2005 - 2006 - Mount Sinai Hospital

GENERATIONS OF
SUPPORT
Wolf (l) and Joseph Lebovic
The deeply rooted tradition of
supporting Mount Sinai by many
of our donors — which crosses
generations and families — is
more than gratifying. Their
enduring commitment sustains
our ability to innovate, upgrade
and adapt to serve our diverse
community.
For more than two decades,
Mount Sinai has been the grateful
recipient of Joseph and Wolf
Lebovic’s generosity — a cumulative
gift of $16 million. With
their most recent gift to the SLRI,
the Lebovics’ generosity will
speed the process of genetic
discoveries and their application
to disease, translating from lab
bench to patient bedside.
Since their first gift to
Mount Sinai in 1966, Murray and
Marvelle Koffler have been dedicated
contributors to the Hospital,
giving their time and expertise,
as volunteers on our Board and
committees, as well as providing
outstanding funds to the Marvelle
Koffler Breast Centre and Murray
Koffler Urologic Wellness Centre.
With their generous history
of giving — both financially and
as active governance volunteers
— Lawrence and Judy Tanenbaum
have firmly established their
commitment to Mount Sinai.
Actively involved with the hospital
since the 1970s, the Tanenbaums’
commitment to their
community through philanthropy
has been instilled in their children,
who are also involved in
Mount Sinai.
The Kimel family first
contributed to the hospital in
1988 in honour of their late
mother, Eva Kimel, who was a
grateful patient at Mount Sinai.
Over the years, the Kimels’
support of Mount Sinai’s Nuclear
Medicine and MRI facilities has
enabled Mount Sinai to provide
our patients with the most
effective care. ■
continued generosity provides ongoing and essential funding
for the Hospital.
When Lois Patterson was diagnosed with colon cancer,
she started contributing between $25 and $100 a month to
Mount Sinai. Eight years later, she is leading a very healthy
life, and is celebrating this year with a $1,000 gift in support
of Dr. Steven Gallinger’s colon cancer research. “Dr. Gallinger
basically saved my life. I am very indebted to him for that,”
she says. “This year I felt I was able to make a larger donation.
I’m not sure I can every year, but I give whenever I can.
It’s important.”
Chris and Catherine Martin presented Mount Sinai with
$10,000 after hosting their first annual bowling night, in
honour of their baby, Lucas Andrew, born eight weeks premature,
who passed away. The Martins were touched by the
care they received from the staff in Mount Sinai’s NICU. With
their gift, they are remembering their son and supporting the
hospital.
Growing our Donor Community
There is no single motivation for deciding to give to the
hospital for the first time. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter
of seeing the need and having the resources to meet it. And
sometimes, it’s recognizing that we are all part of something
bigger, and that we can all contribute in some way.
Steve Miller made his first major gift this year, but his
involvement with Mount Sinai goes back to 1993 when he
and his regular golf foursome, including Miles Nadal and
Steven Hershenhorn, started the Men’s Golf Committee. For
Steve, who humbly admits that he never expected to be able
to donate a large amount personally, the tournament was a
way to contribute and teach his children, who regularly volunteer
for the event, about the importance of giving back.
Thus far, the tournament has raised $1.25 million for the
hospital. It started, Steve says, “with four guys sitting around
the table, talking about an idea.”
Members of the Carson family were inspired by the
example of their patriarch, the late Dr. Max Carson, who
spent more than 40 years at Mount Sinai. This year, his
widow, Annette, and her five children established the
Dr. Max Carson Memorial Scholarship Fund. His daughter
Judi says the family hopes to encourage others to find an
area they’re passionate about. Choosing Mount Sinai was
the easy part, she said. “The thing about Mount Sinai is that
you feel you’re at home because it’s such a caring culture.
My dad’s spirit is here.”
Mount Sinai’s many first-time donors — in fact, all of
our amazingly generous donors — seem to share a desire to
encourage others to participate at whatever level is possible.
First-time donor and retired Toronto businessman Kwok
Yuen Ho, who this year made a most generous gift to Mount
Sinai’s Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune
Disease, put it most succinctly: “Every dollar, every
penny you can contribute helps … one drop can add up to
an ocean.”
2005–06 ANNUAL REPORT
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