Last year, Gino Piazza was Epilepsy Ontario’s top fundraiser during the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, raising $3,252 for the organization. He aims to exceed that number during the fundraising campaign leading up to this year’s marathon on Oct. 19.
Piazza, Epilepsy Ontario’s president, says his role with the organization has provided him an opportunity to expand his network of people to whom he will send his fundraising challenge.
“I’m absolutely hoping to beat (my fundraising amount) this year,” Piazza tells Voices of Epilepsy, adding he hopes to raise $5,000.
“But what really matters is that we reach our collective goal for the organization.”
Piazza notes he’s not the only member of Epilepsy Ontario’s board participating in the event. Past president Elisa McFarlane and board member Lawton Osler will also be running in the marathon.
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual event where thousands of people run through Toronto to raise money and awareness for a myriad of organizations supporting worthy causes.
The event includes a 42-kilometre marathon, a half marathon and a five-kilometre run.
Money raised from the marathon, now in its 25th year, will go towards services, education and support for people living with seizure disorders and their families.
Piazza says he looks forward to this year’s marathon and plans to make it a family affair. He and his wife recently became the parents of triplets, he notes. “I hope to be pushing them in front of me,” he says.
Piazza says his passion for helping Epilepsy Ontario with fundraising and awareness stems from his family’s positive first-hand experiences with the organization after his youngest sister was diagnosed with epilepsy more than a decade ago.
“When we found out she had epilepsy, the first organization we reached out to was Epilepsy Ontario, and (our family) received tremendous support and information, and (the organization) helped us navigate the various corridors of the health system, which were pretty obscure at the time,” Piazza explains.
“It’s a blessing . . . that I can be a part of the organization that helped us.”
Click here to register for this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon or to learn more about the event.
Writer: Deron Hamel
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