It’s rare. Very rare. But good. Spending $0 and raising $166,000 from one event, then sending every last penny of that to a group of local children struggling with cancer is no mean feat. And all this done against a backdrop of luxury yachts, gourmet food, and a uniquely upbeat charity event to which Toronto corporations and individuals enthusiastically divert their charitable giving.

A bunch of Toronto individuals with heart, that modestly describes themselves as a ‘rag-tag group’, has been volunteering their time for over 20 years to put on a mega-event that raises funds for worthy organizations. For more than a decade the beneficiary of Set Sail for Hope www.setsailforhope.com has been Camp Trillium www.camptrillium.com.

In all, the Set Sail for Hope crew has delivered close to $2 million for the benefit of children with cancer,  many of whose families face crippling economic challenges too. Set Sail for Hope helps the children and their families to experience rewarding summer camp experiences together. Sadly, for some of those children it may be their last summer.

2009 was a really tough year to be fund raising, with so many worthy causes and so much less charitable donation funding available from corporations and individuals. It was really hard on Camp Trillium too.

Fiona Fisher, Director of Fundraising at Camp Trillium said,”For Camp Trillium we are looking at this as a year of survival and hard work. We have lost more kids to cancer this year than any other year in our history. Every week I get an e-mail from our clinic coordinator telling me another child has passed away and every week I realize my life is so much easier even in recession than anyone of the children that go to our camps. I am lucky to be part of Set Sail for Hope and I thank you for all of your extra work this year to make the event a success and to ensure that Camp Trillium has money to send children living with cancer to camp.”

Related posts:

1. Hundreds of Camp Trillium kids benefit
2. Bringing Toronto’s homeless Out of the Cold
3. Greg Harper helps create hope for tiny African village

On any given night in Toronto, during the cold months of late fall and winter, a number of Out of the Cold shelters spring up around the city. From early November until late March, Out of the Cold at Holy Blossom Temple, located at Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue, opens its doors to feed up to 116 homeless guests.

In its 14^th year of operation, the Holy Blossom Out of the Cold is part of a coalition working to ease the plight of homelessness and socially isolated people in Toronto. Last year HBT’s Out of the Cold provided over 2,500 dinners and overnight shelter for over 750. Guests are offered a nutritious meal, nursing services, a warm place to sleep for the night, as well as clothing and other essentials.

In order to pull this off, Out of the Cold begins at 9 a.m., with volunteer crews working in unison on a  myriad of functions – from shopping for needed food and other items, to preparation of sandwiches (guests are given a bagged meal upon their departure), cooking dinner, dining room setup, serving, cleanup, security, entertainment, organizing beds and blankets for stay-overs, and ending with the breakfast crew that arrives at 5:30 a.m. the next day. Needless to say, it takes incredible coordination, and immense dedication from each and every person involved for this program to run like the well-oiled machine that it needs to be.

Related posts:

1. Raising $2M for Camp Trillium

Empty nester Julie Newton built a unique business with Tara Rinomato

It’s huge in Europe, and only just beginning to catch on in North America – the life interlude that youth and young adults take after graduating high school or university and before embarking on a career.

The Gap Year is becoming a vital educational path for many young people who want to find out more about life, other cultures, what is so great about volunteering, and what makes the world tick.

Inspirational action: empty-nester who started new business