Parents for SickKids 2026
Parents4SickKids
May 3, 2026
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Parents for SickKids 2026
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
May 3, 2026
2 - 5 PM
Parents for SickKids 2026 is an unforgettable afternoon that brings together families, changemakers, and future champions of children’s health for a celebration filled with purpose, connection, and heart.
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Set against the elegant backdrop of the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, this inaugural event offers a unique high tea and small bites experience, inspiring speakers, live entertainment, engaging activities, and powerful stories from the frontlines of cutting edge pediatric care. Guests will also enjoy an exciting silent auction and special raffle draw.
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Blending joy, connection, play, and philanthropy, this is a one-of-a-kind gathering for those who believe every child deserves a brighter, healthier future.
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Our Parents for SickKids 2026 inaugural event will be co-chaired by Jodi Kovitz and Sumeet (Sonu) Dhanju-Dhillon who share a passion around improving the future of children's health in Canada, and produced by an outstanding team of volunteers to be announced soon. If you’d like to join our volunteer team, please reach out to jodikovitz@gmail.com or sdhanju-dhillon@torkin.com.
Jodi founded Parents for SickKids as a passionate member of the SickKids Foundation Board of Directors and a grateful SickKids parent—deeply inspired not only by her daughter Lily’s journey, but also by the many thousands of children whose lives have been touched by SickKids Hospital. She previously co-founded #Tech4SickKids and participated on the Foundation's last Capital Campaign Cabinet.
Why It Matters
Proceeds from the 2026 event will directly fund tthe inaugural Parents for SickKids Fellows in areas such as paediatric oncology and brain and mental health, two of SickKids’ most urgent priority areas.
These fellows will help advance Precision Child Health—a groundbreaking SickKids initiative transforming care from reactive to personalized, predictive, and preventative. By harnessing genomics, artificial intelligence, and deep patient data, this approach ensures that every child receives the right diagnosis and the right treatment—faster and more accurately.
The stakes could not be higher:
1 in 5
Canadian children lives with a mental health condition.
20%
85%
of childhood cancer survivors experience long-term side effects.
of children with cancer do not survive.
7%
of national cancer research funding.
Childhood cancer receives just
Children with complex conditions represent
<1%
of the
of pediatric health-care spending.
population, but drive
~33%
Rare diseases claim the lives of
14,000
children in Canada every year
Precision Child Health is changing this reality—but it requires bold research, visionary leadership, and community investment. By supporting this event, you’re not just funding research. You’re fueling the future of pediatric care—one child, one family, one breakthrough at a time.
Leadership & Committee
Founder and Co-Chairs:
Jodi Kovitz
Founder & Co-Chair
Jodi Kovitz is the CEO of the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) and a proud member of the SickKids Foundation Board of Directors. Deeply inspired by her daughter Lily’s early journey and recovery, Jodi founded Parents for SickKids to help transform the future of children’s health. She also co-founded #Tech4SickKids and #movethedial, global movements that have raised millions and inspired communities worldwide. Recognized as one of Canada’s 25 Women of Influence and a two-time WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women honouree, Jodi is passionately committed to advancing pediatric oncology and mental health through SickKids’ groundbreaking Precision Child Health initiative.
Sonu Dhanju-Dhillon
Co-Chair
Sonu Dhanju-Dhillon is a partner in Torkin Manes' Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group, where she practises in all areas of civil litigation with a focus on business law. In addition to her robust law practice, Sonu is also a member of the firm’s Management Committee, where she leverages her strong business acumen and pragmatic approach. She is deeply committed to her community and brings the same enthusiasm and dedication to service as she does to her work. A mother of two, Sonu is proud to serve on the Parents for SickKids Committee, honouring her family’s legacy and long-time commitment to advancing children’s health and helping to ensure compassionate care for families in their most vulnerable moments.
Tasha Mazza
Co-Chair
An accomplished business leader with over 20 years of experience in real estate development, community engagement, and strategic growth. As President of Goldcourt Developments, she leads impactful real estate projects across the Greater Toronto Area, fostering partnerships that strengthen neighbourhoods and create lasting value. A proven entrepreneur and former operator of a successful sports facility, brings deep expertise in stakeholder relations, team leadership, and is passionate about community building. Her connection to Sickkids is deeply personal as her daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at the age of 3 years old and has been a patient for almost 15 years now. Tasha’s commitment is fueled by a deep appreciation for the SickKids community that supported her family when they needed it most.
Honorary Co-Chairs:
Ralph Lean
Honorary Co-Chair
Ralph Lean is a respected business lawyer, connector, and advisor to organizations ranging from startups to global corporations. Named one of Canada’s “most influential” businesspeople by the National Post, he is Chairman of Lean Global Advisors Inc. and Distinguished Counsel in Residence at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he teaches two fourth-year undergraduate classes at the Ted Rogers School of Management.
