THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
DFO SUPPORTS LOCAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS
In 2013, a local Ontario dairy farming family learned that their young son Kael was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition.
“We were told only a small number of kids around the world had ever been diagnosed with this terminal disease—patients usually didn’t survive past 12 years old,” says Kael’s mother.
Kael was admitted into SickKids Hospital for treatment and remained there for a year before he was able to return home.
Like Kael’s family, many other families across the province rely on children’s hospitals. This need inspired Dairy Farmers of Ontario to partner with these hospitals and support their capacity to meet the health and wellness needs of children and their families. Part of this support includes Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s annual holiday donation to SickKids and other Ontario children’s hospitals in Ottawa, London and Hamilton through the Milk & Cookies campaign.
“It’s our nature to nourish,” says Cheryl Smith, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Ontario. “Families are such a big part of our world with more than 3,200 family-run dairy farms across Ontario, many handed down through generations. We know that when a child has to be admitted to a hospital, it impacts the whole family. We wanted to do our part to help Ontario families by supporting the hospitals that provide the most critical care to children in the most difficult of times.”
Since 2019, Dairy Farmers of Ontario has made an annual minimum donation of $500,000 to SickKids Hospital in Toronto, McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Children’s Hospital in London, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. To date, this brings the total donation to more than $3.6 million, supporting the highest priority needs across these hospitals and programs that support patients spending the holidays in Ontario children’s hospitals.
“Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Dairy Farmers of Ontario for their ongoing support of SickKids. Their generous donation totaling $3.6 million to date is helping to advance our vision of Healthier Children. Better World.,” says Julie Garcia Sjogrim, Vice President, Corporate & Community Partnerships, SickKids Foundation. “The holiday season can be an extremely trying time for families spending it in the hospital and we extend our deepest thanks to DFO for their commitment to bringing cheer and helping us to heal the future.”
In addition to the donation, as part of the 2025 Milk & Cookies campaign, Dairy Farmers of Ontario is inviting Ontarians to join us in showing support for patients spending the holidays in children’s hospitals with a heartwarming Magic Milk Glass social media contest starting November 27 @ontariodairy and three Magic Milk Truck activations in December. These initiatives invite everybody across Ontario to join Ontario dairy farmers in sharing holiday messages of encouragement to ensure these brave kids know we’re all thinking of them throughout the holiday season.
Now more than 10 years after his diagnosis and treatment, Kael has made a remarkable recovery. Through incredible care and commitment from these Ontario children’s hospitals, children like Kael and their families are able to get through the most trying times. Initiatives like the Milk & Cookies holiday campaign and the Magic Milk Glass initiative are how DFO does its part to nourish and support the care and comfort of families who need it most.