Mark "Cohon the Barbarian"

"I'm dancing to honour my late Nana who had dementia and support Baycrest's efforts to help people stay healthy, longer."
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Total to Date
$135,761.00
His secret is out! Not only did Canadian Football League Commissioner Mark Cohon play football in high school, he was a college cheerleader for a year at Chicago's Northwestern University. He hopes to pull off a few lifts during his dance routine to make up for what he calls his "two left feet." More comfortable throwing a ball than dancing at one, Mark is taking on this challenge to help a "great organization" and to honour his late grandmother who suffered from dementia. Although he wants to have fun and improve his dance moves, he's more concerned with raising money to support Baycrest's efforts to develop innovations in aging that will help people stay healthy, longer. Mark was inspired by his parents, George and Susan, who are not only Baycrest supporters, but active volunteers who bring their two golden retrievers to Baycrest each week to visit with patients. Mark is also Chair of the Ontario Science Centre and serves on the board of World Wildlife Fund Canada.

  • Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute is one of the top cognitive neuroscience and memory research centres in the world studying brain function in normal aging and in the presence of diseases like Alzheimer's.
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  • Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation awarded Baycrest $14.1 million over the next three years to develop new technologies, processes and practices for healthy aging and the well-being of seniors.
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  • The Ontario government named Baycrest as a Long-Term Care Home Centre of Learning, Research and Innovation. It's annual investment of $625,000 over the next five years will create a clinical teaching unit for health professionals.
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  • In 2011, Baycrest was ranked in the top 8% of all healthcare organizations in Canada for excellence in patient safety and care by Accreditation Canada.
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