Ardent Cares

Ardent’s Charitable Commitment

Ardent Cares:
Our Charitable Commitment

Ardent believes in helping kids in their time of need. Every year, Ardent has raised money for children’s charities, raising tens of thousands of dollars to date and growing.

Our annual Charity Golf Tournament generates the most reach in the community to support our number one charity, The Child Life Program at the Stollery. A hospital is not a fun place to be, and when you are a kid, it can be a very lonely and scary place. What better than a little music or great activities, or fun at the indoor beach to bring a smile to a child’s face when they are feeling down? Great volunteers take the time to share a song, a joke, and lots of smiles and laugh and help to make that child’s day just a little bit brighter. It’s an important program that needs help and we at Ardent think it’s a great way to give back and support our community. Show your support by taking part in our annual golf tournament each year either as a player, a sponsor, or even a prize donation supporter! It all makes a big difference.

The Saville Family Beach and Enchanted Forest -
Letting kids be kids

The impact of ardent donations

Play is crucial to a child’s development and when offered in a specialized health setting like the Stollery Children’s Hospital, the benefits to that child’s care, recovery and long-term physical and mental health are undeniable. Play has a special therapeutic value for children who are sick or injured by contributing to their overall physical and emotional well-being.

Imagine a space where children can experience an MRI for the first time in a playful environment, where a child in a wheelchair or with an IV pole can still enjoy a playground. A place where sick kids can connect and feel less isolated and where a palliative child can have their last wish granted to go outside. A space where kids can simply be kids, even in a hospital setting.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Saville Family Beach has been transformed into a larger, more dynamic play area where all of this—and more—is possible. Three years ago, we embarked on a mission to raise $5 million to renovate and expand The Beach play area. This space is an essential part of the Stollery journey, offering therapeutic play programming led by the Child Life team. Now complete, this upgrade includes a new, state-of- the-art outdoor area, The Enchanted Forest, which more than doubles the original 1,500-square-foot play space.

The Beach and Enchanted Forest offer medical-free play areas where Stollery kids and their families can take a break from the overwhelming hospital environment. These spaces provide a safe, comforting setting where kids can be kids, finding joy and relief between medical appointments, tests and surgeries.