Charities
Our 2024 Charities
Players is proud to support these wonderful charities this season:
Founded in 1983, the Alzheimer Society of Ontario (ASO) is the province's leading care and research charity committed to helping people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The Alzheimer Society strives to stay on the cutting edge of dementia care. They respect backgrounds, values, beliefs and traditions of the people and communities they serve and seek input from diverse groups. They value open communication with their clients, donors, staff and volunteers.
Every donation to WCC supports underserved and underheard populations throughout Canada. It helps provide access to a powerful community writing program that is proven to support healing, hope, self-expression, a sense of purpose, and more – all by empowering voice and creating connection through story.
The Daily Bread Food Bank Programs and Services team works hard to provide the best support to meet the needs of their diverse membership and the communities they serve. Together, they provide dignified, low-barrier food access to adults, seniors and children experiencing food insecurity.
Daily Bread Food Bank’s network consists of 128 member agencies and 193 food programs.
The goal is to end hunger in our city.
Working together with health care and research professionals, patients, and the community, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation raises funds to support breakthrough research, patient care and education programs at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. The Princess Margaret is a recognized international leader in the fight against cancer and none of this would be possible without the generous support, commitment and dedication of their donors and community.
Our Charitable Mandate
Players is dedicated to raising funds for, and awareness of, the efforts of a variety of fantastic charities. Our season of shows is the means through which we make repeated important financial contributions to our charities, and our audience is our tool for spreading the awareness of the needs each of these organizations is addressing.
Our Previous Charities
In the past, Players has made donations to the following charities:
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Downie Wenjack Fund - downiewenjack.ca
The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund is part of Gord Downie’s legacy and embodies his commitment, and that of his family, to improving the lives of First Peoples. In collaboration with the Wenjack family, the goal of the fund is to continue the conversation that began with Chanie Wenjack’s residential school story, and to aid our collective reconciliation journey through a combination of awareness, education and action. For more information on the Downie Wenjack Fund, and how you can help, please visit their website downiewenjack.ca
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ALS Action Canada - alsactioncanada.org
ALS Action Canada is Canada’s only patient-led non-profit organization building a movement to ensure urgent, equitable access to promising therapies for Canadians living with ALS; more and better clinical trials for ALS therapies throughout Canada; and increased federal and provincial investment in ALS research. The goal is to #EndALS forever through advanced research, treatments, and trials that can detect ALS early and stop, reverse, or cure ALS. For more information on ALS Action Canada, and how you can help, please visit their website alsactioncanada.org
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Nellie's - nellies.org
Nellie's operates programs and services for women and children who have and are experiencing oppressions such as violence, poverty, and homelessness. Nellie’s is a community based feminist organization which operates within an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework. For more information on the Nellie's, and how you can help, please visit their website nellies.org
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Joe's M.I.L.L. - joesmill.org
Joe’s M.I.L.L. is a non-profit musical instrument library located in Kingston, Ontario. It was inspired by the late Joe Chithalen, a talented bass player who wanted everyone to experience the joy of playing an instrument. Several years and over 1,000 instruments later, Joe’s M.I.L.L. is a thriving, charitable organization powered by it’s volunteers and community partnerships. For more information on the Joe's M.I.L.L., and how you can help, please visit their website joesmill.org
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Casey House - caseyhouse.com
Casey House is Canada’s first and only stand-alone hospital for people with HIV/AIDS. It is still one of the few places where people with HIV/AIDS can seek care without judgement. They make their clients’ humanity more visible than their disease. For more information on the Casey House, and how you can help, please visit their website caseyhouse.com
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The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation - thepmcf.ca
PMCF supports the fight against cancer through breakthrough research, patient care and education programs at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. For more information on the foundation, and how you can help, please visit their website thepmcf.ca.
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Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto - rmhctoronto.ca
Serving over 3,000 families a year, their goal is to be a leader in providing a family-focused environment and innovative support services to seriously ill children and their families. For more information, and to find out how you can help, please visit their website rmhctoronto.ca
Regent Park School of Music - rpmusic.org
Regent Park School of Music is non-profit community music school which gives as many kids as possible a music education by removing financial hurdles. Their goal is to help kids succeed through music. For more information, and to find out how you can help, please visit their website rpmusic.org.
