Stefano’s Stories: Meaningful moments that made 2025 special

January 2026

A new year brings a fresh feeling of excitement for what will come. It also gives opportunity to reflect on meaningful moments that made 2025 so special.

Thanks to our generous community the past year the Foundation launched new campaigns, celebrated incredible achievements and continued to raise critical funds for patient care, research and hospital upgrades. The support from you – our donors, volunteers and partners – made it all possible.

To start, our past Better Futures Campaign cabinet received the Outstanding Philanthropic Group award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Manitoba for their incredible work helping our Foundation staff raise an unprecedented $112 M for pediatric research, critical infrastructure and innovative programs for kids who rely on Manitoba’s only children’s hospital! That campaign continued delivering a huge impact in 2025. Over $4 M of medical equipment is arriving or in use at HSC Children’s Hospital. The Indigenous Community Healing Space – a first for a Canadian children’s hospital – is under development. Planning is also underway for reconstruction of the day surgery unit and creation of a new nephrology clinic.

To keep this momentum going in transforming child health care, we launched a new $2.5 M childhood cancer, blood disorders and transplants campaign. This campaign will help rebuild and reimagine CK5 – a critical ward that hasn’t had any upgrades since the 1980s. Funds will help bring comfort, colour and care to kids when they need it most. It will also support breakthroughs in childhood cancer at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

The reimagination of CK5 is already underway. Many donors made this possible including very generous gifts from Fund the Need at our annual Ice Crystal Gala; $125,000 from Hyundai Hope on Wheels and Winnipeg Hyundai; matching gifts from Qualico and anonymous donors on Giving Tuesday; more matching gifts from the Talbot Family Foundation and the K + P Talbot Community Fund during Dr. Goodbear’s Holiday Give-a-thon and throughout the holiday season. Thank you.

Early in 2025 we gave a heartfelt thank you to Janessa, the 2024 Champion Child who courageously highlighted the challenges kids in remote communities face to access specialized care. Her passion was recognized nationally by Children First Canada, giving her the Guiding Light Award. She was also recognized locally by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Manitoba, awarding her the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award. We’re incredibly proud of Janessa.

Last February, we were thrilled to welcome Jack as our 2025 Champion Child! Jack needed seven brain surgeries before his second birthday and was eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Thanks to ongoing care at HSC Children’s, Jack is an energetic 10-year-old who loves fishing, flying kites and flags. He even got to raise his own champion flag at city hall with Mayor Scott Gillingham in November! Jack is raising funds for research into childhood diseases. You still have time to support Jack’s personal fundraiser, so please show Jack you care today!

The Children’s Hospital Book Market celebrated an incredible 65 years of support for kids in hospital! Passionate volunteers help make Book Market and other events like our Golf Tournament, Ice Crystal Gala and the Teddy Bears’ Picnic possible. Many volunteers are also part of the Children’s Hospital Guild who hosted the Gilded Harvest Fashion Show this year, raising funds to support the CHRIM’s leading-edge research efforts. We’re deeply grateful to our incredible volunteers for their support throughout 2025!

There were many ways to support kids in hospital this past year – including the Suspended Superheroes event in October which raised $93,000! Big thanks go out for the brave local celebrities, CHRIM researchers, first responders and every-day-people who squeezed into tights and costumes to rappel down HSC Children’s while kids and caregivers waved from hospital rooms. Thank you Voyageur Technical, Maple Leaf Ropes and Reliant Action for making this event possible.

Wonderful guest visits to Children’s in 2025 helped make meaningful memories for kids. Readers shared their time during I Love to Read Month. Players from CFL teams stopped by with the Grey Cup in November, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Winnipeg Jets and Winnipeg Ghost Busters made special holiday visits. We even celebrated National Superhero Day with Legends Character Rentals bringing Captain America, Spider-Man, Black Panther and more. Thank you to each guest who took time to bring strength to our little superheroes in hospital.

Thank you to our donors, Foundation families and current and past Champion Children for sharing your support at our annual Dr. Goodbear’s Holiday Give-a-thon. We loved visiting with each of you during this live event at Outlet Collection Winnipeg.

Also big bear hugs to every business and community partner who gave generously, sponsored events, or donated funds this year, such as DQ®’s Miracle Treat Day, Walmart, Costco, Great Canadian Oil Change, IHOP, Purdys Chocolatier and sooo many more! It’s impossible to list all, so please head to goodbear.ca/shop to keep up all year with current community offers!

Finally, to all the thoughtful kids who walked dogs, sold lemonade, or asked for donations instead of birthday presents, THANK YOU! Community-driven actions like these make a difference for kids needing life-saving care!

All year, every one of you made a difference for the kids who rely on Manitoba’s only children’s hospital and the research at CHRIM. All of us at Children’s Hospital Foundation are humbled by your commitment and generosity.

We are eager to #ContinueCaringForKids and we know that with your support in 2026, we can make anything possible!