Dear Associates, Clients, Family and Friends,
In the eight years that Frank Leo & Associates have led this fundraising campaign in memory of Ava, you have made a significant and meaningful impact in supporting Emily’s House Children’s Hospice.
Together we have:
- Raised/donated a total of $99,800 toward special hospice projects and programming in support of children with a life-limiting illness and complex disability.
- Delivered over 30 large SUVs full of toys and gifts for hospice families.
- Lifted the spirits and made the holiday season brighter for almost every Emily’s House family with children who were active on the hospice caseload the last eight years. Including children, child siblings and loved ones cared for in this timeframe. Approximately 1,500 people have been directly impacted by the gift drive in eight years!
- Helped impact every child who received recreation/medical respite that included therapeutic or sensory play in Emily’s House Snoezelen Room at Emily’s House. Funds donated for the room refresh/renovation made the space more inclusive, accessible and engaging with new sensory installations.
- Gifted Emily’s House a Snoezelen Cart and a Sensory Bubble Tube. The new airless bubble tube, which is at the cutting edge of technology, is a highlight of the Snoezelen Room (sensory stimulation and therapeutic room) with its changing colours, dancing light and bubble show.
- Supported children and strengthened families. Children were able to participate in Emily’s House Children’s Recreation Experiences – with thanks to the funds donated. Children accessed “purposeful play” through special events and programming at hospice home, home visits, and recreational outings in the community, (i.e., March Break and Summer Camps, seasonal events at Emily’s House, trips to the Royal Ontario Museum, and even in-hospice visits from zoo animals!)
- Mobilized an “army of elves” (hospice volunteers and care team staff) to participate in special moments of generosity: helping parents select a toy or gift for their child from the free, holiday “pop up shop” for hospice clients; or hand-delivering special gift packages to be opened and enjoyed during the holiday season.
Emily’s House Tour and Ribbon Cutting
Frank Leo & Associates visited Emily’s House Children’s Hospice to deliver toys, and to participate in a ribbon-cutting in the Emily’s House Snoezelen Room (therapeutic sensory play space), which was updated with funds from the fundraising in the previous year.
Proposed Frank Leo & Associates Fundraising Projects for 2026:
Medical Equipment ($5,000):
- Vital Signs Monitor
- Suction Machine
Recreation Furnishing, Equipment & Adaptive Toys ($5,000):
- Replace/Upgrade Bean Bags/Crash Pads
- Band Jam Enabling Device
- Adaptive Toys and Games
Programming for Children and Families ($10,000):
- Innovative Hospice Programming to add quality of life to children and their families.
- Family Music Time
- Outings in the Community
- Group Grief Sessions
- At Home Care Team Visits
For those who prefer to donate something tangible, there is an option for that as well. Just remember, if you prefer to purchase an actual gift, do not gift wrap. Keep original packaging so parents can choose the right gifts for their children.
This Wish List of gift ideas and recommendations will inspire on how to bring some extra needed joy into hearts and homes this season.
Philip Aziz Centre for Hospice Care and Emily’s House provide medical respite, practical, emotional, grief and bereavement support to people living with life-limiting illnesses in the comfort of their own home, or in Toronto’s first paediatric residential hospice. Emily’s House also provides children’s recreation, music therapy and day camps. Their programs support children, adults, caregivers, siblings and survivors at no cost to them.
For more information on the incredible work being done at Emily’s House, please visit the website: https://paceh.ca/ and view the following videos:
Emily’s House Virtual Tour
Thank You Letter Read in a Coffee Shop
Please consider giving the gift of hospice by donating before December 9th 2025 and help reach families in need this season.