Hello! Sarah here. Starting this holiday season, I will be raising funds to support the highest priority needs at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Why SickKids?

In 2012, my hockey coach paired my team up with the local novice team, as a way to inspire us and remind us of our love of the game. Through that experience I formed a special bond, with Grace Bowen, who would turn into a little sister figure in my life. But after a broken leg In 2014, Grace was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, and began her battle at SickKids.

2014 was also the year I started university in Toronto, just down the street from SickKids, and it gave me the opportunity to visit Grace in the hospital, and give her a sense of normalcy. Our bond became even closer, and it truly felt like she was my kindred spirit.

In March of 2015, after a nearly year long battle again osteosarcoma, we lost Grace, and I lost a little piece of myself.

I always knew I wanted to do something to give back to the incredible team at SickKids in Grace’s honour. At a time when you’re so scared, and you don’t know what’s going to happen, the nurses and doctors make it feel as much like home as they can. They fight endlessly, like Grace did, to ensure kids get the opportunity to live a long and full life.

In 2017, myself and 7 friends produced a mini documentary series called Power Never Quits on Osteosarcoma and sport, and hosted a gala fundraiser where we raised nearly $25,000 for the Grace Bowen Tribute Fund at SickKids Hospital. Since then I’ve continued to support SickKids in any way I can, in honour of Grace and her fight, in hopes that no one ever has to go through what she did.

That’s why I’ve worked with SickKids to create this donation page, we’ll continue to work on events, and unique ways to raise money for a cause so close to my heart. My goal is to raise $23,000 by the end of 2022, in honour of Grace's hockey number.