Dilawri is a leader in the communities it serves as well as in the automotive industry. Since it was established in 2002, the Dilawri Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to a variety of charitable causes throughout Canada.
The Dilawri Foundation is committed to improving the lives of children and their families in the areas of health care, research, and social services. We believe that access to quality health care services is a right, not a privilege. By practicing meaningful, targeted philanthropy, we are helping to build safe and healthy Canadian communities.
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Since 2012, the Dilawri Foundation has been a proud supporter of SickKids, having created the Dilawri Patient Amenities Endowment Fund as well as the Dilawri Patients, Populations & Policy Research Neighbourhood, and as an event sponsor. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is Canada’s most research-intensive hospital as well as the country’s largest centre dedicated to improving children’s health.
The Dilawri Patient Amenities Endowment Fund
The Dilawri Patient Amenities Endowment Fund uses donations to provide financial assistance to patients and their families. Being diagnosed with an illness and undergoing treatment can be an emotional and draining experience—especially for a child—and sometimes a financial burden for a family. The presence of a parent or caregiver is vital in a patients’ care. This is where the Dilawri Patient Amenities Endowment Fund comes in, providing support that allows caregivers to focus on their loved ones.
The Fund covers costs associated with transportation, parking fees, meals, and accommodations. It also pays for medication and equipment that are critical to children’s immediate and long-term recovery, as well as recreational aftercare camps and community support groups, which help restore a sense of normalcy to those affected by an illness.
The Dilawri Patients, Populations & Policy Neighbourhood
The Dilawri Patients, Populations & Policy Neighbourhood in the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning plays an integral role in the research activities at SickKids. The Centre’s goal is to improve health care and quality of life for patients and their families. There, scientists produce research findings that lead to more effective and efficient delivery of health care and health promotion strategies including the management of pain, asthma, and Type 1 diabetes, as well as access to primary care, health technology, emerging infection control and effective health promotion strategies for youth at risk of mental illness.
Scrubs in the City
The Dilawri Foundation is a proud supporter of SickKids’ annual Scrubs in the City event, which raises money for the hospital’s most critical needs. In 2023, all funds raised went toward a new neurosurgery navigation system, which uses 3D technology to help surgeons quickly visualize the brain and spine, enabling them to perform the most delicate surgeries in the shortest amount of time.
The Bliss Ball
From 2012-2014, the Dilawri Foundation hosted the Bliss Ball in support of SickKids. These star-studded events brought out some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment, including Shania Twain, Jennifer Hudson, Martin Sheen, Mario Lopez, Bryan Adams, Nicole Scherzinger, and Matt Dusk, among others.
Funds raised through the events were donated to the Dilawri Patient Amenities Endowment Fund at SickKids.
Vancouver Public Library
In 2018, the Dilawri Foundation committed five million dollars to the Vancouver Public Library Foundation—at the time, the largest-ever donation to a public library in Canada.
The funds enabled the Central Vancouver Public Library to re-imagine over 3,000 square feet of space to include new and enhanced program areas, services, and resources for children and families.
In recognition of this contribution, the two plazas outside the library were named Dilawri Square.
Sarah McLachlan Foundation
Since 2018, the Dilawri Foundation has supported the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SOM) through the Sarah McLachlan Foundation. Established in 2002, SOM is a high-quality, student-centred community program operating in Vancouver and Surrey, BC, as well as Edmonton, AB. The school shares the transformative power of music with children and youth from vulnerable, at-risk communities at zero cost, offering cognitive, social, and mental-health benefits in the process. Over the years, it has helped hundreds of students to build the confidence, self-esteem, and sense of accomplishment they need to achieve long-term success.
Shania Kids Can
The Dilawri Foundation proudly supports Shania Kids Can, which helps children to reach their full potential by providing academic, nutritional, therapeutic, and extracurricular support. By giving them the tools they need to succeed, Shania Kids Can’s daily programs empower children from at-risk communities.
To date, the Foundation’s contributions have gone towards academic and psychological support, access to healthy nutrition, recreational programs—and more—at schools in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
WEST COAST KIDS CANCER FOUNDATION
As part of its ongoing commitment to children’s health and wellbeing, the Dilawri Foundation supports the West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation (WCK). Since 2017, WCK has delivered timely, practical assistance to BC kids and their families who are navigating childhood cancer and blood disorders, including through the Summer City Camp, meal delivery, and other youth programs.
North York General Hospital
United by shared philanthropic priorities, in 2016 the Dilawri Foundation and BDO Canada partnered to invest in North York General Hospital’s (NYGH) first patient amenities fund to support children and their families in the hospital’s Paediatric Complex Care Clinic.
The Paediatric Complex Care Clinic provides centralized, integrated care to the most vulnerable children. The Foundation’s contributions bring relief and comfort to these patients and their families by purchasing critical equipment and supplies that they would otherwise have had to pay for out of pocket.
Luther College High School
In 2016, the Dilawri Foundation contributed $500,000 to Luther College High School in Regina, SK, to establish the Dilawri Award for Students of Promise. This award goes to bright students who would not otherwise have been able to afford to attend the school, which played such an important role in Ajay Dilawri’s education. Luther College’s liberal arts approach centres on individual attention, teaching excellence, and a global perspective to learning—values shared by the Dilawri Foundation.
The Dilawri Simulation Centre at Regina General Hospital
Founded in 2012, The Dilawri Simulation Centre at Regina General Hospital is dedicated to improving medical education, research, and training practices. The Centre’s hands-on training enables local health-care professionals to provide high-quality services and enhanced patient care. With sophisticated software, lifelike mannequins, and state-of-the-art feedback technology, medical professionals hone their fine-motor skills, become comfortable making critical decisions, and learn how to manage accident scenes and interact more effectively as a team—all within a safe environment.
