Newsletter Fall 2022
FALL 2022 NEWSLETTER
Presented by: Meagan Bebenek Foundation
GINGERBREAD DECORATING CONTEST 2022
It’s that time of year! As the holiday season approaches, Meagan’s HUG is pleased to host its 2022 Gingerbread House Decorating Contest.
Are you looking for a great activity for your family and friends? Or an early start on your Meagan’s HUG team projects? The contest is fun and creative for all ages and helps support a great cause, while raising awareness about Meagan’s HUG and its message of HOPE!
The Gingerbread Decorating Contest is easy. Here’s how it works:
It’s that time of year! As the holiday season approaches, Meagan’s HUG is pleased to host its 2022 Gingerbread House Decorating Contest.
Are you looking for a great activity for your family and friends? Or an early start on your Meagan’s HUG team projects? The contest is fun and creative for all ages and helps support a great cause, while raising awareness about Meagan’s HUG and its message of HOPE!
The Gingerbread Decorating Contest is easy. Here’s how it works:
Order your gingerbread house kit online at meaganshug.com by December 8th, 2022.
Your kit will be available for pick up at any one of the listed
FreshCo locations within the GTA you select when you order the kit.
OR, for an additional fee, you can opt for home delivery. Please check the website to see if your area is eligible for home delivery.
Each Gingerbread House kit includes a fully assembled gingerbread house with a supply of edible decorations and icing.
Roll up your sleeves, put on your apron ...get creative!
Your decorated house can compete in contest categories:
- Most Creative Gingerbread House - using only the supplies that come with the kit.
- Most Festive Gingerbread House - using only the supplies that come with the kit.
- Social Media Bonus Prize - for contestants who share their creations on social media and tag @meaganshug
Once your masterpiece is complete, snap some photos of your creation and email to fundraising@meaganshug.com
All photo submissions received by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 27, 2022 will be considered by our Meagan’s HUG Hero contest judges. Winners will be announced by Friday, January 6th, 2023.
Learn more about contest guidelines here
*Purchases of Gingerbread House Kits are not eligible for
charitable receipts for income tax purposes.
MEET MEAGAN'S HUG FELLOW, DR. MARI WILHELMSSON
Earlier this year, Dr. Mari Wilhelmsson began her tenure as the 9th Meagan’s HUG Neuro-oncology Fellow, training and working collaboratively at the world-renowned paediatric brain tumour program at SickKids.
Originally from Sweden, Dr. Wilhelmsson is a graduate of medical school at the University of Turku, Finland. During medical school, she also completed several clinical courses at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Her PhD studies at Karolinska Institutet focused on the late effects after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in childhood and adolescence. Dr. Wilhelmsson defended her thesis in May 2018.
After graduating from medical school, she worked mainly in Stockholm, including her internship at St. Gőrans Hospital, and her paediatric residency at Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital. Dr. Wihelmsson has worked in the oncology unit there since January 2019.
Dr. Wilhelmsson’s work has included caring for paediatric patients with a variety of cancers. She has been part of the long-term follow-up team after completion of patient therapy. As well, she has prepared patients when transitioning to adult care and/or for long-term follow-up.
During this year as the Meagan’s HUG Fellow, she will pursue more specialized focus on the care of children with brain tumours, while planning for their long-term care and follow-up.
When Dr. Wilhelmsson returns to Sweden she will draw on her experiences as a Fellow and so improve the care and long-term outcomes for children diagnosed with brain tumours. She is passionate about bettering the quality of life for these children and is excited about learning new emerging therapies and diagnostics that improve survival and decrease the need for treatments known to be associated with serious long-term side effects.
WAYS OF GIVING...MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
With your support, Meagan’s HUG has directed more than $6 million to ground-breaking research, helping to improve the understanding of how brain tumours work, and to help change lives with more effective and less toxic treatments.
The holiday season is a perfect time to plan gifts with lasting effect, creating a brighter future for children and young people with brain tumours.
Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays...all occasions to honour someone special in your life. You can donate to Meagan’s HUG as a way of celebrating that someone. Let them know you are giving a gift that matters, has a lasting impact, and shows you care.
Consider directing donations to Meagan’s HUG as a way of gift-giving. Make your holiday season truly celebratory!
Spread the word! Share your Meagan‘s HUG holiday donation plans on social media.
Holiday parties and gift exchanges provide the perfect opportunity to direct donations to Meagan’s HUG. Sport teammates, family groups, book clubs, work colleagues, school fundraising drives-donations to Meagan’s HUG make holiday gift-giving simple. These are gifts that keep on giving.
Sending an e-card is a great way to let someone know you are thinking about them and appreciate them. Sending an e-card from Meagan's HUG is even better!
It makes a difference in the lives of children around the world.
Click here to purchase Meagan's HUG holiday E-Cards!
While planning your holiday and year-end donations, consider joining the Smile Club, our Meagan’s HUG Monthly Giving Program.
Monthly giving means your pre-determined amount is automatically given to Meagan’s HUG. $10 a month? Or $25 or $100- whatever works for you! It is easy to set up and can be stopped whenever you choose.
