The donor: Stan Kuliavas
The gift: Raising more than $1.2-million and climbing
The causes: Bay Street Hoops and other charities
As a boy growing up in Toronto, Stan Kuliavas had two passions in life: basketball and his Lithuanian heritage.
From an early age Mr. Kuliavas spent hours on the basketball court and helping out at various cultural organizations. “I grew up very much part of the Lithuanian community, which my parents were actively involved in,” recalls Mr. Kuliavas, 38, who is vice-president of sales at Levaero Aviation, a Thunder Bay, Ont.-based company that specializes in aircraft sales and leasing. “You sort of do it and it blossoms and it grows into other stuff.”
Mr. Kuliavas eventually became chair of the World Lithuanian Youth Association, a charity that supports youth organizations in more than 20 countries. That led to his involvement with St. Michael’s Young Leaders, where he helped to raise close to $1-million over six years for programs at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. A couple of years ago he joined the board of Bay Street Hoops, an annual basketball tournament that raises money for youth charities. This year’s tournament raised $200,000.
“I’m just a firm believer that team sports are just the ultimate life-lesson teaching tool for kids,” says Mr. Kuliavas, who played basketball at a U.S. college and served as an assistant coach. “It sets them up for success in life later on.”
Paul Waldie