Richard Shantz, left, and Andrew Frank have raised over $1-million for Parkinson’s disease research, targeting an illness that has affected many people close to them.Justin Tang/The Globe and Mail
The gift: Raising $1-million and climbing
The cause: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
One day a few years ago, Andrew Frank and Richard Shantz began talking about Parkinson's disease and how the illness had affected so many people close to them.
For Mr. Shantz it was his wife Janet, who had just been diagnosed. For Mr. Frank it was his mother. Many of their colleagues at RBC Dominion Securities in Ottawa had been impacted by Parkinson's as well.
The men decided to do something, and in 2009 they approached The Ottawa Hospital Foundation about launching a fundraising campaign for Parkinson's research. They set a target of raising $500,000 in five years. They reached that goal in three years, and with the help of a group of colleagues across the financial-services sector they have now raised $1-million.
"We're so proud of the group," said Mr. Frank, who is still with RBC in Ottawa. "It has been amazing."
Added Mr. Shantz, who is now retired: "We wanted to take a negative and turn it into a positive."
Ms. Shantz said she is doing as well as can be expected and marvelled at the amount raised. "The whole country is very generous."
Paul Waldie