Committed donors, Michael & Marilena Latifi, see impact of their support first-hand

Dr. Andrew Shennan, Chief of the Women & Babies Program, gave the Latifis a guided tour of the new two-floor facility which is currently under construction at Sunnybrook's Bayview Avenue campus. Scheduled for completion by mid-2010, the state-of-the-art facility will be equipped to deliver and care for the 4,250 babies who will be born each year at Sunnybrook, as many as one in four of whom will be high-risk.

The new facility will boast the most advanced medical technology in a warm, family-centred environment, and will provide Sunnybrook's world-renowned medical staff with the resources they need to give the very best care to many of Ontario's most critically ill babies and their mothers.

For the Latifis, who have four children of their own, family and community are very important. These values were carefully considered when deciding where to direct their philanthropy. It was clear to Michael and Marilena that the work of Sunnybrook's Women & Babies Program is perfectly aligned with the community-oriented vision of Sofina Foods Inc.

As noted by Michael, "Sofina Foods Inc. is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work. By supporting the Women & Babies Program, we are contributing to the well-being of our entire community."

This commitment is evident. In just one year, through two events in support of Sunnybrook - the Sofina & Amici Golf Classic and the Latifi Ace Invitational tennis tournament - the Latifis raised an incredible $224,000 for the program.

In recognition of the Latifis' ongoing commitment to Sunnybrook, the new high-risk birthing unit will officially be named Sofina Foods Inc. and the Latifi Family High Risk Operative Birthing Suite.

Thanks to the vision and generosity of donors like Michael and Marilena, Sunnybrook will have cutting-edge equipment and facilities to match the outstanding skills of our staff, enabling them to save more lives and give every baby the best possible start, when it matters most.