RJC Supports JDRF Canada’s ‘Let’s Make History Again’ Fundraiser

Canadian researchers, Dr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best, discovered insulin 100 years ago; a breakthrough in diabetes treatment. To help mark this incredible 100-year milestone, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has decided to launch a unique approach to raise funds for research. JDRF is the leading global charitable organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF's vision is to achieve a world without T1D, with a mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications.

JDRF Canada is hosting the Let’s Make History Again event from April 4 to 8, 2022. Five people in four cities — Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver — will camp out for 100 hours each as part of the Flagpole 100 Challenge in enclosed structures on top of 40-foot-high flagpoles to raise money for T1D research. 100 other people will camp in solidarity across Canada to also support this fundraising and awareness initiative.

Peter Oliver, of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants, engaged Daniel McAlister, Honourary Chair, B+H Architects, to coordinate the logistics, design and delivery of the five flagpoles. The sites were made available by Cadillac Fairview, allowing for highly visible downtown locations. RJC Principal Emeritus, Tibor Kokai, was engaged to develop design options, with contributes from Frank Anrep. RJC Principals Mark Ritchie and Dennis Gam also contributed. The 40-foot-high flagpoles were fabricated and assembled by, Walters Group, with PCL Construction coordinating the setup and takedown of the event. All of the design, fabrication, delivery, erection and removal of all five flagpoles, along with use of the sites, were donated at no cost to the foundation to make the fundraising even more effective.

According to JDRF, as many as 300,000 Canadians live with T1D. Diabetes is the leading cause of several health complications, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. While the discovery of insulin has saved millions of lives and is one of Canada’s greatest contributions to the world, those living with T1D still require insulin to stay alive.  

The Let’s Make History event is part of the JDRF’s larger $100M Campaign to Accelerate, which aims to transform T1D research and move beyond treating the condition with insulin towards an actual cure. To learn more and donate to the cause, visit LetsMakeHistoryAgain