The Smile Club streamlines your plans for giving, ensuring that your donations are made in manageable amounts throughout the calendar year. And for Meagan’s HUG, your Smile Club membership simplifies the processing of donations, and provides more predictable funds to help further research, improving the quality of life for our Meagan’s HUG Heroes.
Remember FlipGive! Sign up for FlipGive using Meagan's HUG code: 2MYRS7.
Make holiday gift shopping easy. You can purchase gift cards through FlipGive for your favorite stores and brands! Shop on-line or in person, while ensuring that cash-back dollars support Meagan’s HUG.
Donating securities to Meagan’s HUG is a terrific way to help further our mission as we raise hope and awareness about paediatric brain tumours, and support ground-breaking research. Donations of securities can be an effective way to help reduce your income tax.
With your broker’s help you can identify securities that can be transferred to Meagan’s HUG and then sold. Your donation receives a charitable donation receipt, based on the market value of the shares at the time of sale. You pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation of the securities’ value.
If you would like to donate securities to Meagan’s HUG, you can download this form and email it to legacygiving@meaganshug.com
Your donations make a difference! Thank you for your generous support. Hope changes everything!
Mark your calendars for Night of Discovery, a musical evening in support of Meagan’s HUG!
Join us for a night at the iconic El Mocambo to celebrate our rockstars and help put paediatric brain tumours centre stage!
- Meet the research laboratory teams and principal investigators making ground-breaking discoveries, and the doctors providing life-changing care for young brain tumour patients.
- Interact with our Meagan's HUG Heroes and their families as they share their stories. Learn how our generous donors have made an impact on their lives.
- Come and learn about where we are headed. The future is bright, you'll need to wear shades!
You can receive a charitable receipt for a portion of the ticket price.
BIKE FOR KIDS SPIN-A-THON 2023
In 2017 Bike for Kids founders, Nir Meltzer and Sean Squires cycled coast to coast raising awareness and funds for paediatric brain tumour research. Every year since, Bike for Kids has continued their support. To date, their fundraising in support of Meagan’s HUG has surpassed $186,000.
Are you a spinning fan? Get ready for Bike for Kids Spin-a-thon 2023!
When: Saturday, March 18th, 2023
Where: Mayfair Fitness Club- Lakeshore location
Circle the date on your calendar and start training!
Bike for Kids invites other spinning and fitness clubs to participate in this special fundraising effort. If you already are a member of a fitness club and would like help in organizing a Bike for Kids event at your location, please contact: fundraising@meaganshug.com
INTERNATIONAL BRAIN TUMOUR AWARENESS WEEK 2022
Meagan’s HUG was pleased to participate in 2022 International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, from Saturday, October 29 to Saturday November 5, 2022.
Organized by the International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA), this awareness campaign encourages activities that raise awareness about the challenges of a brain tumour and the need for increased research effort. You can view and listen to the Meagan’s HUG contribution to this awareness week here:
During this week we heard and learned from members of our community: Meagan’s HUG Heroes, doctors, researchers, and volunteers. We all have a story to share.
The IBTA was founded in 2005. Now made up of an alliance of over 100 countries, it includes researchers, care-giving medical professionals, government agencies and community and family focused groups like Meagan’s HUG. Meagan’s HUG has been a member of the IBTA since its inception.
Together we raise awareness worldwide about brain tumours, increase international collaboration, and improve the quality of life and outcomes for brain tumour patients everywhere.
HOPE FOR UKRAINE
In March 2022, Meagan’s HUG helped welcome several families who travelled from Ukraine to allow their children to continue cancer treatments in Toronto.
Partnering with some generous organizations in the Toronto area, Meagan’s HUG is helping to provide for these families. Basic needs, including accommodations, food and clothing are met as these families acclimatize to life in a new city, and their children fight their cancer battles.
As the war rages on in Ukraine, we are called to continue our support for these families who must stay in Canada for their own safety and well-being.
Please help Meagan’s HUG with the ongoing needs of these families. Your donations to the Meagan’s HUG Hope for Ukraine campaign support the needs of these families directly and are essential to sustain them during their stay in Canada.
All donations, whether small or large, help make a difference for these families in need.
Your support. Their hope!
THE QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE
The Meagan's HUG community and the Meagan Bebenek Foundation is pleased to recognize the awarding of the Canadian Government's Platinum Jubilee pin to Denise Bebenek. This pin was created in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for her 70 years of service to others, and as a way to pay tribute to people like Denise who make outstanding contributions to their communities.
Congratulations Denise. With pride, affection and respect, we salute Denise for her dedication and work as she continues to make a difference for others!
Newsletter Volunteer Recognition: Thank you Debbie Tong & Blair Day
Meagan’s HUG Charitable Info
Registered Charitable Business Number
774077473 RR 0001
Canada Revenue Agency:
CONTACT US
3273 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON M8X 1E2, Canada
Thank you to Meagan’s HUG newsletter volunteers,
Debbie Tong, Anna Muir, Blair Day