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A passionate fundraiser and community builder, Ralph has dedicated over four decades to supporting causes that strengthen Toronto and improve lives. He currently serves on several boards, including Hampton Financial Corporation (Vice Chair), Giants of Africa (Masai Ujiri), the PS43 Foundation founded by Pascal Siakam and Right to Play (Founding Chair)
Marci Ien
Honorary Co-Chair
Marci Ien is an award-winning journalist, former federal Cabinet Minister, and lifelong advocate for equity, inclusion, and justice. After a celebrated career with Canada AM and The Social, she was elected MP for Toronto Centre in 2020 and later appointed Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth. Grounded in the belief that great leadership begins with listening, Marci leads with empathy and creates space for others to rise. As Honorary Co-Chair of Parents for SickKids, she brings her passion for community and compassion to advancing pediatric mental health, oncology, and innovation—building a healthier future for generations to come.
Planning Committee:
Corie Caplan
Sponsorship Lead
Corie Caplan is an accomplished client relations and business development leader with a proven ability to cultivate meaningful, long-lasting partnerships. As Senior Director of Business Development & Partnerships at the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), Corie leads a high-performing team responsible for creating strategic alliances and delivering best-in-class sponsorship experiences that consistently exceed client expectations.
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Corie is a dedicated advocate for children’s health. As a mother, she deeply values the life-changing care provided by SickKids Hospital and channels her passion into supporting its continued growth and innovation. In her role as Partnerships Lead for the Parents for SickKids event, Corie is grateful to collaborate with an inspiring team of volunteers to advance a cause that profoundly impacts families and communities across Canada.
Sammy Rosenzweig
Marketing & Communications Lead
Sammy Rosenzweig is a results-driven marketing professional with expertise in strategy, communications, and campaign execution. As Marketing Acquisition Lead at the HRPA, she drives membership conversion and engagement while championing HR’s role in building better workplaces. Passionate about health and wellbeing, she spent over three years at Medcan leading revenue-focused campaigns, improving retention, and enhancing client experience. Sammy’s commitment to meaningful impact guides her work both professionally and in the community and aligns with her passion for supporting causes like Parents for SickKids and the SickKids Foundation.
Sarah Tarrant​
Staffing & Volunteers Co-Lead
Sarah Tarrant is a strategic leader and proven operator with nearly a decade of experience driving organizational impact. She currently serves as VP of Strategy and Chief of Staff to the CEO at the Human Resources Professionals Association, where she plays a key role in shaping strategy and translating it into actionable plans that drive cross-functional impact. Previously, she worked as a consultant at Accenture, supporting clients across financial services, retail, and consumer products to improve performance through strategic insight and data-driven decision making.
Sarah’s connection to SickKids is deeply personal. Her sister was a patient who received exceptional care from the hospital from the day after she was born through to adulthood. Sarah deeply values the life-changing care SickKids provides and channels her passion into supporting its continued growth and innovation. She is honoured to give back to an institution that has played such a meaningful role in her family’s life.
Khadija Waseem
Silent Auction Lead
Khadija Waseem is a Senior Consultant at Monitor Deloitte, where she focuses on government and public sector strategy to design policies and transformations that make the lives of Canadians better. A Schwarzman Scholar and Rotman Commerce graduate, she is passionate about cybersecurity and the role of technology as a form of civic action, bringing together finance, policy, and innovation to drive intersectional change.
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Khadija’s career spans government, technology, and community impact. She worked as an advisor on youth policy at the Prime Minister’s Office, contributed to Canada’s first feminist budget as a Special Assistant to the Minister of Women and Gender Equality, and held roles as a Marketing Specialist at Google, Aide to Toronto Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, and Strategist at #movethedial advancing women in technology.
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Khadija previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Club of Toronto and currently serves on the Board of Trinity Theatre, empowering racialized and marginalized youth voices across the city. Khadija’s civic work extends to SickKid. She is passionate about supporting SickKids Hospital, leading community-based fundraising efforts to advance children’s health across Toronto.
Brian Wilson
Staffing & Volunteer Co-Lead
Brian Wilson is a Toronto-based professional who thrives at the intersection of people, purpose, and impact. With extensive experience planning high-profile events across nonprofit, charity, and corporate sectors, he’s known for transforming ideas into meaningful experiences. Whether coordinating a fundraising gala, a leadership retreat, or a major conference, Brian brings creativity, precision, and a human touch to every project.
As an employee experience curator and project manager, he designs programs that help teams feel valued, connected, and inspired – guided by the belief that organizations thrive when their people do.
A proud graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and Humber College, Brian combines a strong foundation in communication and business with a passion for community engagement. When he’s not crafting events or shaping workplace culture, he’s enjoying a concert or adding to his vinyl record collection.
Event Experience:
Joanna Lean
Event Producer
Joanna Lean is an Event Architect and Experience Creator with over 18 years of designing events that don’t just fill a room — they fill a need. As the Founder of Joanna Lean Events, she helps organizations craft experiences rooted in meaning, purpose, and belonging. Her approach blends strategy, psychology, and creativity to create moments that move people. Joanna is proud to support Parents for SickKids as the Event Producer, helping raise vital funds for advancements in children’s mental health and well-being. She believes events have the power to heal, connect, and inspire lasting impact.
