Twelve years after suffering a debilitating stroke, Sam Sorbara passed away, leaving a legacy of generosity and leadership that inspired his family to make a difference in the lives of others.
Sorbara immigrated to Canada from Italy in the 1920s as a teenager. Over the years, he worked to become a well-established leader in the Italian-Canadian community, helping newcomers in the 1950s to settle and prosper and founding the Vaughan-based Sorbara Group of Companies.
Inspired by their father’s legacy, Edward Sorbara, Marcella Tanzola and Gregory Sorbara donated $5 million to stroke care at Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. The gift will invest in stroke prevention, care and rehabilitation.
“It’s a matter of creating a legacy that reflects how we’ve benefited from doing business in Vaughan and how important high-quality health care is in this community,” says Greg Sorbara, chair of Mackenzie Health Foundation’s Exceptional Care Belongs Here campaign.
In recognition of the pledge, the York Region District Stroke Centre at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and the Integrated Stroke Centre at the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will be named in honour of the Sorbara and Tanzola families.
The family hopes the donation will inspire others who are invested in the past and future of Vaughan to make a gift, Edward Sorbara said.