SUSSEX, N.B. – Tim Hortons franchisees, Jim and Chris Andrew, of Sussex, New Brunswick have signed on for a second time as a presenting sponsor of the Laughs for Possibility Comedy fundraiser in support of Bloorview Kids Rehab — even if the event they’re sponsoring is 1,500 km away, in Toronto.
“We want our business associated with this show because of the chance to help Bloorview after everything Bloorview has done for our family,” said Chris. In July 2008, while on vacation at his grandparents’ cottage, their three-year-old grandson, Eric, experienced a
massive stroke, which led to a lengthy course of intensive therapy at Bloorview. “We sat in on one of Eric’s physiotherapy sessions and knew, when we saw the way his therapist was working with him, that Bloorview was a very special place,” said Jim.
When Eric’s father, Lloyd Ravn, an amateur comedian in Toronto, told his in-laws about his plans to produce a live comedy fundraiser for Bloorview, they immediately jumped at the opportunity to provide corporate sponsorship.
This is the second Laughs for Possibility event, following the inaugural show in January 2009, which featured several of Canada’s top comedians, and which was also sponsored by Jim and Chris. Laughs for Possibility 2 will welcome another crop of Canadian comedy superstars to raise funds for the rehab centre.
Since the original show, Eric experienced two more strokes in May and is back at Bloorview as an in-patient in the Brain Injury Rehab Team wing. As doctors work to determine the cause of Eric’s strokes — not to mention how to prevent future relapses — the Andrews are happy to support the hospital helping Eric recover. “The return to us in sponsoring this show is more on a personal level than a business one,” explained Jim. “But with the hard work everyone at Bloorview is doing to get Eric back to himself, we can expect the payback from the business end when Eric is old enough to come east to work at our stores.”
Tickets for Laughs for Possibility 2 are available here (www.laughsforpossibility.com) and the full line-up of Canadian comedians will be announced shortly.
