Thank you for choosing to donate to the Triple Crown for Heart, raising money for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation and the Children's Heart Network. Your heart is definitely in the right place! This year we are raising money to send heart kids and their parents to Camp Zajac, as well as for family programs at the BC Children's Hospital.

If you would like to donate on behalf of a rider who is taking part in the Triple Crown for Heart ride, go to our fundraising page to choose the rider whose campaign you would like to support and make your donation. If you prefer to donate directly to the Triple Crown for Heart, choose the campaign labelled “Triple Crown for Heart - General.” All donations above $20 will receive a tax receipt.

If you are a rider and would like to set up a personal fundraising page, please go to the Fundraising Signup page. There you can create your own personal page where you can set your goal and send a link to people to donate on behalf of your ride.

A Donor’s Story

We are honoured to share with you the words of an incredibly generous 2024 donor, Jack Gruschow. Jack was inspired to give to our causes by one of our most dedicated champions, Kristina Bangma, as well as his fellow cycling group members, Dr. Martin Hosking and Connie Ens, RN. We hope his story inspires you to consider your own reasons for giving to the Triple Crown for Heart.

Jack, our heartfelt thanks go out to you, as well as to all the wonderful people who donate to the Triple Crown for Heart. We couldn’t meet our goal of easing the lives of pediatric heart patients and their families without you!

Reason for Giving

I think in any type of life changing event there is usually a story that goes with it. For me personally this story is about cultivating my giving side.

I've been an entrepreneur for all my life. Except for maybe a couple instances where I held a job for brief periods of time. I grew up in an environment where my family were all self-employed. My grandfather, who I worshiped, came from the no man’s land between Western Russia and Eastern Poland. It was a place where the Jews were persecuted and he fled to Canada at the turn of the century. He arrived in Toronto, as the legend goes, with $0.10 sewn into the lining of his jacket, when Yonge Street wasn't yet a paved thoroughfare. He started an abattoir business because that was one of the few things Jews were allowed to do in the old country and eventually built significant business and brought many of his brothers over from Europe, saving them from the Holocaust. I worshiped my grandfather, even though he would always take my allowance off me in a Friday night card game. He gave me a lot of those blue felt bags that Crown Royal came in so I always had lots for my marble collection.

Anyway, I would say that throughout most of my business life I've been focused on winning and losing, trying to win more than lose. Most business is a zero-sum game soit's about being competitive. “We eat what we kill” as the saying goes in some of my circles. I first met Kristina about five years ago when she started training me in the gym.

Then I got interested in cycling so I joined her Kits Energy cycling group. I suppose this part of the story begins when I started to appreciate how remarkable she has been in the face of such challenging diversity. She's a real inspiration. She also has a flock of many acolytes that she trains. But what really struck me was how much she cares about every single one of them. I call her the Queen Bee. She has navigated the most challenging aspects of her life and still manages to offer amazing support to all she comes into contact with.

As coincidence would have it, Connie Ens and Dr. Martin Hosking were also members of this cycling group. I've watched them firsthand sacrifice so much of their personal time to care for their patients. It's just been overwhelming for me. One small recollection to share. One morning Martin was late meeting us for a weekend ride and he was sorry and apologized for being late. His reason? He was on call and had to save a baby born with methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome)! Amazing modesty and taking his incredible skill, knowledge and experience for granted, he commented, “Anyone could fix this tiny heart with the right equipment.” At that point the light started to go on for me. Maybe I could do something to help others.

Being fortunate enough to meet these special people I've been able to cultivate an aspect of myself that maybe wasn't readily accessible - the aspect of giving.  Maybe this story will inspire some readers to channel that goodness present in all of us. If I can become a giver there is hope for us all!

–Jack Gruschow