Adam Ashby explains why Pier 4 has launched their first annual Charity Classic Golf Event, Swing for a Cause.
The team at Pier 4 Reit are no strangers to philanthropic work. Pier 4 REIT and its founding Ashby family have a long legacy of giving money and time to causes rooted in their communities. Through a corporate social responsibility plan they have worked to address issues of health access, wealth inequality, and community resilience through philanthropy. The firm has recently sold out a golf event which promises to continue that legacy.
On August 18th at King Valley Golf Club, Pier 4 will be hosting the Pier 4 Charity Classic, a sold-out charity golf tournament bringing together 144 golfers for a day of healthy competition, networking, and fun. While this event is independently organized by Pier 4, all proceeds will be donated to SickKids Hospital in recognition of their vital work as Canada’s leading paediatric institution. Pier 4 CEO & Co-Founder Adam Ashby sees the event as a meaningful way to give back and support the broader community.
“Our slogan as a company is ‘enriching communities, enhancing returns,’ and this speaks to the holistic picture of how we see ourselves,” Ashby says. “It focuses on that ‘enriching communities’ side, which we can do as a real estate company through value generation and capital expenditure on our properties. But I think that it can tie into what we do beyond the business. We’re enriching communities by giving back to individuals who are less fortunate, whether that’s from a monetary perspective or a health perspective.”
The decision to support SickKids, Ashby explains, is because of Pier 4’s desire to root their philanthropy in the communities they work in. As a Toronto-based company, supporting one of Toronto’s leading hospitals was a natural extension. While this event is the first of its kind under the Pier 4 banner, Ashby notes that his family has hosted past golf tournaments and charitable events supporting SickKids, helping to purchase pieces of equipment for the hospital like hydraulic parallel bars and a heart machine.
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Pier 4 has also previously supported the Sunnybrook Foundation, the Terry Fox Foundation, and donated to Urban Squash Toronto — an afterschool program helping underprivileged children with athletic and educational support.
They have worked to bring their team into these philanthropic projects as well, holding a gift drive for one family each Christmas, and participating in Movember to raise awareness of and money for prostate cancer research. In other locations where Pier 4 maintains offices, they’ve worked to offer a philanthropic outlet. Their Cambridge On. office, for example, recently participated in a local food drive.
The golf event, Ashby says, gives an opportunity for more industry stakeholders to participate in Pier 4’s philanthropic work, with all the positive impacts that creates.
“It’s full day event where we've invited a lot of the partners we work with to come out and sponsor money towards a great cause. There'll be different people there from all across the industry in a place where they can collaborate and leave a day behind, where they all supported something that will make someone else's life better,” Ashby says.
The event will also include a raffle with donated prizes, a sponsored lunch, and plenty of informal networking opportunities. While this year’s event is full, Ashby says that his firm plans to make this an annual affair, with different sponsorship levels and different levels of recognition across the game.
“It helps show that life is more than just about business and making money,” Ashby says. “We really value giving back, supporting those in need, and being a part of that.”
