For families facing the devastating news that their child needs an organ transplant, the journey ahead can be filled with uncertainty, fear and overwhelming expenses. For 40 years, the David Foster Foundation has helped ease that burden, providing financial support for families of children undergoing major organ transplants so parents can focus on what matters most: their child’s health and recovery. Now, as the Victoria-based foundation prepares to mark four decades of helping families, some of music’s biggest names are coming together to celebrate the milestone. Adam Levine and Chad Kroeger are among the latest artists announced for the David Foster Foundation’s 40th Anniversary Gala on Aug. 7 at the Victoria Conference Centre. Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine will also join the performance lineup. The gala is part of a three-day celebration that will bring together musicians, supporters and the community to recognize the foundation’s impact since it was created in 1986. The celebrations will continue Aug. 8 with a free public concert at Victoria’s Inner Harbour featuring performances by David Foster, CeeLo Green, Josh Groban and more artists. For Foster, the anniversary weekend is about celebrating the families who inspired the foundation’s work and thanking the community that helped support its beginnings. “Forty years ago, I never could have imagined what this foundation would become,” Foster said. “To celebrate this milestone with artists and friends who believe in the mission as much as I do means more than words can say. This weekend is for the families who inspired this work, and the ones still waiting for their miracle.” The David Foster Foundation has supported more than 1,600 families since its creation, helping cover essential non-medical expenses such as travel, housing, groceries and utilities during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Foster says those supports allow parents to put their energy toward helping their child through treatment and recovery rather than worrying about the financial strain that comes with being away from home. “When this happens, we like to say that we are the only bright spot in a family’s worst day,” Foster told CTV News. The foundation’s anniversary celebration also carries a personal connection for Foster, who was born and raised in Victoria. He says returning to the city where the organization began is a way to recognize the community that helped make its work possible. “Victoria was carrying the burden of the fundraising in the first few years,” Foster said. “It feels like a gift back to the city.” The importance of organ donation has also become personal for Foster. His mother-in-law recently received a double lung transplant, giving him a personal connection to the life-changing impact of organ donation. “I’ve experienced now firsthand the miracle of giving,” he said. After a career that has included 16 Grammy Awards and collaborations with some of the biggest artists in the world, Foster says the foundation remains the achievement he hopes people remember most. “I hope they’ll say the music was OK, but the foundation was amazing,” he said. The David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration runs Aug. 6 to 8 in Victoria. The Inner Harbour concert on Aug. 8 is free and open to the public.
