What a year, we celebrated Jacob’s Bar Mitzvah, another milestone in his life. Special because he was here to celebrate it, no small miracle, but also because we could share what he has taught us with the community.
While this celebration, talked about earlier in this newsletter, focused on our family and lives in a personal way, it also helped to shed some light on the purpose(s) of Jacob’s Ladder. In effect, to use a piece of software vernacular, it allowed us to “sharpen” the image of Jacob’s Ladder.
Since inception, Jacob’s Ladder has put on and developed many different types of fundraising events. In fact, the first event, a coffee house auction, wasn’t put on by us at all; Starbuck’s took the lead on that one. These adult entertainment events were followed by a series of increasingly successful golf tournaments (measured by funds raised and amount of fun). But here is where the tide turned and a new image was being developed- a “re-branding”.
A group of people involved with Jacob’s Ladder said, “These golf tournaments are doing a great job of raising funds, and awareness to 150 people who aren’t your target market”. Uh-huh moment. Followed by, “have you ever thought of doing a family event?” The rest is history, almost. Next came-the event within the event. At this point, it’s important to note that this change was the starting point for how Jacob’s Ladder began to reflect the needs and wants of the community, Ellen, myself and most importantly, Jacob.
We started Jacob’s Ladder because both Ellen and I wanted to make sure that “this” never happened to anyone else. That “this” is, being blindsided by devastating news that could have been prevented. All of the Jacob’s Ladder, The Canadian Foundation for Control of Neurodegenerative Disease’s objects have a little bit of this notion in them.
The Family Fun Days became an integral part of how we conveyed that message. Almost from the first event, through word of mouth and our media sponsors, we spread our message to over 250,000 people and their families. Our goals around these events were simple; get as many people to attend as the venue would hold, provide them with a value oriented, wildly entertaining day, and raise some funds for the foundation.
In one of our biggest years, our message was broadcast over the airwaves to the entire Greater Toronto Area, and over 2500 people attended the event. What a success! Driven to do more, we all felt we could do better, not so much by the numbers, but by making sure our messages were being delivered and heard.
Amongst friends and family, we often discuss how events today provide our children with hundreds of trinkets that ultimately end up in the garbage shortly after they have received them. Children literally go crazy for this stuff that ends up delivering short term gain but nothing beyond. In fact, on another level, it feeds the internal “want” and “gotta have” behaviour in our children, while not all bad, but we can do better.
Once again, our sponsors came to the table. Thanks to the generosity of Spin Master Toys, Mastermind Educational, Lorne Bloomberg and Sandylion, the Giving Gala became a reality. So not only would children have fun and take something home for themselves, they could spread some holiday cheer by providing gifts to others less fortunate within their own community. Jacob’s influence is all over this now.
Through the inspiration of Stephanie Brown, Ali Goodbaum, Zach Fleisher, Jake Goldfarb, Alex and Benjamin Burnstein and so many other future philanthropists our message was being received loud and clear. In fact, at our last event, about one third of the over 200 volunteers were under the age of 16.
This year, we wanted the message to reflect Jacob’s Ladder, to reflect Ellen, myself and our family, but most importantly as Jacob turned into a man this year, we wanted the message to be Jacob’s message.
Jake’s Gigantic Give.
To know Jacob, and spend time with him is truly a gift. Recently, an 11 year old neighbour, a budding Itzhak Perlman, as my brother said, inquired if he could come over and play for Jacob. Within three strokes of his bow, Jacob’s smile lit up the room, he lifted his hands, and tilted back his head. Jacob’s way of saying, “you just made my day”. I don’t doubt for one minute that Jacob made his day too.
Jake’s Gigantic Give-because the most important gift you receive, is the one you give away.
Thank you for helping us climb to a cure.
Jeff and Ellen Schwartz
