The donor: Daniel Simunac
The gift: Raising $1.3-million and climbing
The cause: Toronto’s West Park Healthcare Centre
A few years ago, Daniel Simunac finished an education program at the Institute of Corporate Directors and began looking for a place to gain some experience.
He joined the board of Toronto’s West Park Healthcare Centre, which specializes in rehabilitative care for people who’ve had life-changing illnesses or injuries. The hospital was going through a major rebuilding program at the time and Mr. Simunac, who heads Raymond James Bank’s Canadian subsidiary, studied architecture at university.
During his time on the board, the hospital also started a fundraising event called the Tournament of Stars. It’s a five-on-five pro-am basketball tournament that features several Toronto Raptors’ alumni, such as Jerome (Junk Yard Dog) Williams, Morris Peterson and Charles Oakley. Mr. Simunac, 41, is a basketball enthusiast and he entered a team in the first tournament three years ago. He took over as chairman for the next two tournaments and expanded it from 12 to 16 teams. So far, the event has raised more than $1.3-million in total. “We’re pretty proud of it,” Mr. Simunac said. He is stepping down as chair, but plans to keep playing in the tournament and raising money for West Park. “It’s awesome,” he said of the tournament. “It just keeps getting bigger and better. You’re doing good but you are having fun doing it.”
Paul Waldie