Toronto man raises more than $140,000 for Alzheimer’s — a cause close to his heart

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The donor: Joey Arfin

The gift: Raising $140,000 and climbing

The cause: Baycrest Health Sciences

When Joey Arfin's grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, he spent years watching the disease slowly take away her life.

"I watched all the stages of Alzheimer's and how she ceased to be the person she was," Mr. Arfin recalled from Toronto, where he founded Jadaco Recreation Management, a recreational equipment company. Years later, Mr. Arfin came in contact with Toronto's Baycrest Health Sciences, which specializes in elderly care and brain research. Eventually he was invited to participate in Baycrest's main fundraising event, an annual hockey tournament that includes former professional players and amateurs.

Mr. Arfin, 50, has been involved ever since and on Saturday he'll be playing in the tournament for the 11th straight year, becoming one of the biggest fundraisers and co-chair. It's now called the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's and Mr. Arfin has raised more than $140,000 in total while his team, Jadaco/Slavens, has generated around $750,000 in total.

The event has taken on special meaning as Mr. Arfin's mother is now being treated at Baycrest for early cognitive impairment. "It's hard to put into words," he said. "But I have a close personal reason to continue to raise money."