Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were among the recognizable faces on the red-carpet Friday night as some of the biggest names in music gathered in Victoria to mark the 40th anniversary of the David Foster Foundation.
But inside the gala, the stories that mattered most belonged to children whose lives have been saved by organ donation, and the families who waited for the call that could change everything.
For Heather Lazeski, that story is personal and emotional.
“I’m going to cry already,” Lazeski said when asked what the foundation means to her family.
“They’ve helped us so much throughout the last five years of James’ life. He’s received two heart transplants in his short little life, so their support means the world to us.”
The foundation was created by Victoria-born music producer David Foster to support Canadian families whose children need life-saving organ transplants.
That support can help ease the financial strain that comes with the transplant journey, including rent or mortgage payments, car payments, utilities, groceries and travel, as well as transportation, accommodation and meals when families have to leave home for their child’s treatment.
For Lazeski, that assistance has helped take some of the pressure off during years dominated by hospital stays and uncertainty.
“We appreciated just being together as a family, through all the tough times that we’ve had to go through,” she said.
‘There’s nothing better’
Michael Ravenhill, chief executive officer of the David Foster Foundation, said the organization also wants Canadians to understand the difference an organ donor can make.
“When a family is faced with the tragedy of their child needing a major organ transplant, or they’re not going to live, I think when you have an organ donor that can come along and save that child’s life, there’s nothing better,” Ravenhill said.
He encouraged Canadians to register as organ donors and make sure their families know their wishes.
The foundation has made donor awareness a central part of its work, alongside financial support for families navigating their children’s transplants.
“You’ll hear stories tonight that will just be amazing, and they’ll actually tug on your heart,” Ravenhill said.
Jim Treliving, a longtime supporter of the foundation, recalled visiting a hospital and seeing a young boy surrounded by medical equipment while waiting for a heart transplant.
He later called one of the foundation’s directors to find out what had happened.
“He’s going home today,” Treliving recalled being told.
He was stunned.
“He’s got a brand-new heart. He’s up and around.”
“That’s what makes it all worth it,” Treliving said.
For Treliving, the moment captured what a successful transplant can mean: a child who was once fighting to survive gets to go home.
Stars gather for a cause
Harry and Meghan attended the gala but did not give interviews.
Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger joked that Foster had practically forced him to attend after getting him to sing and record a song.
“It’s a great charity. It’s a wonderful event,” Kroeger said.
Kroeger had also met a family that had benefited from the foundation. One of the children had received a kidney transplant years earlier and was doing well.
“That is incredibly heartwarming,” Kroeger said. “It’s nice to see those charity dollars go to exactly where they’re supposed to be going.”
Josh Groban has supported Foster’s foundation for 20 years.
“I’ve learned so much from him both musically and philanthropically,” Groban said.
He was looking forward to hearing the stories behind the foundation’s work, along with performances from musicians he counts among his favourites.
CeeLo Green is among the performers taking part in the anniversary celebrations.
When asked which song in his repertoire means the most to him, he chose “Crazy,” which he recorded during a pivotal period in his own life.
He said he was looking for a shift creatively, personally and professionally when the song came together.
“It was a dream come true, beyond my wildest dreams,” Green said. “Just like the work this foundation does.”
The legacy Foster wants to leave
For David Foster, the foundation represents a legacy that reaches beyond his music.
Reflecting on the songs he wrote early in his career, Foster said it was difficult to imagine they would still be played decades later.
“But I know one thing, my foundation will still be working 40 years from now, that’s for sure.”
And for families like the Lazeskis, that legacy is measured in something much more tangible than a song or a sold-out gala.
It is measured in time together.
In hospital rooms that eventually become memories.
And, for children like James, in the chance to grow up because someone chose to give the gift of life.
That is the message the foundation hopes Canadians take from its 40th anniversary: that behind every transplant is a family waiting, a child fighting and a donor who makes going home possible.
The celebration continues Saturday night with a free public concert in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
The David Foster & Friends concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on a floating barge and features CeeLo Green, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, The Tenors, Pia Toscano, Daniel Emmet and Loren Allred, among others.
