This text is part of the special section Philanthropy
The Honorable L. Yves Fortier, honorary president of the Long live the tanners campaign of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, talks about the importance of contributing.
Sometimes the stars align to meet the right people at the right time. In the case of Renée Vézina and Yves Fortier, it happened by pure chance, on a plane. At this moment, the president of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and the honorary president of the Long live the tanners campaign did not know it yet, but they would soon be working together with a common goal: to raise 200 million dollars for the children’s health.
During his long and successful career as a businessman, lawyer and diplomat, the Honorable L. Yves Fortier was notably a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations. . Seeing him arrive next to her on board a flight to Toronto that he had just caught, Renée Vézina, who had recognized him, quickly jumped at the chance: she was precisely looking for a president of honor for the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of Quebec.
After working all his life, L. Yves Fortier could have chosen to rest, but he prefers to continue to contribute actively to society. That’s what made him agree.
Major donors extremely solicited
“I’ve always thought that in life it’s important to give of yourself, especially when you’ve received a lot,” he says. While talking with my wife, I remembered that our son had been treated at the Montreal Children’s Hospital when he was little. He had enjoyed his stay so much that when we went to pick him up, he didn’t want to follow us! He liked the nurses, the doctors, and he had made friends among the other sick children. We were able to see the quality of care, and that of course influenced my decision. »
As honorary president, part of his role consists of convincing major donors to contribute to the campaign, whereas in Quebec, people who have the means to make substantial donations are extremely solicited.
“There are many great worthy causes that deserve to be supported, but I have found that many people have already known a child treated at the Children’s. It is a good gateway into the thinking of people who have succeeded in life and who want to give back. »
However, it is not necessary to be a great philanthropist and to have millions to give, underlines the honorary president. The Children’s is a reflection of Quebec society that everyone can be proud of. Every donation counts, especially since for every dollar donated by the public, the government provides additional funding in the form of matching.
Thanks to the donations received, many innovative projects to improve child care can be carried out. The Long live the tanners campaign aims to fund around twenty of these projects.
“The campaign needs donations, large and small, that transform and save lives. It is a great honor for me to help. It is extremely gratifying. In Quebec, philanthropy has not always been part of our DNA, but today that is changing. »