament
Founded in 2022, the Kathy Classic Memorial Golf Tournament honours the memory of Kathy Boyle, who passed away in May 2022. Kathy received care at Toronto Western Hospital’s ICU and the tournament was established by her daughter Amanda Diraddo to celebrate her legacy. In 2024, the event raised more than $30,350 and has now contributed an incredible $96,665 to the Stroke Unit Fund at UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute in Kathy’s name.
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Stroke of Genius
Stroke of Genius is an annual trivia night fundraiser inspired by Shruti Kothari, who survived a life-altering stroke in March 2020. Choosing to mark her stroke anniversary as a celebration of life and resilience, Shruti launched the event to give back to the teams at UHN’s Krembil Brain Institute and KITE who supported her recovery. Now in its third year, Stroke of Genius has raised over $200,000 to advance stroke research and rehabilitation, bringing together community members for an evening of trivia, food, drinks and inspiration.
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Yorkville Run
UHN Foundation is proudly represented in the Yorkville Run by a passionate group of runners, championed by long-time supporter and UHN Foundation board vice-chair Joanne Kearney. Marking the start of Living Organ Donation Week, UHN supporters raise funds for The Centre for Living Organ Donation at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre. The group included living organ donors, recipients, family members and the general transplant community. In just two years, more than 165 participants have raised $183,000, making UHN the event’s top fundraised charity.
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HeartLinks
Formed in 1988, HeartLinks is a long-standing peer support group for heart transplant and left ventricular assist device patients at Toronto General Hospital. Along with hosting a number of in-person and virtual community events, HeartLinks organizes an annual year-end celebration and pinning ceremony that brings together transplant patients, UHN cardiac care teams and supporters. To date, HeartLinks has raised $85,000 for cardiac programs at UHN, helping to improve care and outcomes for heart patients.