The Gift: $500,000
The Cause: Best Buddies Canada
The Reason: To help people with mental disabilities When Ray Cowling was growing up, he had a cousin who was mentally handicapped. “I remember his parents used to hide him,” Mr. Cowling recalled. “So that made quite an influence on me.”
Mr. Cowling went on to have a successful career in the food business and founded Toronto-based Cowling Group of Companies. About 15 years ago, his good friend Daniel Greenglass told him about a new organization he was launching in Canada called Best Buddies Canada.
Best Buddies members (Clockwise from left) Nadiya, Maria, Kathleen, Katie, Scott, Constantino, Ben, Lino, Natalie, Jeffrey, with Raymond Cowling(centre) who is donating $500,000 to the program.
Mr. Cowling became an active supporter and donor. This spring he contributed $500,000 to the organization, the largest single gift in its history. Part of the money will go toward scholarships for Best Buddies volunteers and to develop online training opportunities. The gift also kick-started a $10-million fundraising campaign.
“Things have changed a great deal since I was a young fellow,” Mr. Cowling said. “And, I think a lot of it has to do with Best Buddies. They get people together, which is a great thing.”
Mr. Cowling sold his business about 10 years ago and created a private foundation that has made donations to several other causes, including Casey House, Princess Margaret Hospital and St. Michael's Hospital.
But the memories of how his cousin was treated mean that Best Buddies will always be close to his heart.
“The [disabled] kids today, at least they've got someone to go out with and care for them and buy them a cup of coffee or do something. In the days that I'm thinking about, you used to hide your [disabled] children,” he said. “I'd like to see Best Buddies succeed and up to this point it has been successful.”
pwaldie@globeandmail.com
