Toronto – Sept. 21, 2021
This morning, the SickKids Foundation announced a transformative gift of $50 million from philanthropist Garry Hurvitz for brain and mental health across the SickKids mental health enterprise. (Read the full release from the Foundation).
Mr. Hurvitz has a personal connection to mental health, having experienced anxiety and depression, but he is certain that early intervention would have helped him. He says he is making this donation “because I want to make sure kids have a better experience than I did. I want them to know they’re not alone.”
This gift will enable revolutionary advances in child and youth brain and mental health at SickKids and at the SickKids community mental health sites.
“This donation will support our research program and help us evaluate which care and treatment options are best for each child and youth we see,” says Chris Bartha, Executive Director, SickKids CCMH. “This means more effective help and better outcomes for families struggling with mental health issues.”
It will also aid in providing care through the creation of new partnerships to provide service across SickKids, the centre and our community partners. “This will mean more treatment and service options – and a quicker route to care,” says Bartha. “This is crucial, especially when we are seeing unprecedented amounts of mental distress among our children and youth.”
In recognition of Mr. Hurvitz and his generosity, SickKids CCMH will be changing its name in his honour. This is to reflect the tremendous impact that this gift will have on families seeking mental health care.
“It is our absolute privilege to add Mr. Hurvitz’s name to our brand and to continue to serve our community as The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at SickKids,” says Bartha.
