What is the Room 217 Foundation?
The Room 217 Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation and registered Canadian charity dedicated to caring for the whole person with music.
Mission
The mission of the Room 217 Foundation is to raise and steward funds to provide comforting support to those in life limiting situations and their caregivers by:
- Producing distinctive music care resources
- Training frontline care providers in the use of music as a means of care
- Promoting creative research in music and care
Programs
- Products
- Room 217 CDs
- Companion DVD
- Music Care
- Music for life's journey Concert
- Educational Presentations
- Conference - Coming Soon!
- Research Projects
- two studies are currently underway within the healthcare sector
Founders
- Dr. Robert Foster
- Bev Foster
Board of Directors
Christine Lasky, Chair - Christine is Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, the fundraising arm of The Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world, where she is involved in raising over $30 million in net revenue from mega fundraising programs which include the Lotteries, The Weekend To End Breast Cancer and The Ride to Conquer Cancer. She also oversees all communication, branding and public relations for the Foundation and is a member of the management team. With a bachelor of arts from York University and an MBA from The Schulich School of Business, Christine is a marketing/business professional with an extensive background in packaged goods marketing, including such notables as Procter and Gamble, Nabisco and George Weston. She also worked in financial services as Vice President of Marketing at National Trust and Spectrum Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Life Financial. She has also been a part-time marketing professor at George Brown College and had her own consulting practise.
Patricia Bowman Kingsley, Past Chair - Born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Ontario, Patty has worked extensively as a civic leader, serving as Chair of the Durham District School Board and a smalll business owner. She has also recently launched a non-profit ministry under A.C.T. International.
Amy Clements-Cortes - Dr. Clements-Cortes is Senior Music Therapist at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, working with clients in the Rehabilitation, Behaviour Neurology, Complex Continuing Care and Palliative Care units. She also serves as the internship chair on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Music Therapy. Research projects include the use of music to decrease pain perception and enhance physical comfort in terminally ill patients and the occupational stressors of palliative care music therapists. A frequent presenter, author and producer, Amy also owns and operates the Notes By Amy vocal studio and has produced a sing-a-long CD and video used in music recreation programs for clients with cognitive impairments and two CDs, Therasleep, and Theracalm, based on the principles of entrainment to help facilitate sleep and relaxation. Amy is a Cantor for the Roman Catholic Church, has been a member of numerous musical ensembles, including the Pierre Perron singers and the Jonathan Griffith singers who recently performed the music of Karl Jenkins and Mozart at Carnegie Hall and continues to perform as a soloist.
Gord Simmonds - Gord leads the Lenbrook Corp., a private company with interests in distribution channel management and specialty brand development in the specialty consumer electronic segment. Currently, he holds a number of Director and Officer positions within Canada, the USA and Singapore and is Managing Director of NAD Electronics and PSB Loudspeakers. Gord is a past Director of AirIQ and the Professional Audio Video Retailers Association and chaired the 2001-2005 Rouge Valley Vital Signs Capital Campaign for the Ajax-Pickering/Centenary Hospital Foundation. He is the majority owner of the Belleville Bulls Hockey Club and a member of the Board of Governors of the Ontario Hockey League.
Lee Willingham - Dr. Willingham joined the Wilfred Laurier University (WLU) Faculty of Music in July 2004 where he assumed responsibilities in coordinating the music education program and choral studies. Prior to his appointment at WLU, he served on the faculty of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of University of Toronto. Recently, Dr. Willingham was appointed Director of the new Laurier Centre for Music in the Community. His research focuses on community and music. His writing and research are found in a variety of book chapters and journals. He is a past president of the OMEA and Editor of the Canadian Music Educator, a national journal for music educators. He is the founder and director of the Bell’Arte Singers of Toronto, and last year re-established the Laurier Singers Chamber Choir. Devoting much time to teacher education and choral singing, he adjudicates and provides workshops across Canada and the USA.
Awards
The inspirational music of Room 217 and its founder have received nominations and awards.
- 2005 - Spirit Wings, nominated Best Instrumental Album, Covenant Awards
- 2006 - Gentle Waters, nominated Best Instrumental Album, Covenant Awards
- 2006 - Bev Foster, Leading Woman of the Year in Arts, Culture & Sports, Leading Woman Awards
- 2007 - Hugs & Kisses, nominated Best Children's Album, Covenant Awards
- 2007 - Room 217, John Gallagher Best Booth Award in recognition of excellence in design, display and customer relations, OLTCA/ORCA Trade Show and Convention, Toronto, Ontario
Articles
- Alzheimer's Care Today Journal: Best Practices, The Capacity of Music in Dementia Care
- Canadian Association of Gerontology Newsletter, The Capacity of Room 217 Therapeutic Music in an Aging Society
- Fitting the Pieces Together (Publication of the Palliative Pain & Symptom Management Consultation Service, Durham Region), Music for End of Life’s Journey
- Long Term Care Magazine, Music for Life’s Journey: The Role of Music in Long Term Care
- ATRAbute (Alberta Therapeutic Association), Music for Life’s Journey
- Stride Magazine, Sensitively Escorting People Through the next Phase