Agenda
This meticulously designed event will feature inspiring speakers, live entertainment, engaging activities intended for ages 12+, and powerful stories from the frontlines of cutting-edge pediatric care. Guests will also enjoy an exciting silent auction and special raffle draw and immersive activations throughout.
You will have a choice of select loose teas (including an exclusive Parents for SickKids Blend) and bites, including: exquisite scones, delectable savories, delightful sweets. These will be served on three-tiered trays at your table. Gluten-free, vegetarian, kosher, halal & vegan options will be available.
2:00-3:00 PM
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Welcome and connections lounge
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Special photo opportunity
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Interactive entertainment & activations
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Passed hors d’oeuvres & mocktails
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Silent auction & raffle ticket purchase
3:00- 4:30 PM: High Tea & Bites Experience
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High tea and bites
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Welcome remarks
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Live entertainment & performances (surprise!)
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Parents for SickKids share their stories
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The future of pediatric care: precision medicine
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Raffle winner announced & silent auction closes
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Closing remarks & Parents for SickKids Fellowship presentation
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Connect & enjoy activations
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Candy bar
Join Us
Whether your family has been touched by SickKids or you simply believe in a future where all kids have access to life-saving care, we invite you to be part of something meaningful.
Parents for SickKids is a powerful new event where tea meets transformation—with thoughtfully curated programming for guests aged 5 to 100+.
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Date: May 3, 2026 2-5PM
Location: Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto
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Come to connect. Come to give.
Come to help shape the future of pediatric medicine.
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Host a Table. Spark Impact. $5,000.
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Sponsor a table and invite ten special guests—whether they’re family, friends, clients, or team members—for an unforgettable day of connection, community, and purpose. As a table sponsor, you’ll enjoy:
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Premium seating for you and your guests
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Recognition on our event website and all promotional materials (featuring your logo or family name)
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A full-page advertisement in our printed event program
This is more than a table. It’s a seat at the heart of something meaningful.
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Get a Ticket: individual or multiple: $500/guest
Purchase individual or group tickets to be part of an unforgettable afternoon of impact, inspiration, and community. Your ticket includes access to the full Parents for SickKids event experience—featuring elegant high tea and small bites, inspiring speakers, family-friendly activities, entertainment, and opportunities to support world-class pediatric care through our live and silent auctions.
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Every ticket supports a bold vision for the future of children’s health.
Come for the cause. Stay for the magic.​
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Become a
Sponsor
Join us in making a lasting impact on children’s health! Help us raise $300,000 in sponsorship and show your organization’s commitment to supporting kids’ well-being. This monumental event will bring together communities in the fight for healthier futures, and your involvement will help make a real difference. Be a part of something extraordinary!
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To get started, contact Jodi Kovitz at jodikovitz@gmail.com.​
Tax Receipt FAQs
TAX RECEIPTING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SickKids Foundation is proud to be a leader in fundraising and adheres to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) rules and regulations regarding the issuance of official charitable tax receipts. We receive various tax receipting inquires and have provided below some of our frequently asked questions.
SPONSORSHIP
A donation by way of event sponsorship is not eligible for a charitable tax receipt. SickKids Foundation provides a gift acknowledgement letter for any sponsorship funds received. Gift confirmation letters are issued when a company has contributed to an event by either sponsorship or Gift in kind donations. Gift in kind (GIK) are donations of goods (including merchandise) to SickKids Foundation. Businesses can deduct the original cost of the inventory as a business expense and not lose the tax benefit associated with the transfer of property. The same logic applies to sponsorship donations. By virtue of being a sponsor, the corporation is receiving benefits in the form of recognition and advertising. The letter allows the business to write off the contribution as a legitimate business expense to reduce taxable profits at year end.
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TICKET PURCHASE
As the purchase of a ticket to an event includes participation and the value of attending the event, a tax receipt cannot be issued.
AUCTION ITEM
We do not issue tax receipts for the donation or purchase of an auction item. The purchase of a good is not a donation and therefore is not eligible for a tax receipt.
SickKids Foundation may issue a gift acknowledgment to the donor of an auction item to acknowledge the donation.
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DIRECT DONATION – INDIVIDUAL
SickKids Foundation will issue a charitable tax receipt to the individual who made the donation, provided the Foundation receives all of the necessary information for the donor (full name, residential address, email address, phone number and amount donated) so that SickKids Foundation can issue a charitable tax receipt directly to that person. The Foundation issues a charitable tax receipt for personal donations and issues a gift confirmation for gifts from business and foundations. SickKids Foundation will only issue charitable tax receipts in accordance with CRA receipting rules and SickKids Foundations receipting policies and guidelines. DIRECT
DONATION – CORPORATE
For corporate donations from businesses or foundations, SickKids Foundation will issue a gift confirmation receipt. Gift confirmation receipts acknowledge a corporate monetary donation that was made directly to SickKids Foundation. The receipt allows the business to write off the contribution as a legitimate business expense to reduce taxable profits at year end.