Canuck Place receives TD donation to build new children's hospice in Abbotsford

Thanks to a generous donation from TD Bank Group, the construction of the second Canuck Place Children's Hospice in Abbotsford, B.C. will include the creation of a space to relax, connect and unwind for some of its most important people: volunteers.

Jim Kershaw, Senior Vice-President and Regional Manager of TD Waterhouse, and Stephen Murphy, Senior Vice-President, TD Commercial Bank, presented a cheque for $100,000 to Filomena Nalewajek, CEO, Canuck Place, at the Hospice's annual Volunteer Appreciation Evening yesterday at Nat Bailey Stadium. This gift will be used for the building of a Volunteer Lounge in the Abbotsford hospice. TD has been a strong supporter of Canuck Place and has raised more than $600,000 since 1995.

"We are grateful to TD for this wonderful donation," said Filomena Nalewajek, CEO of Canuck Place. "Our vision of providing the highest quality pediatric palliative care to all B.C. children and families in need is becoming a reality, thanks to the generosity of businesses like TD. Thank you for your commitment to embracing life, and to our dedicated volunteers."

"We are honoured to present one of the first major corporate gifts to Canuck Place as part of its Extending Our Reach campaign to build a new children's hospice in Abbotsford," said Jim Kershaw, Senior Vice-President and Regional Manager, TD Waterhouse. "The new hospice will ensure that children and families get the clinical care they need in an environment that's welcoming and that the dedicated volunteers will feel comfortable with the construction of a Volunteer Lounge."

Currently, 46% of families served by Canuck Place reside in the Fraser Health Region. To extend its reach to those families in need, Canuck Place is building a second children's hospice housed within a "Campus of Care" located on a two-acre property in Abbotsford. With 10 beds and 5 family suites, the new 30,000-square-foot hospice will double Canuck Place's current capacity to better meet the growing need for pediatric palliative care services across the province.