TORONTO — Hundreds of people between the ages of 20 to 30 partied recently at the first annual young professionals’ portion of the Mount Sinai Gala, which raised $1.6 million for women’s health this year.
From left: Amy Greenspoon, Lauren Winberg and Lauren Jacob
Dancing and singing along to the live music of legendary Grammy Award-winning artist Lionel Richie, the attendees of the May 25th Sinai Soirée, at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto, celebrated their efforts to donate to “a great cause and a world-renowned hospital,” said Sarah Jacobs, event co-ordinator for the Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary.
This year’s 57th Mount Sinai Gala raised awareness about the hospital and helped generate funds for research, education and patient care in support of the Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary’s $4.5-million pledge for women’s health.
The auxiliary is committed to supporting a comprehensive strategy to initiate transformative technological upgrades throughout the hospital. Information about prescriptions and administration of medications will be brought together in a single record for every in-patient, along with a collection of patient information that is easily retrievable and can be shared by the health-care team.
The funding ensures that state-of-the-art health care is provided to Mount Sinai Hospital’s centres of excellence, including Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute and the Peter A. Silverman Centre for International Health.
The pledge benefits the hospital’s major pillars of patient care, research, technology and education by providing critical support to ensure Mount Sinai remains a world leader on the medical stage.
Jacobs said this year’s gala included young professionals to introduce and engage a new generation into the Mount Sinai Hospital family. “These young professionals will be the future philanthropists of our community, and it is important to get them involved at a young age.”
Lauren Winberg, who chaired the event, said she was “overwhelmed and elated at the success of the evening. This being the first year of the Sinai Soirée, we weren’t sure what to expect, but the night spoke for itself. More than 400 young professionals under 30 years old were in attendance, and it was obvious that the energy in the room was positive and everyone was having a fantastic time. Richie was incredibly engaging and set the tone for everyone to party ‘All Night Long.’”
Jacobs said a new young professionals division of the auxiliary will be started in the next few months “for people in their 20s and 30s to get involved in the community and start giving back.”
Established in 1953, the Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary has more than 1,300 members raising funds for patient care, teaching and research. Through special events and other programs, the auxiliary is one of the largest single donors to Mount Sinai Hospital.
