NHL Alumni join forces in Toronto to reach 2012 fundraising goal of $2.8 million
Toronto, Ontario, February 9, 2012 – At a press conference held this morning, the Baycrest Foundation, along with event sponsor Scotiabank, announced the return of the Scotiabank Pro-Am to Toronto. Taking place May 3 – 5, 2012, the event will raise funds for the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s supporting the work of Baycrest – an academic health sciences centre and a global leader in innovations in aging and brain health headquartered in the city – to improve the lives of others affected by the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. With the extreme success of last year’s event, organizers announced today that they hope to raise $2.8 million in 2012.
Torontonians who participate in the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s as team captains, players and donors are making a truly incredible contribution,” said Dr. William Reichman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Baycrest. “Not only are they raising awareness of a disorder so important to countless Canadian families, but the extraordinary amount of money raised in this city will continue to support new world-leading research efforts in brain research. Moreover, the Toronto community’s exceptional commitment has enabled us to successfully reach out to other major Canadian cities – Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver — and inspire them to get involved in this most worthy cause.”
Mark Napier, Executive Director of the NHL Alumni Association, has been an avid supporter of the Scotiabank Pro-Am. “This year, we are pleased to announce that we have added Doug Gilmour, Lanny McDonald, Wendel Clark, Curtis Joseph, Marty McSorley and Darcy Tucker to the roster of participating NHL alumni in Toronto. I am proud to represent such open-hearted and enthusiastic players who are always eager to give back to the communities in which they live.”
Raising more than $16 million in its six-year history, the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s is an innovative fundraiser that offers amateur hockey players the chance to play with and against a host of NHL alumni while raising critical funds for Alzheimer’s research and care. Teams must raise a minimum of $25,000 and, based on total dollars raised, get to draft an NHL alumnus to play on their team.
“We are dedicated to keeping our community hockey programs thriving and the Scotiabank Pro-Am has been one of our most innovative and successful partnerships to date,” said John Doig, Senior Vice President, Toronto Region, Scotiabank. “As Canada’s Hockey Bank we know how important it is to preserve great memories. Working with the NHL Alumni Association and Baycrest we’re proud to lend our name to this event and, in doing so, raise funds and awareness that support research and care for those affected for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s, named in tribute to Gordie and in loving memory of his wife Colleen who passed away from Pick’s disease, a form of dementia, in March 2009. The Howe Fund supports the care and research in Alzheimer’s and related dementias at Baycrest and the work of Alzheimer Society branches in the additional city centres that host Scotiabank Pro-Am events: Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. One of the projects supported this year is the NHL Alumni study which will track the brain health of retired NHL players over several years by recruiting healthy retired players to participate in a research study to identify the risk factors associated with cognitive decline and mental health changes as they age.
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About the Scotiabank Pro-Am
Established in 2004, the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s is an innovative charitable hockey tournament that supports care and research in Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Taking place in four Canadian cities (Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver) the three-day hockey experience allows amateur hockey players the opportunity to play with and against a host of NHL alumni. To date, the Scotiabank Pro-Am has raised more than $16 million for the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s which helps fund care and research in Alzheimer’s at Baycrest – a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. Follow the excitement on Twitter at @ScotiabankProAm (#scotiaproam) and on Facebook at Facebook.com/ScotiabankProAm.
About Baycrest
Baycrest is a global leader in developing and providing innovations in aging and brain health. Headquartered on a 22-acre campus in Toronto and fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides care to more than 2,500 frail and active seniors every day in outpatient and inpatient programs and residential settings. Baycrest’s Centre for Memory and Neurotherapeutics offers clinical and educational programs for memory, dementia and related disorders. Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute is one of the top five brain institutes in the world, leading groundbreaking research to understand the mechanisms of memory and executive functions of the brain, in normal aging and in the presence of dementia, Alzheimer’s, stroke and other conditions and diseases.
About the Gordie & Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s
Gordie & Colleen Howe’s contribution to hockey is legendary, earning them the title Mr. and Mrs. Hockey™. When Colleen lost her battle with dementia in March of 2009, Gordie lost a wife, his children lost a mother and the world of hockey lost a champion. It was a battle that inspired the Howe family to improve the lives of others affected by the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. In pursuit of this mission, they have attached their name to the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is very proud to be Canada’s Hockey Bank and is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHLPA®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the Ottawa Senators® whose home arena is Scotiabank Place. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Across Canadian communities from coast to coast, Scotiabank’s Community Hockey Sponsorship Program reaches out to more than 3,700 minor hockey teams and leagues.To find out more about Scotiabank’s hockey programs, please visit www.facebook.com/scotiahockeyclub.
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, ‘Bright Future’. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $44 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.
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Media Contact:
Tiffany Astle | tiffany@penelopepr.com | 416.554.7329