Ooch Downtown Opens!

How amazing is it when corporations come together with charities to make the world a better place? Personally, I find it so inspiring — these sorts of relationships are the reason I do what I do. So, as you can imagine, I was very happy last Friday, May 26, when Camp Oochigeas (Camp Ooch) hosted the grand opening of Ooch Downtown, the first-ever urban camp for children with cancer.

JP Arencibia and Bryan Farrell from the Toronto Blue Jays were at the event. They spent the morning meeting campers and even joined in a game of hockey on the new BMO Sportscourt. Camp Ooch Executive Director Alex Robertson along with campers from Ooch presented a cheque alongside representatives from each of Ooch’s Founding Friends — BMO, Toronto Blue Jays through the Jays Care Foundation, PlayStation and Sporting Life — each of whom made generous $300,000 donations to Ooch Downtown. See? Totally inspiring!

The 18,000 square-foot centre is located at 464 Bathurst Street in downtown Toronto, only blocks away from SickKids Hospital. Ooch Downtown will provide a camp experience to children at no cost to their families who, without the convenience of a city location, may otherwise miss out on the opportunity to go to camp. What a special place!

Here are some photos from the grand opening:

I hope you’re as inspired by Ooch and their Founding Friends as I am! What inspired you today? Tweet me @natashankpr.

Natasha