Travel-loving philanthropists support the Air Canada Foundation and SickKids

TORONTO, April 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - More than $1.1 million was raised Thursday night at the second annual Wanderluxe event presented by Air Canada in collaboration with TD Bank Group in support of the Air Canada Foundation and the Herbie Fund at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). More than 350 of Canada's travel-loving philanthropists attended and were inspired to help raise money to support the Foundation's programs and for children from around the world to travel to SickKids for life-changing surgeries through The Herbie Fund.

The Air Canada Foundation and SickKids share a common goal of helping children lead fulfilling lives, whether through access to needed medical care or other programs or experiences that enrich daily life.

"On behalf of Air Canada and the Air Canada Foundation, I thank everyone who took time to attend Wanderluxe, our sponsors, and those who helped organize such a successful evening. It is amazing how people respond generously and what we can do together when given an opportunity to do good things, especially for vulnerable children," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

SickKids believes where you live shouldn't determine if you live. "The Herbie Fund brings children from around the world to our hospital for life-saving or life-altering surgeries that are otherwise not available in their home countries," said Ted Garrard, CEO, SickKids Foundation. "I cannot overstate the generosity of our attendees and sponsors at the second annual Wanderluxe who helped us expand this important program."

Funds were raised through an online and live auction where individuals had the opportunity to bid on donated vacation packages and experiences from Air Canada. Packages included car and wine tours of Italy and a spectacular Four Seasons package to Thailand.

A sparkling cocktail hour followed by dinner provided by Air Canada culinary partner, David Hawksworth and five-star entertainment encouraged attendees to give and help children in Canada and from across the globe.

Additional event sponsors included AIMIA, Scotiabank, Cargojet, American Express, Mantella Corporation, National Post, Hawksworth Restaurant Group, Gategourmet and Cirque du Soleil JOYA.

About the Air Canada Foundation

The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth. In 2016, the Air Canada Foundation supported over 350 charitable organizations across Canada granting over $4.8M in financial and/or in-kind aid. Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program which donates Aeroplan Miles to pediatric hospitals across Canada enabling children to access medical care unavailable locally and the Volunteer Involvement Program which recognizes the involvement of employees in their local community by providing airline tickets to the registered charities in support of their fundraising initiatives.  The Foundation in collaboration with the airline also engages directly in fundraising activities such as the Every Bit Counts program which encourages customers to donate loose change of all denominations onboard flights or through airport collection containers. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises.  For more information about the Air Canada Foundation, please visit www.aircanada.com/foundation or the 2015 Corporate Sustainability Report, Citizens of the World, online at www.aircanada.com/csr

About The Herbie Fund at SickKids

An increasing number of sick children from around the world and their families look to the Herbie Fund at SickKids to provide treatment not available in their homeland. Over 800 children from 107 countries have received specialized medical and surgical assistance through the fund. Each year, Herbie Fund makes surgeries possible thanks to the generous support of the community and the dedication of clinicians in a wide range of medical divisions at SickKids. The Hospital for Sick Children is proud to share that all of the physicians donate their time and expertise. This is their gift to the children and helps to ensure we can extend the Herbie Funds support to more children. For more information, please visit www.herbiefund.com.

Event images can be found here: http://web.sickkidsfoundation.com/wanderluxe

SOURCE Air Canada Foundation

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