$1.6M raised in one night for Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital

The gala was attended by Premier Doug Ford, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 12, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

A gala raised about $1.6 million in one night for the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.

The Mackenzie Health Foundation, the group behind the Around the World Gala held Nov. 2, says the money will be used to help build and equip the new hospital -- Canada’s first smart hospital -- and enhance care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital.

At the high-end gala, attendees included Premier Doug Ford, King-Vaughan MPP and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, and City of Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. Guests feasted on dishes from China, Mexico, Brazil, Morocco and Italy, while enjoying performances by a mariachi band, samba dancers and Chinese lion dancers.

“I am proud to support the life-saving work of Mackenzie Health,” Ford said. “Through the generous support of donors and our government’s record investments, we are ending hallway health care in Ontario together.”

Ford’s government has sparked uproar after provincial cuts -- including those to education and health care -- to reduce deficit.

Ontario's deficit is now expected to be $9 billion for this fiscal year, lower than the $10.3-billion projection in the budget. However, the figure is still higher than the final figure for last year's deficit of $7.4 billion.

Bevilacqua is also the chair of Mackenzie Health’s newly launched Ultimate campaign.

The Ultimate campaign represents a new phase of Mackenzie Health’s $250-million campaign journey and encourages the community to help bring the ultimate in health care to the residents of Vaughan, Richmond Hill and King.

The campaign has raised $169 million so far. Among those recognized at the gala was the Cortellucci family, who made a $40-million gift, the largest single donation in Mackenzie Health’s history.

“This is an exciting time for our region, and we’re grateful for all of the support we continue to receive from our generous community,” Altaf Stationwala, president and CEO of Mackenzie Health.

“Every day we get one step closer to opening the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital and enhancing care at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, and we simply couldn’t do it without our donors.”

The hospital, located in the Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive area, is slated to open late in 2020.