Lifeline Syria - lifelinesyria.ca
Lifeline Syria will recruit, train and assist sponsor groups to welcome and support 1,000 Syrian refugees coming to Canada as permanent immigrants to resettle in the GTA over the next two years. For more information, and to find out how you can help, please visit their website lifelinesyria.ca.
Femme International - femmeinternational.org
Femme International is committed to advancing the rights of women and girls through gender targeted programmes that focus on menstruation, sexual health and feminine hygiene. For more information, and to find out how you can help, please visit their website femmeinternational.org.
Camp Oochigeas - ooch.org
Camp Oochigeas offers year-round programs for children affected by childhood cancer at their site in Muskoka, at SickKids Hospital, at the Ooch Downtown facility in Toronto and in the community. For more information, and to find out how you can help, please visit their website ooch.org.
The Equality Effect - theequalityeffect.org
The Equality Effect uses human rights law to achieve concrete change in the lives of women and girls in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi – change that will improve the health, safety, and standard of living of women and girls. For more information, and how you can help, please visit their website theequalityeffect.org.
The Stephen Lewis Foundation - stephenlewisfoundation.org
SLF is a Canadian-based, foreign aid foundation dedicated to easing the pain of HIV/AIDS victims in Africa, and Players has been aiding in this mission since our inception. For more information on the foundation, and how you can help, please visit their website stephenlewisfoundation.org.
Community Living Toronto - cltoronto.ca
CLT is a recognized leader offering a full range of personalized supports and services to people with an intellectual disability and their families. For more information on the foundation, and how you can help, please visit their website cltoronto.ca.
Movember - ca.movember.com
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in Canada and around the world. With their “Mo’s”, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer. For more information on the foundation, and how you can help, please visit their website ca.movember.com.
St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation Toronto - foundation.stjoe.on.ca
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative. We recognize that St. Joe’s is leading the field in its approach to child and adolescent mental health, and we are pleased to contribute to their ongoing efforts. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website foundation.stjoe.on.ca.
The Tranzac Club - tranzac.org
In 2010 the Tranzac was faced with imminent closure, and mounted a multi pronged fundraising effort. As our home venue, the Tranzac means a lot to Players, so we immediately responded and produced a one night only benefit show which helped to secure a new lease on life for the Tranzac. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website tranzac.org.
*The Tranzac is a not-for-profit organization.
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis foundation - cysticfibrosis.ca
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) is a Canada-wide health charity with more than 50 volunteer chapters. The Foundation’s primary objective is to fund cystic fibrosis research and care. The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is one of the world’s largest non-governmental granting agencies in the field of cystic fibrosis research. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website cysticfibrosis.ca.
The Toronto International Film Festival - tiff.net
TIFF’s mission is to lead the world in cultural and creative discovery through the moving image and to place Canadian achievements in an international context. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website tiff.net.
The Canadian Cancer Society - cancer.ca
They are a national, community-based organization of volunteers, whose mission is the eradication of cancer
and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website cancer.ca.
World Society for the Protection of Animals - wspa.ca
WSPA’s vision is of a world where animal welfare matters, and animal cruelty ends. WSPA has been promoting animal welfare for more than 25 years. Their work is concentrated in regions of the world where few, if any, measures exist to protect animals. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website wspa.ca.
St. Michael’s College School - Centre for the Arts - stmichaelscollegeschool.com
The St. Michael’s College School Centre for the Arts is among Toronto’s finest theatrical venues. The generosity of the School’s supporters led to the development of a theatre with a 440 seating capacity, intimate interior design, finely tuned acoustics and a fly system. The Centre provides an excellent setting for artistic plays, musical performances, presentations and other large or small productions. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website stmichaelscollegeschool.com.
Theatre Smash - theatresmash.com
Theatre Smash is a multi Dora-nominated, Toronto-based independent theatre company dedicated to developing and producing contemporary work with a global twist. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website theatresmash.com.
Variety The Children’s Charity - varietyontario.ca
For more than 60 years, Variety - The Children's Charity Ontario has worked with young people with disabilities and those who face developmental barriers to achieve their life potential. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website varietyontario.ca.
SickKids - sickkids.ca
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is recognized as one of the world’s foremost pediatric health-care institutions and is Canada’s leading centre dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. For more information, including how you can help, please visit their website sickkids.ca.
