Some of Toronto’s best-dressed descended on Evergreen Brick Works June 7 to enjoy fine food and live entertainment in support of a good cause.
The 11th annual Scrubs in the City brought hundreds of local residents together for an evening of celebration at the poshly decorated Evergreen Brick Works. Funds from the gala fundraiser went to the Hospital for Sick Children’s urgent care department.
With some 160 kids coming to the hospital’s emergency department every day, having state-of-the-art equipment and a comfortable environment for children and families alike is of utmost importance.
“No parent comes to see us thinking their child has a minor issue,” said Dr. Stephen Porter, chief of emergency medicine at SickKids.
He added the hospital promises the best possible care for every child who passes through the doors, noting the more than $375,000 raised through this year’s Scrubs in the City event would help ensure SickKids will be able to continue to meet that promise.
Former SickKids patient Mario Cariati attended the event and spoke of his own experiences at the hospital. As a child, he was rushed to emergency when his hand was caught in a meat grinder while helping his father at the family butcher shop. He lost three fingers in the accident and noted that “but for the expertise of all involved, the outcome would have been much worse.”
Cariati’s own trauma led to a lengthy experience with the hospital, both in terms of emergency care and after-care.
He said the emergency department staff was key in ensuring not only he got the treatment he needed but his family knew he would receive the best possible care.
“(My parents) knew as soon as we arrived at SickKids, we were in the right place,” he said. “It is the emergency department that serves as a point of entry for many families who will go on to have a long relationship with SickKids.”
This article was originally published by insidetoronto.com and written by Justin Skinner