November 7, 2024

St. Joe’s 27th Annual Gala Raises $750,000 for Robotic Surgery

On Saturday, November 2, 2024, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation hosted our 27th annual gala at LiUNA Station, entitled Art, Science & Innovation of da Vinci. Thanks to the creative vision of the Gala Committee, and expertly curated by Co-Chairs Joe and Enza Mancinelli, nearly 500 guests enjoyed a renaissance inspired evening, exploring the classic origins behind today’s advanced technology. 

We are delighted to announce the evening was a great success, and thanks to our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and guests, we raised over $750,000 for robotic surgery at St. Joe’s! 

For more than a decade, philanthropy has been the driving force behind our internationally renowned robotic surgery program. And while our research excellence helped to lobby OHIP to fund a limited number of robotic procedures, 7 of the 10 types of surgery we perform at St. Joe’s remain unfunded to this day. This is why our gala isn’t just a just glamourous night out, it is one of the events that helps our Hospital the most, with this year’s funds helping to bring the power and the promise of robotic surgery to every patient who may benefit from it.  

Our Hospital and our Foundation would like to recognize the generous bids during the gala’s capital equipment drive, which raised an incredible $250,000 to fund the cost of sterile instruments required for 100 robotic procedures.

Each donation made will help to:  

• Ensure patients living with oral, esophageal, lung or bladder cancers can have the very best chance at recovery and remission through robotic-assisted oncologic surgeries. 

• Ensure patients living with arthritis and requiring a full or partial hip or knee replacement can regain their mobility and independence faster via robotic-assisted orthopaedic procedures. 

We would also like to express our gratitude to the gala’s premier sponsor LiUNA and co-presenting sponsors CARSTAR and Driven Brands, DiCenzo Homes, Effort Trust, Joseph and Enza Mancinelli, The McKeil Family Foundation, and TNG Capital Corporation, for helping create a wonderful evening that celebrated art, science, innovation and care in our community. 

A special thank you also goes out to the 2024 Gala Committee for being the artists behind a successful and unforgettable night, Gala Co-Chairs: Joe and Enza Mancinelli, and Committee Members: Mary Lou Ciancone, Rita De Luca, Andrea De Rubeis, Anna De Rubeis, Lucy Faiella-Visca, Tony Magliocco, Kathy McKeil, Anne Moore-Cox, Ben Pace, Angelo Paletta, Cristina Persi, & Catherine Sennett. 

On behalf of the patients we care for, thank you for helping to make our gala a resounding success!