2004 Award Recipients

 Barbara and Patrick Keenan

Barbara and Patrick Keenan are compassionate philanthropists whose vision and generosity assist institutions to move in new directions.

Eleven years ago, Barbara and Patrick Keenan had a vision of St. Michael's Hospital as a centre of research. To realize that vision, they endowed the Keenan Chair in Medicine for Nephrology Research with a $2 million gift.

The Keenans have both contributed and raised millions of dollars for dialysis machines, for a new floor dedicated to the care of Nephrology patients, and for kidney gene research. Their support of the hospital's Organ Donation Program has allowed St. Michael's to take the lead in changing organ donation programs across the province and to double its own rate of organ donations. In September 2000 a $5 million gift was made to support medical research at the Hospital. Barbara and Patrick Keenan's philanthropy and leadership has attracted many individuals to the Hospital and Foundation's Boards and Committees.

At the Yonge Street Mission, they have translated their understanding of the Mission's work with infants at risk, young families and disadvantaged adults, living in poverty, in our inner-city into a gift of $500,000, the largest donation ever received by the Mission. Their gift has already made a
difference in the Yonge Street Mission's programs in healthcare, community kitchens, education and job training for thousands of people in our community who are struggling to get by.

The Keenans have supported The Kidney Foundation of Canada's Peer Support Program, which provides one-to-one support for patients and families. Trained volunteers who have made a positive adjustment to coping with kidney disease are matched with those who are newly diagnosed and are seeking support regarding treatment modality and transportation. With the Keenan's support, renal education programs have been expanded with the Chinese Renal Association in Toronto and with
centres in Oshawa/Whitby and Barrie.

Barbara and Patrick Keenan have also shown generosity and leadership with a gift of $1 million to the University of St. Michael's College, a gift that will be matched by St. Michael's and will launch a major, graduate teaching initiative in religious education. The Keenans are proud supporters of McGill University's Alma Mater Fund which offers students the opportunity to embrace new frontiers of knowledge. They also have contributed generously to the David Suzuki Foundation's Web of Life
Project that works at many levels to integrate environmental conservation into our daily lives. The Critical Care Medicine Research Fund at St. Paul's Hospital in British Columbia, with the goal of optimizing the delivery of critical care throughout the province, is another beneficiary of the Keenan's
visionary generosity.

Major donations have also been made to the ROM Renaissance Campaign and the Capital Campaign for the new Opera House of the Canadian Opera Company.

As one of their beneficiaries says, "Not only are Barbara and Patrick Keenan generous, altruistic and committed philanthropists, they strive to ensure that their philanthropic leadership encourages and inspires others to act accordingly."