TORONTO, ON (February 28, 2025) – Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (Holland Bloorview) kicks off its ninth annual Capes for Kids fundraising campaign, presented by BMO, to support kids and youth with disabilities and developmental differences and their families. From February 28 to March 7, 2025, fundraisers are asked to don superhero capes as a way to celebrate hitting their fundraising goals. The capes also function as a visual cue to help spark conversation about disability inclusion. Since 2017, the campaign has raised over $6.5 million for the most urgent care and research needs at Holland Bloorview.

“Capes for Kids is scaling to new heights this year – and we’re kicking off with a visit from a group of caped superheroes who will be rappelling down the exterior of the hospital to surprise and delight children and youth at Holland Bloorview,” said Sandra Hawken, president and CEO, Holland Bloorview Foundation. “We’re incredibly grateful to our dedicated community of fundraisers, donors and sponsors who join forces with Holland Bloorview kids and youth to break fundraising records and create conversation about disability inclusion. Together, we will continue our bold and daring mission to amplify and prioritize innovation and care in childhood disability in Canada and across the globe.”

Last year Capes for Kids raised over $1 million and the funds raised this year will help support research and critical hospital programs and services that include, but are not limited to:

• Funding research: The Bloorview Research Institute is a global leader in transformative, equity-driven research that’s dedicated to advancing our understanding of disability, developing new interventions and creating change at the individual, community and system level to build a more inclusive world.
• Providing support: The Family Support Fund provides a lifeline for families at Holland Bloorview, offering financial aid to families for necessities including medical equipment, medication, recreation and respite services.
• Creating laughter: Therapeutic clowns at Holland Bloorview help ease stress and anxiety using music and comedy. They’re a smile-cracking distraction during certain procedures and can make therapy fun by bringing warmth and laughter to kids and families.
• Inspiring music: Music therapy helps kids build self-confidence and creative expression, all while supporting each child’s individual therapy goals. Our unique virtual music instrument gives kids of all abilities a chance to rock out.
• Fostering creativity: The Spiral Garden helps children’s imaginations bloom. This popular outdoor art, garden and summer camp program promotes self-expression and creativity as kids transform into artists, sculptors, gardeners, puppeteers, storytellers and theatre performers.
• Nurturing independence: The Independence Program (TIP) gives young adults with disabilities the chance to live away from home for three weeks. TIP workshops help them develop important life skills like how to buy groceries, how to prepare meals, how to manage money and how to safely take public transit.

Ragheeb, 15, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, when he was four years old and has accessed a variety of different services and programs at Holland Bloorview. As a teen with a disability, Ragheeb is passionate about spreading awareness about the importance of access, inclusion and belonging. He’s also a Capes for Kids super ambassador who introduced the campaign to his elementary school last year by presenting at a school-wide assembly and raising nearly $3,500! This year he’s got his sights set even higher – he plans to launch Capes for Kids at his new high school and to spread the word about all of the great things that the hospital makes possible for kids and youth with disabilities. “They give me advice about putting myself out there and how to respond when kids at school ask questions like, ‘Why are you in a wheelchair?’”

Anyone can register for free to participate or donate at CapesforKids.ca. You can make your own cape or earn a Capes for Kids branded cape by raising your first $100 ($50 for children and youth).

More ways to get involved:

• Join us at one of several events including a Caped night with the Toronto Marlies, an accessible family-friendly event.
• When you raise $1,000 you can receive a limited-edition gold cape.
• Sign-up your workplace and your corporate team will be partnered with an honorary Kid Captain to help unite your team and achieve your fundraising goal!

Everything you need to fundraise, including downloadable graphics and virtual meeting backgrounds, can be found in our Fundraising Toolkit.

Capes for Kids is made possible through the generous support of donors, including Presenting Sponsor BMO and other supporting sponsors: INFOR Financial Group, TD, RBC, LEGO Canada, Morgan Stanley, CI Financial, Element Fleet Management, Crowe Soberman, Aon, Avison Young, Coast Capital Savings, ALLIED, Gluckstein Lawyers, Motion, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Sodexo Canada, Schultz Law Group LLP, Gyro Mazda, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, and in-kind sponsor, Air Canada. Special thanks to media supporters, Pattison Outdoor, Rogers Media, Toronto Life and the Toronto Star.

About Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital believes in creating a world where all youth and children belong. We are the only children’s rehabilitation hospital in Canada focused on combining world-class care, transformational research, and academic leadership in the field of child and youth rehabilitation and disability. We are a top 40 Canadian research hospital that is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. Providing both inpatient and outpatient services, Holland Bloorview is renowned for its expertise in co-creating with clients and families to provide exceptional care and is the only organization to ever achieve 100 per cent in three successive quality surveys by Accreditation Canada. Holland Bloorview is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, consistent and coordinated approach to pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Together we champion a world of possibility. For more information or to donate, please visit hollandbloorview.ca or connect on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and parent-blog BLOOM.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Erin Pooley
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
epooley@hollandbloorview.ca 
C: 647-406-3567