A Tribute To Our Co-Founder
Cynthia Lee Gray (1971-2007)
President, Gray-Hadden Family Foundation 2002 - 2007
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Cynthia was a woman who represented The Gray-Hadden Family Foundation with character and heart. She believed that education, good health and the support of one's community were the keys to success in life. Her passion was helping others, in particular the youth of Toronto, especially Regent Park.
Her leadership allowed The Gray-Hadden Family Foundation to grow quickly from humble beginnings. Our initial beneficiary in 2002 was the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Clubs based in Regent Park, which was granted $30,000. By 2007, Cynthia's final year, we had increased this effort nearly 10 times, in granting Breakfast For Learning $250,000 to create eight breakfast clubs in cities across Canada. To date our foundation has granted over $1,000,000 to worthy organizations in Toronto and across Canada, due in large part to Cynthia's hard work and dedication.
This tireless effort was also bestowed on many of The Gray-Hadden Family Foundation's beneficiaries, particularly Pathways to Education. Cynthia served on Pathways Board of Directors, Leadership Council, Fundraising Committee and in 2006 was named Pathways "Person of the Year". She assisted in Pathways dynamic transformation from a local organization with "a roll of bus tickets and $2000 in the bank", to a best-in-class national provider of youth education and mentorship services. In 2008, to commemorate Cynthia's extraordinary support of youth and education in the community, Pathways named their flagship and original Regent Park location The Cynthia Lee Gray Centre for Pathways to Education.
Cynthia was a true leader. Her dedication to the Gray-Hadden Family Foundation helped inspire many youth in Toronto to achieve their full potential. Cynthia's spirit will live on in the vision that all can achieve their hopes and dreams, and that we all can work to make our communities better places in which to live.
