Fundraiser aims to help find cure for arthritis

Dr. J Bernard Gosevitz

TORONTO — Some 4.5 million Canadians suffer from arthritis, and on May 15, the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation is raising funds for research that they hope will put a dent in that number.

The foundation and the University Health Network are co-hosting a tribute gala fundraiser and roast in honour of Dr. J. Bernard Gosevitz – known to his patients and colleagues as “Dr. G.” – one of the country’s most respected general practitioners.

It will take place at The Carlu, 444 Yonge St.

Gosevitz, who practises primarily out of Toronto General, is also the vice-president and chief medical officer of Rogers Communications, corporate medical director of CTV/Globemedia, and medical advisor to Sun Media and Post Media, among others.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the Campaign to Cure Arthritis at Toronto Western Hospital, which seeks to raise $35 million for research into a cure for the disease. At time of writing, the campaign had raised $26 million.

The University Health Network is also creating the Dr. J. Bernard Gosevitz Chair in Arthritis Research, to be held at Toronto Western Hospital. The chair will focus on osteoarthritis research “that will make joint replacements a thing of the past,” according to the hospital.

Scheduled to “roast and toast” Gosevitz are some of his high-profile patients who have come to view him as a friend, including former prime minister Brian Mulroney and lawyer Eddie Greenspan.

JUNO Award-winning jazz musician Guido Basso is also scheduled to perform.

Holly Cybulski, a spokesperson for Gosevitz, said the doctor was raised in a traditional Orthodox Jewish family that taught him traditional Jewish values. 

“He attributes his parents’ teachings to the person he is today and celebrates his value of faith and tradition as a result his family’s cultural practice and faith, characteristics he believes he inherited from his parents,” Cybulski said. 

She added that Gosevitz believes in tzedakah, “in the importance of giving back to your community, and [that it’s] of the utmost importance to give his time.” 

Tickets for the dinner portion of the event have sold out. However, organizers released a new block of tickets last week for the entertainment portion of the evening, the roast.

For more information, to purchase tickets or donate to the campaign, visit www.drgosevitztribute.ca or contact Kirsten Liddell at 416-340-4800, ext. 6323.