This annual award recognizes individuals, organizations and community groups who have demonstrated outstanding philanthropic leadership benefitting Kingston’s healthcare facilities and the provision of healthcare for the people of Kingston and southeastern Ontario.
Nominations will be accepted from any member of the health care community, including staff, board and board committee members, patients, clients, residents, volunteers and donors.
Previous recipients of the award are eligible to be nominated again and can be selected for a second time if he/she is the best nominee for the award.
Dr. David Cook; Cunningham Swan Carty Little & Bonham LLP;
KHSC, Volunteer Services to Hotel Dieu Hospital Site - 2023 Award Recipients
Dr. Cook has been a UHKF donor since 2009. Until 2020 he gave more than $5,000, mainly to cancer-related programs through the Rose of Hope golf tournament. However, it was his $1 million gift in the fall of 2022 that demonstrated philanthropic leadership on an unprecedented scale. The donation, in support of Palliative Care programs and services at Providence Care Hospital, was given in recognition of the wonderful care that his wife, Margaret, received in her final days. A portion of this incredible gift was used to create the Margaret Mary Cook Palliative Care Endowment Fund. This fund will help purchase equipment and comfort items for patients, support innovative medical education and research programs, and enhance services for patients coping with dementia, including respite care for their caregivers and family members.
Dr. Cook has also supported Queen’s School of Medicine with a medical bursary to support medical students that demonstrate financial need. It is clear that Dr. Cook is not just financially generous, but he is generous in spirit and has a sincere desire to help people in need—the individuals who will receive palliative care, but also their families and the staff that care for them. His (and Margaret’s) wish to give back and to help so many different people involved with palliative care is incredibly inspiring.
With over $306,000 in cumulative giving and a 400% increase in their recent pledge, Cunningham Swan is a leader in healthcare philanthropy among the Kingston corporate community. Their pledge in support of KHSC redevelopment is one of the largest pledges from a local Kingston business. With the recognition of support from Cunningham Swan, there is hope to inspire other law firms and corporate service providers to consider supporting health care through their philanthropy.
With over $3M in cumulative giving, the KHSC, Volunteer Services to Hotel Dieu Hospital Site support the programs and equipment that will have the greatest patient impact. Dating back to 1993, their giving has supported just about every department that operates out of the Hotel Dieu site from women’s health, to bariatrics, endoscopy, ENT, mental health, cardiology, cancer and even research and education. The funding from KHSC, Volunteer Services to Hotel Dieu Hospital Site is generated through their retail services at the Brockview Café, Brock Boutique and Snack Cart, which requires the time and commitment from a great number of volunteers. With their primary and demanding role of recruiting, training, and managing all volunteers at Hotel Dieu, the group then take on the secondary role of fundraising partner to UHKF which has led to a long history of philanthropic support. This has been possible through the commitment of their board members. The donations from KHSC, Volunteer Services to Hotel Dieu Hospital Site are the result of many hands coming together to support health-care services at Hotel Dieu Hospital.
Previous recipients:
2004 Bill Henderson
2005 Sylvia Burkinshaw
2005 RBC Financial Group
2006 Doug Hogeboom
2006 Homestead Land Holdings and Brit & Sally Smith
2008 RHSJ (Religious Hospitalers of St. Joseph)
2008 Sisters of Providence
2008 Sally & Percy Robinson and Samuel Robinson Foundation
2009 KGH Auxiliary
2009 Volunteer Services Hotel Dieu Hospital
2009 Larry Gibson
2010 Rose of Hope
2010 Geraldine Tepper
2011 Debbie and Dan Corcoran
2011 BMO Financial Groups
2011 Kids for Kids Hockey Tournament
2012 Empire Life
2012 Kinsmen Club of Kingston
2012 John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation
2013 Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation
2013 Melo Family & Ambassador Hotel
2013 McKenna Modler
2014 Child Development Centre Run/Walk Committee
2015 B’nai Brith
2015 Liz Dobbs Jones
2016 Brit Smith
2016 Lions Club District A3
2017 J.E. Agnew Food Services Ltd.
2017 Royal Canadian Legion (District G Zone 1) and Ontario Provincial Command Branches and Ladies’ Auxiliaries Charitable Foundation
2017 Peter and Carol Davy
2018 Don Hay
2019 Knights of Columbus, Archdiocese of Kingston Diocesan Association; Dr. Romy Nitsch, Dr. Shawna Johnston and Dr. Graeme Smith; Josée Thériault
2020 Limestone City Car Club; Shoppers Drug Mart; John (Jack) Keyes
2021 Rose of Hope