From Stairs to 5K - Shana’s Story

Shana Haberman

In March, our Patient Experience and Quality team at North York General started climbing the stairs of the hospital as part of the Step It Up! Challenge.  About 4 weeks ago, I decided to join them on these stair climbs. We try to go twice a day, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, from the ground floor to the ninth floor and back down. It only takes 5 minutes. When we arrive at the ninth floor with our heart rates up, we are invigorated and proud of our collective effort to improve our health in a busy work day. The group is welcoming and continues to grow in number.

Couch to 5K with Katherine

Making Strides Together

Katherine Victorio

So you've decided to get off the couch and ditch the potato chips, huh? I commend you! This is the hardest step you will take on this exciting journey to your first 5K. The next step is to make sure we have everything in order. Here are some tips and reminders on what you need to do before you hit the pavement.

The North York Generals are back!

Welcome! Thank you for visiting our blog to help us kick off our training season for the 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

The North York Generals will be walking and running the 5K, half-marathon, and full marathon on October 19th to get active, have fun as a team, and most importantly, to raise funds in support of our Hospital and patients.

Throughout the next several months, we’ll be featuring stories and posts from North York General hospital staff, volunteers, patients, and our Running Champions. We hope that this blog will serve as an inspiration to those who are running with us in October – whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or attempting your first 5K run, we’ll be representing all levels of experience and activity!

If you prefer to walk the 5K or the half-marathon and cheer for our Champions, we welcome you to the team! The marathon course is fully accessible.

Signing up is easy!

• Please click here to register for the walk or run, and remember to select "North York General Foundation" as your charity of choice, and use the code 14TSCC to get your charity discount.  You'll be asked to create a username and password for your personal fundraising account - be sure to write it down or email it to yourself.
• Once you've completed your registration and payment, click the Transfer button to create your personal fundraising page and collect sponsorships from your friends, family, and colleagues.
• Click the Team tab to join The North York Generals so that your fundraising efforts are counted towards our fundraising goal.

100% of the funds you raise in support of NYGH will help the Foundation address the areas of greatest need in our Hospital.

Stay tuned for more information about events, prizes, fundraising incentives and post-race celebrations from now until October.

For all other inquiries, please contact Tess Rizan at Tess.Rizan@nygh.on.ca or 416-756-6204.

We Did It! Thank You, North York Generals!

By Alyson Geary, Director, Special Events, NYGH Foundation

Race day has finally come and gone for the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and North York General could not be more proud of our team’s success.

This year’s STWM event was full of firsts. For many of you, this was the first time you have participated in a half-marathon or a 5K run, or the first time you have become a fundraiser as part of a team goal. This was also the first time in five years that NYGH has participated in STWM, and we are very proud of our staff and participants for being so engaged in this event. To all of our newcomers and veterans alike: thank you so much for choosing to support North York General as you set these milestones for yourselves!

Our team goal for STWM 2013 was to raise $10,000 in support of our Hospital. I am thrilled to announce that the North York Generals have more than doubled our goal and raised over $25,000! On behalf of NYGH and the patients we serve, I’d like to offer our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported this amazing accomplishment, including our race participants, their sponsors, and our team donors.

The marathon organizers are keeping the fundraising webpages online until October 31st, so if you would like to make an additional contribution or know someone who would be interested in donating, please visit the North York Generals team page to sponsor our team or an individual participant.

In the words of the Sam Roberts Band, “We’re all in this together – so keep it moving, don’t stop!” 

If Only I Didn’t Need to Sleep

Written by Christopher Robinson-Keys

If only I didn’t have to sleep, I might actually get everything done in a day that I wanted.

I’m a very involved father of two.  Before our wonderful family came along, my wife and I were daily regulars at the gym.  But once you’ve helped out with the midnight feedings, wakings and diaper changes of a newborn, catching maybe 4 hours of sleep each night, the drive and energy to get up early and exercise seems to evaporate.

You would think that once kids start sleeping through the night (most of the time), the energy and drive to exercise would reassert itself. But, like any other good habit, exercise takes discipline.