For philanthropist Emmanuelle Gattuso, supporting the well-being of children facing serious illness is both a personal mission and a long-standing commitment. As Director of La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso, she has spent over a decade helping expand access to care, community, and compassion across Canada—most recently through a transformative gift to Campfire Circle.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
As a longstanding advocate and philanthropist dedicated to improving health outcomes for underrepresented and vulnerable groups, my work through La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso focuses on advancing health care innovation and access across Canada. For more than a decade, I’ve supported Campfire Circle, a charitable organization that brings camp-inspired programs to children living with serious illnesses, both in hospitals and at their medically supported camps across Ontario.
What problem does it aim to solve?
In Ontario, there are over 40,000 children living with serious illnesses, with many of them missing out on the simple joys and developmental experiences of childhood: playing, making friends, and exploring nature. Campfire Circle fills that gap by providing safe, medically supported spaces for kids to just be kids again, no matter what illness they’re facing.
When did you start/join it?
I became involved with Campfire Circle (then known as Camp Ooch) in 2014 when I had the opportunity to support the redevelopment of their Muskoka camp. This year, I decided to make a $20 million donation that will bolster Campfire Circle’s vision to grow from serving 3,000 to 10,000 kids with serious illness a year by 2030. This will happen through the expansion of their in-hospital programs and by building a new, state-of-the-art medical camp in Prince Edward County.
What made you want to get involved?
As a breast cancer survivor, I understand firsthand how life-changing it is to have care, community, and hope during a difficult time. Every child deserves that same sense of support and joy—the chance to simply be a kid, even while facing a serious illness. The Campfire Circle mission deeply resonated with me because it restores that joy and connection for children and families who need it most. My hope is that this gift helps thousands more children discover adventure, confidence, and belonging.
What was the situation like when you started?
When I first got involved, Campfire Circle’s Muskoka camp needed updates to increase the number of medically fragile children who could attend year-round, so we focused on winterizing the site, improving accessibility, and expanding capacity.
How has it changed since?
Campfire Circle is expanding so that, in addition to serving children with cancer, it is also supporting children living with other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, sickle cell disease, and solid organ transplants and organ failure. This means they need to increase capacity for their medically supported overnight camps and expand their programs in children’s hospitals across Ontario.
What more needs to be done?
With 40,000 children in Ontario living with serious illness, we need to do more to ensure they can experience the joy that comes from these camp programs.
How can our readers help?
To reach more kids with serious illness each year, Campfire Circle needs thousands more donors and volunteers to join our community. Your readers can donate, volunteer, or help raise awareness about the Campfire Circle mission. Every contribution, whether financial or through time, helps ensure more children can experience the joy, friendship, and confidence that come from camp.
Visit https://campfirecircle.org/fundraise-for-us/ for more information on how to help.
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