"If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!"
Jace Wars has assisted many local charities through a variety of events and fundraisers. From food drives and toiletry collections to character appearances and toy drives, we have done it all. Each of the organizations that we have worked with are amazing in their own right, however when it comes to Jace Wars led initiatives, the recipients are usually either McMaster Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities-South Central Ontario. Please read the descriptions below to find out why these particular organizations mean so much to us.
McMaster Children’s Hospital and the OUTSTANDING team of doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers are responsible for saving Jace’s life. Without being operated in the emergency situation that occurred Jace’s outcome would have surely been tragic. Professional, kind, caring and thoughtful does not even begin to describe this amazing place and the people within it. We knew we wanted to give back immediately but because the hospital environment is so huge, we did not know where to start. After some research, we discovered one of Jace’s surgeons was a key figure in some ground-breaking work being done on site. We consider Dr. Sheila Singh and her team, our Guardian Angels so it was decided that Jace Wars would support her astonishing work in childhood tumours and other cancers. The research is actually done through McMaster’s University branch with the discovered knowledge then being applied to the work being done at McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Sheila Singh and her team, or as we refer to them…Jace’s Angels. You are looking at one of the world’s brightest teams continuing their work against childhood brain tumours and cancers because of your donations.
McMaster’s Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCC-RI) explores the underlying cellular and molecular origins that initiate human cancer by utilizing human stem cells as a model system. The impressive shared facility amongst the institute is designed to foster a collaborative environment amongst scientists and help mitigate the high cost of human stem cell research, which has made entry into the field almost prohibitive for investigators in Canada.
On the cutting edge of human stem cell research, the team of scientists in the SCC-RI integrates expertise in epigenetics, molecular signalling pathways, proteomics and drug discovery on brain cancer stem cells, leukemia and pluripotent stem cells. Their ground-breaking research complements the efforts of other stem cell centres in Canada and around the world.
With its particular focus in human stem cell research, the SCC-RI provides interested scientists across different levels of education – undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows an exciting opportunity to pursue this specialized training in Canada. The institute also provides an open forum to educate the public about this important research, while developing ethical guidelines and policy for therapeutic applications to assure Canadians will receive the best health care possible.
Throughout our darkest moments, the Ronald McDonald House Hamilton (now renamed South Central Ontario) provided us with a place where my family and I could rest with others who were in similar situations through their Family Room located directly in McMaster Children’s Hospital. It was as if being in that area was a safe haven during our worst nightmare. No words needed to be said, the welcoming smile at the front was enough. The compassionate staff of volunteers always made sure we had a much needed meal in our bellies because caring for ourselves was not a priority. We were also able to use their computers to communicate with friends and family and provide updates on Jace.
As described on their website, Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario (RMHCSCO) is part of a network of 15 Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada. Built in 1993 and located next to McMaster Children’s Hospital, RMHCSCO is independently owned and operated by Kid’s Care Oncology Central West Ontario and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, managed by a small staff team and supported by a full complement of dedicated volunteers. RMHCSCO expanded from their original 15 bedroom home to a 41 bedroom house and reopened in the Spring of 2012 to serve more families in their time of need.
