TMU School of Medicine receives $25M matching gift from Orlando Corporation
Orlando Corporation's $25 million matching pledge aims to spark community donations for TMU's new school of medicine in Brampton. The gift will double the impact of every donation to train doctors for underserved regions. Pictured, Blair Wolk (Civil Engineering `97), president of Orlando Corporation, makes the announcement at TMU’s official opening of the School of Medicine event on September 3. Photo: Alyssa K Faoro
Toronto Metropolitan University's (TMU) new School of Medicine has secured a major boost for its mission to train more doctors for Ontario's underserved communities.
Orlando Corporation announced a $25 million pledge to match dollar-for-dollar community donations to the medical school, effectively doubling the impact of every gift. The announcement came as the school welcomed its first cohort of students this week.
The timing couldn't be more significant. TMU's Brampton facility opened its doors to 105 resident students in July and, on Sept. 2, welcomed 94 MD students, comprising the school's inaugural class, embarking on an innovative approach to medical education designed to address critical health care shortages.
"We are profoundly grateful for the philanthropic leadership of Orlando Corporation," said Mohamed Lachemi, TMU president and vice-chancellor. "The future physicians launching their studies with us this week hold exceptional promise. Orlando Corporation’s generous pledge will inspire new donors to help realize this promise in a state-of-the-art learning environment in Brampton."
Open to all donors
Orlando Corporation is inviting donors of all means to participate in unlocking the match, emphasizing that strengthening health care requires community-wide participation.
"Orlando Corporation recognizes that strengthening health care is a shared responsibility at the heart of building caring communities," said company president Blair Wolk, himself a TMU alumnus. "Supporting the education of future physicians will help address a critical shortfall of family practitioners."
The strategic approach reflects Orlando Corporation's belief that matching funds provide added incentive for giving while building broader community investment in medical education.
Addressing health care shortages
Through its pledge to match donations, Orlando Corporation will be the catalyst of more support, bringing the community together around the new school as it sets out to graduate more doctors who will bring excellence, compassion and innovation to every patient encounter.
Orlando Corporation, Canada’s largest privately owned industrial real estate developer, is a generous donor to numerous causes, particularly institutions dedicated to health care and health-sciences research. This empowering gift to the TMU School of Medicine will help transform the former Bramalea Civic Centre into a dynamic medical learning, teaching and research facility that will ultimately improve the quality of life for families across the province.
Learn how you too can support the TMU School of Medicine in creating healthy change.