UHN Foundation’s Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in spectacular style, raising a record-breaking $38 million to support UHN’s new surgical tower at Toronto Western Hospital. This includes a transformative $30 million donation from John and Rosella D’Angelo, Giuseppe and Lidia Maio, and Claudio and Gina Memme in partnership with HBNG Charitable Foundation, marking the largest donation to the $300M tower campaign to date.
The three-day celebration opened with an unforgettable night at Toronto’s Enercare Centre, where more than 5,000 attendees including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Toronto Raptor Kelly Olynyk, and actor Eric Braeden joined for a Halpern Portfolio Tasting and a record-breaking live auction. Standout auction items included exclusive art by Mr. Brainwash and Edward Burtynsky, a Rolls-Royce Spectre, rare wines, and much more. Grand Cru’s founder, Todd Halpern, a UHN Trustee and UHN Foundation Board Member, reflected on the extraordinary impact the event has had on health care advancement at UHN over the last two decades.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of the D’Angelo, Maio, and Memme families and events like Grand Cru, we’re witnessing the future of health care transform in real time,” said Halpern. “The new surgical tower will reshape the health care landscape not just for Toronto, but globally. I can’t imagine a more important cause for Grand Cru to support, and I’m so proud of the impact our event has had on healthcare over the last 20 years.”
Over the weekend, 19 private homes across Toronto and the GTA hosted Exclusive Wine & Dine Experiences with some of the world’s most celebrated chefs, including multi-Michelin-starred Daniel Boulud (Daniel), top chef Sash Simpson (Sash), and Eron and Elena Novalski (Noce, Aria). Each chef crafted custom menus paired with wines from international producers featured in the Halpern Portfolio, creating unforgettable culinary experiences.
Todd Halpern and his wife Ellen hosted one of these exclusive dinners at their home, where they raised an incredible $1.15M in donations for a piece of art by Jane Waterous. The piece, titled One World, will eventually be put on display in the new surgical tower upon its completion in 2028.
Dr. Tirone David and art piece titled One World by artist Jane Waterous
“We are deeply grateful to our donors, sponsors, volunteers, and all who came together to make this milestone event possible,” said Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation. “Having raised $170M since its inception, Grand Cru’s 20-year legacy is a testament to the power of community, and to Todd Halpern’s vision that together we can help Canada’s #1 hospital transform health care.”
Special thanks to event sponsors including Grand Touring Automobiles, American Express, CIBC, BMO and Miele among others. For more information about UHN Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival, please visit grandcru.ca.
