Determined to make a difference, the McIntyre family, their friends and co-workers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) formed Bethanys Hope Committee. Collectively they were committed to raise funding for the research of an American scientist, Dr. John Barranger of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre. This small hard working group of volunteers raised over $100,000 during the first 12 months of operation thru donations, golf tournaments, bingos, BBQs and a Charity Gala Ball.
A wonderful accomplishment however it become apparent that significant additional funds would be necessary to conduct the concentrated research required to find the answers they so desperately sought. They also realized that a Canadian program had to be established to qualify as a registered Canadian Charity to collaborate with Dr. Barranger in the U.S.A..
A formal Board of Directors was established and the original small Committee was incorporated in the Province of Ontario as a Non-Profit Public Foundation - 1171240 on July 26th, 1996. They changed the name to Bethanys Hope Foundation (BHF) and became a Registered Canadian Charity on January 1st, 1998 operating under the Business Number - 88737-4833-RR0001.
After receiving this certification Bethany and the members of this Foundation met wonderful new "Partners in Hope”, Mr. Tony Marsman of Rembrandt Homes and the men and women of the London Home Builders' Association. These partnerships combined with the members of the R.C.M.P. and the Knights of Columbus led to the undertaking of their largest Foundation Project to date. "The Hopes and Dreams Lottery" campaign, completed in May 1999 netted the Foundation nearly a million dollars for research. As a result the Foundation and their partners were able to establish a collaborative research facility. “Bethanys Hope Leukodystrophy Research Laboratory” under the direction of Dr. Tony Rupar of the University of Western Ontario and Dr. John Barranger from the University of Pittsburgh officially opened their doors on November 5th. 1999 here in London, Ontario.
Since 1999 the Directors and members of Bethanys Hope Foundation have reached out into the communities of South Western Ontario to establish a tremendous network of friends and corporate partners to continue the fight for Research funding. Over the last ten years the they have combined their talent and energy to execute two additional major Lotteries, ten Charity Gala Balls, a multitude of charity golf tournaments and most recently a charity classic rock festival,“ Rock the Park ”. They are well on the way to raise another million dollars for this non-stop search for the ultimate goal ……. the cure !!
.
|
