Our new Clubhouse at 24 Cecil Street, Toronto. Membership

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1 Our new Clubhouse at 24 Cecil Street, Toronto In early spring, we successfully completed our move to 24 Cecil Street. Over 1,000 people joined us to celebrate our new location at the four Open Houses-- for members, our supporters, cancer care community partners and our new neighbours. Our new facilities are bright, cheerful and welcoming. We are now conveniently close to the University Avenue hospitals, The Princess Margaret [Cancer Centre], Mount Sinai, Toronto General and Sick Kids. And perhaps most important, our new clubhouse was specifically designed for our programming. It features: A wonderful light-filled Noogieland, for therapeutic arts programming and play for our youngest members; Small, intimate rooms for counseling and member and staff dialogue; A large, modern kitchen for our member nutrition programs and on-site food preparation for the communal meals that lead off our evening Family counseling sessions; A private space for Teens to meet and share their thoughts and Large public spaces for Member events and seminars. Membership 2012 saw a great increase in both GCGT s free membership and participation Upward of 40 new members have joined each month since our move last April! Over 100 vibrant & diverse program sessions are offered each month. Waiting lists have been started for several of our new and popular program offerings. The survey of members undertaken last summer resulted in additional programming: art therapy, music, educational seminars on alternative (as opposed to allopathic) approaches to treating cancer, creative writing, a transitions group and healthy cooking classes. Highlights include; a weekly spontaneous art journaling program with art therapy interns, a therapeutic drumming workshop, workshops with Naturopathic Doctors and traditional Chinese medicine doctors, a butterfly writing group, and a monthly transitions group.

2 Fundraising Looking Back on 2012 Development and Special Events: The 11 th Annual It s Always Something Variety Show once again provided a great evening and significant funds for Gilda s Club GT. Renowned comedian Russell Peters was host for the 6 th year with an incredible roster of performers including Divine Brown, Cirque Sublime, Nelly Furtado, Glass Tiger, Ron James, Eric McCormack, Dylan Murray, Lindi Ortega, Louise Pitre, Kristeen Von Hagen and Danielle Wade. Patrons saved their standing ovation for Colleen Coyne, our Gilda s Club member from the 20 s and 30 s support group who told her story to a sold out SONY theatre of guests. She said that the medical system made sure she lived but it was Gilda s Club who gave her life back you could hear a pin drop was a great year The Scotiabank Run saw a record number of participants place GCGT in the top 10 fundraisers, out of 165 participating charities. Save the date - Sunday October 20 th, 2013 and join us.

3 The 7 th Annual Jeanne Beker and Friends Open Their Hearts and Closets raised more than ever. Patrons lined up at the door 2 hours before the sale even started. Gilda s Club Greater Toronto could not exist without our many supporters and donors. Thank You! DONORS $100,000 & OVER: The Rotman Family Foundation DONORS $5,000 - $25,000: The Charles Johnson Charitable Foundation J.P. Bickell Foundation

4 SPONSORS: WITH THANKS TO:

5 MEDIA SPONSORS: Other supporters in the community included: Home Trust Company, ECHOage, American Iron & Metal, The Brides Project, StandUp For Your Sisters, POLARIS, JCO Communications, Shoppers Drug Mart Tree of Life Campaign, The Second City, Toronto Professional Firefighters Association, Qualified Financial Services, Titika Canada, Williamson Rd Jr Public School, Durham District School Board, JUSTUS band, Music House, and the Women s Hockey Club of Toronto.

6 Programming Gilda s Club Greater Toronto steps up to provide specialized therapeutic programs for children, youth & teens o The only bereavement group for teens in the GTA who have lost someone to cancer o Day camp programs for March break and July GCGT s weeklong camps - include siblings and kids whose family members have had cancer and all at no cost to the families. o The weekly therapeutic support groups Kids Talk Out and Kids Grieve Too! encourage meaningful conversations through play. Diverse recreational programs include: yoga, tai chi, qi gong, reiki, nia, creative movement classes, meditation workshops Engaging educational opportunities include: healthy cooking workshops, Pick a Pharmacist s Brain, Art of Happiness, a book club, Diet Cooking Series, Head scarf tying Stimulating arts-based programming including: spontaneous art journaling, painting workshops, sculpture with clay series, an abstract art series, a quilting workshop Our special lectures and events included an Inter-faith round table discussion Faith in the Face of Adversity, an Integrated Cancer Care Workshop, monthly informational seminars with clinical pharmacists from Princess Margaret Hospital. Running a program schedule as robust and rich as ours and offering our supportive services FREE of charge would not be possible without the tireless dedication of our team of skilled interns and professional volunteers. We are so excited to discover together, as a community, what programming opportunities await us at GCGT in 2013!

7 Our Sincere thanks to the following groups and organizations who partner with GCGT to provide for program needs: School of Nutrition College School of Broadcasting Yorkville After Breast Cancer Program Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

8 VOLUNTEERS Over 150 volunteers every year help with everything from delivering member programs to assisting our fundraising efforts. New volunteer initiatives in 2012 included: A special project provided pro-bono by BMO s IT Consulting Team to assess and recommend a greatly improved data management system for years to come at GCGT All lectures, workshops, art and recreational programs are now designed and delivered by skilled volunteers only the therapeutic support and networking groups are led by staff Volunteer ambassadors shared their experiences at GCGT with Open House visitors Volunteers organized, cooked and staffed our weekly family supper program on Tuesdays and Thursdays A volunteer staffs our social media sites