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January 5, 2017

LGH Foundation Board chair Pierre Lebel (l) and Dr. Jordan Cohen, Medical Manager Youth Mental Health, flank Kristy Gill, Executive Director of Variety—The Children’s Charity, which donated $250,000 to the project.

More than 1,600 donors help make Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorder Centre a reality

From anonymous individuals to private companies and non-profit organizations, the generosity of donors in supporting the Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorders Centre has been nothing short of overwhelming.

When Lions Gate Hospital Foundation launched the $5 million fundraising campaign in March 2016 to help build the 10-bed unit in the HOpe Centre on the LGH campus, donations started to flow, and flow quickly.

In fact, the $5 million target was surpassed in September and now totals $5.095 million for the unique new resource for young patients struggling with mental health and substance use issues across Vancouver Coastal Health. Donations are still trickling in.

A heartfelt thank you to donors

“It’s incredibly uplifting to know that there are so many people who believe in helping provide a caring and safe environment for vulnerable young patients,” says Tanis Evans, Carlile Centre Interim Operations Director. “We are beyond grateful to every single donor who has contributed to this project to make it a reality.”

The majority of donations came from the North Shore. The foundation also received 2% of its donations for youth mental health from Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.

Of the $5 million, $2 million came from Jack and Leone Carlile, after whom the centre is named. Other multiple large gift donations came from organizations such as Variety – The Children’s Charity, which donated $250,000, and Telus ($150,000 matching gift).

Equally important were the huge number of donations to youth mental health for $1,000 or less, including some for $10. Combined, these donors  contributed $400,000 to help support the Carlile Centre.

“Without each and every one of these donors, we wouldn’t be looking forward to the opening of such a centre in 2017,” says Tanis. “I, personally, am very grateful to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation for their tireless efforts in supporting youth mental health.”

When it opens in April 2017, just over 1,600 donors will have helped make the Carlile Youth Concurrent Disorder Centre a reality.