The BC Schizophrenia Society celebrated cherished donors at our annual Donor Appreciation Event last Tuesday, November 26th. Despite heavy traffic delays and busy schedules, we all met at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Richmond to look back on what we’ve been able to accomplish this year with your help; some attendees travelled over an hour to join our event!
BCSS CEO Faydra Aldridge opened the event by thanking everyone for attending and discussing the work the team has done throughout the province to provide care to families dealing with severe and persistent mental illness. She also introduced Jack Middleton, BCSS President, who discussed how donations and support allow us to implement our 2024 Strategic Plan, which includes focusing on rural and underserved areas and boosting awareness wherever possible. In particular, he mentioned that due to donations, we were able to serve 1150 new families this year.
Faydra then introduced Renato Zane, our British Columbia Schizophrenia Society Foundation (BCSSF) Board Chair, who took the stage to discuss the work of BCSSF in aiding research into severe mental illness, including our partnership with Michael Smith Research BC. Renato announced that as part of this partnership, Dr. Allie Slemon was awarded a Reach Program grant to improve seclusion protocols for young patients in mental health inpatient settings. Furthermore, he discussed other projects that BCSSF donations help support, such as those led by Dr. Rafal Skiba, Dr. Benneth Ben-Azu, and Dr. Ivan Torres. He ended his speech by noting that BCSSF is looking for volunteers and potential new directors, and to contact him at rzane@bcssfoundation.org if interested.
The mic was passed off to Marsha MacMurchy, our Director of Development to introduce the heart of this year’s Holiday Appeal campaign; the Tancon family then shared the story of their late daughter Monica with us. Standing alongside their Regional Educator Michelle Gallant, they recounted Monica’s journey with schizophrenia and praised BCSS for helping them process their loss.
Their powerful words brought the room to tears. To learn more about their journey with a loved one with mental illness, you can read Monica’s full story here.
Faydra thanked the Tancons for their bravery in sharing their story. Regional Educator Hardeep Thind echoed the power of the Tancons’ story and updated us on the important work her team has done to support family members of loved ones with severe mental illness. Hardeep detailed that her team has given 19 community presentations in just the last six weeks—compared to 27 throughout the whole previous year!
These presentations would not be possible without our donors. If you can, please consider donating to BCSS or BCSSF for our Holiday Appeal. All donations made before January 31st will be matched by long-time donor Chris Sandy, up to a maximum of $10,000!
The event ended with our 2024 Holiday Appeal video, which features Faydra and Chris Sandy, and time for everyone to mingle. You can watch this video below:
The night was marked by warmth and unforgettable moments as we gathered with cherished donors whose unwavering support has been the backbone of BCSS throughout the years. To everyone who joined us at our Donor Appreciation Event, thank you. Your presence added a profound sense of warmth and community to an evening dedicated to celebrating the impact of your support.
We want to give heartfelt thanks to Bev and Rico Tancon for courageously sharing their family’s journey with schizophrenia. Their story highlights the transformative power of connection, resilience, and the critical role BCSS plays in supporting families across BC. We are proud to help you honour Monica.
To our incredible donors, your generosity is the foundation of everything we do, and we are deeply grateful for your unwavering support. Thank you for being the driving force behind our mission. Because of you, BCSS continues to provide life-changing resources, programs, and hope to those living with schizophrenia and their loved ones. Your contributions create a ripple effect of positive change that touches countless lives.
This event was sponsored by AA Pharma.
