The donors: Family and friends of Stan Feldman
The gift: Raising $900,000 and climbing
The cause: To build a gym at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto
The friends and family of Stan Feldman are trying to raise $1-million for a gym at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto, which specializes in geriatric healthcare, brain health and aging.
By any measure, Toronto philanthropist Stan Feldman has had a remarkable career. He earned a law degree in Toronto, worked at the United Nations, dabbled in the film industry, organized political campaigns and helped reshape the Ontario government.
But his real passion has always been volunteer work and raising money for Toronto’s Baycrest Health Sciences, which specializes in geriatric healthcare, brain health and aging. Mr. Feldman spent 30 years as president of the Baycrest Foundation and before that he’d been a volunteer at a host of Toronto charities. A few years ago, Mr. Feldman, 78, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The illness has hindered his mobility, something that has been particularly painful given his love of exercise.
His two children, Jon and Amy Feldman, have organized a fundraising effort to build Stan’s Gym, an exercise facility at Baycrest that will also offer physiotherapy and nutrition programs. The Feldmans have raised $900,000 so far and hope to hit $1-million. “The gym is really the embodiment of what he’s been doing and talking about for 30 years,” Ms. Feldman said. Her brother said the family has been overwhelmed by the support the project has received. “This is all about people appreciating everything that he has done and bending over backward to participate in this just because of who he is,” Mr. Feldman said.
Paul Waldie