St. John's Rehab Foundation: winding down

An announcement from Tony di Cosmo, President & CEO, St. John's Rehab Foundation

Dear Valued Supporters:

It is with mixed emotions that I share with you today that St. John's Rehab Foundation will be winding down its active fundraising operations as of January 24, 2014.

Over the past year our board of directors has been evaluating our role supporting St. John's Rehab and concluded that winding down our active fundraising operations represents a necessary step. The foundation will work with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre to ensure fundraising continues to support the important work of the rehab program. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has assured our board that the rehab program is important to the hospital's future and will continue to be supported through fundraising efforts.

St. John's Rehab's ongoing funding needs will not be diminished. In fact, Canada's rapidly aging population and a greater awareness of the realities of complex continuing illnesses have made rehabilitative care an increasingly important part of Ontario's health care system and focus at Sunnybrook.

Funding support for St. John's Rehab, the eighth program of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, will continue in order to meet its annual and long-term needs.

St. John's Rehab Foundation will only continue to govern its assets as a trust and disperse funds as set out by its governing board. All funds including multi-year pledges, endowments, staff gifts and other assets donated and set up to support St. John's Rehab will continue to be directed towards the rehab program as requested by the hospital. We will continue to ensure the Foundation respects the wishes and privacy of our supporters.

To remain at the forefront of specialized rehabilitation care, the St. John's Rehab program will continue to need your support. We hope that the reputation and goodwill we have gained over the past 30 years with you, our community of supporters, will continue to be directed towards St. John's Rehab. Your support will still be invested in annually identified needs as it relates to specialized rehabilitation equipment, vital research, clinical staff education and building redevelopment projects.

If you have any questions or concerns about our announcement, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 416-226-6780 ext. 57330 or by email at tdicosmo@stjohnsrehab.com.