In late January, Strike Out Cancer will bring mortgage industry professionals together for nine bowling events across Canada, kicking off in Saskatoon on January 21, followed by Halifax on January 24, and wrapping up with seven cities—Calgary, Hamilton, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg—on January 29.
The event brings together representatives from competing brands in a united effort to raise funds for cancer research. Last January, Strike Out Cancer’s inaugural event raised approximately $56,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, but founder Don Stoddart has set his sights even higher for 2025, aiming to raise $800,000.
“It’s incredible how one small thought could turn into such a miracle,” says Stoddart, owner and principal broker of Key Mortgage Partners. “People really stepped up; it’s really been quite rewarding.”
Stoddart came up with that thought in the spring of 2023, after losing four people to cancer in quick succession.
“A good friend of mine, Ed Karthaus, was nominated into the MPC Hall of Fame, and before going into the Hall of Fame, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” Stoddart says. “He gave his acceptance speech from his hospital bed and died a few days later.”
A week later, Stoddart’s sister-in-law also passed away from pancreatic cancer, followed by Maria Charles, the wife of Canada Guaranty President and CEO Andy Charles, just weeks after that.
“We also lost another person who was very near and dear to us from the industry by the name of Jessica Fitzpatrick; she died of brain cancer,” Stoddart says. “I wanted to do something to honour them.”
Bringing competitors together for a common cause
Stoddart’s first call was to his long-time friend and colleague Susan Thomas, executive vice president of network development at M3 Financial Group and vice president of sales at Haventree Bank.
“We were direct competitors, and I said, ‘I think we should do this as a non-denominational type of thing,’ to which Don replied, ‘Susan, it sounds like church,’” Thomas jokes. “What we were going for was, ‘one industry, one cause, one event.’”
Together they assembled a committee that included representatives from every major mortgage brand in the country, including Dong Lee, the CEO of Axiom Innovations.
“The nice thing with bowling is, as Susan said to me, you can do it anywhere — every community has a bowling alley — and you don’t have to be good at it to have fun,” says Lee.
On the last Tuesday of January 2024 — intentionally picked for its quiet spot on the industry calendar — around 200 Canadian mortgage professionals gathered in Vaughan to raise funds, share stories, and, naturally, bowl a few strikes.
Attendees were encouraged to dress in costume, with prizes awarded for best dressed and most funds raised. Each participant also wore a nametag featuring their name and the name of the person they were bowling in honour of.
“When you go golfing, you’re with the same four people for four to six hours,” Thomas explains. “People were going from lane-to-lane networking and laughing and the energy, the atmosphere was a lot of fun, as it often is when our industry gets together.”
Lee and Thomas noted that every industry member they approached was eager to get involved. Thanks to full funding from industry sponsors, every dollar of the approximately $56,000 raised last year went directly to cancer research.
“I just can’t get over how generous our industry is,” says Thomas. “It took no time for us to fill up the sponsorship spots; our industry partners were all-in.”
“When you start something from a place of good intentions, the sky’s the limit, and I think that’s really the way this thing all came together,” adds Lee.
Among those who stepped up was Home Trust President and CEO Yousry Bissada, who also serves on the board of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Bissada recalled that during one of his first board meetings, the foundation’s president and CEO, Miyo Yamashita, encouraged members to share any fundraising initiatives where the organization could offer its support.
“When they called and said they wanted to do this bowling event for cancer, I called Miyo and they mobilized immediately,” Bissada says. “She spoke at the event, she stuck around, she shook hands with a whole bunch of people and handed out her business card.”
Bissada adds that the success of the inaugural event was highlighted at the following board meeting.
“I think it’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s a great cause,” he says. “There’s a thousand cocktail parties, a thousand golf tournaments, but the good thing about bowling is that anyone can do it, and it’s easy to socialize.”
Building off last year’s success
With the support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation’s fundraising infrastructure, contributions from over 40 industry sponsors, and matching funds from Health Canada, the committee is confident this year’s event will make an even greater impact.
“For phase two, this is going national,” says Thomas. “Princess Margaret was able to partner with the Terry Fox Foundation, so the money raised for cancer research in the cities and communities we’re going to is going to stay in the community.”
In addition to a $500 registration fee per five-person team, each bowler is encouraged to raise an extra $250, while non-bowlers can join with a $50 guest pass. Across nine locations, with Health Canada matching funds and industry sponsors covering expenses, the event aims to reach an impressive $800,000 in total donations.
“When we told people, they kind of laughed at us, but we actually think it’s achievable,” says Lee. “But let’s say we fall short, and we only raise $300,000 — and with the dollar matching we get $600,000 — I’m pretty happy with that for one day of bowling, and that gives us enough momentum to take this to 20 or 30 locations next year.”
Lee notes that the infrastructure developed by Stoddart and the organizing committee is designed for scalability, and he looks forward to seeing the event and its impact grow in the years ahead.
“When I thought about honouring the people that I cared about and loved and wanted to do something to recognize, I never thought that it would turn into such a glorious event,” Stoddart says. “It just keeps getting bigger, because cancer is something that touches everybody.”
To learn more, donate, or register for the event, visit www.strikecancer.ca.
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charity Don Stoddart Dong Lee Ed Karthaus fundraising Jessica Fitzpatrick Maria Charlies Princess Margaret Foundation Stike Out Cancer Susan Thomas Yousry Bissada
Last modified: December 13, 2024