“Had we not done all the groundwork in the first few years, building a strong board, developing partnerships… we wouldn’t have been able to achieve these milestones,” he says. “There had been efforts to fundraise for Para sport before,” Westlake recalls. “But they weren’t structured. There was no dedicated team, no real strategy. If we […]
“Had we not done all the groundwork in the first few years, building a strong board, developing partnerships… we wouldn’t have been able to achieve these milestones,” he says.
“There had been efforts to fundraise for Para sport before,” Westlake recalls. “But they weren’t structured. There was no dedicated team, no real strategy. If we were going to do this, we had to do it the right way.”
With the Paralympic Movement gaining more visibility than ever, both Westlake and Brokop see massive potential for PFC’s continued growth.
“Large donations are great, but having a broad base of recurring donors is what really gives us stability,” he explains. “That’s why campaigns like IGNITE The Light were so successful, because they allowed everyone to be part of something bigger.”
“We needed a strong board, but it was hard to find people willing to join a foundation that hadn’t raised any money yet,” Westlake recalls. “We reached out to key contacts across the country to ensure we had national representation.”
The campaign raised over 5,000, contributing to the broader IGNITE campaign, which aims to raise million to ensure that future generations of Canadians with a disability have access to the resources, training, and support they need to try sport and perhaps one day be a Paralympian.
But also leveraging the upcoming global Paralympic Movement milestones at the Milano Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games to elevate the profile of Para sport across the nation.
Brokop, a seasoned fundraising expert, took on the challenge of creating a donor base from scratch.
If you want to help IGNITE the future of Canadian Para sport, consider making a donation today. Your support will have a lasting impact on the next generation of Para athletes.
Establishing the Paralympic Performance Recognition Program to ensure Paralympic medallists receive equal rewards as their Olympic counterparts and creating the Honorary Board Program, which brought in Canadian sport icons like Wayne Gretzky and Rick Hansen to elevate PFC’s profile have also been highlights
Now, a decade later, Westlake reflects on the growth, challenges, and impact of the Foundation he helped establish. He shares how one of the biggest challenges in PFC’s early years was building credibility.
For Brokop, donor support, big or small, is what will determine PFC’s continued success.
“I remember sitting in a small office, trying to convince people this was worth investing in,” he says. “Now, we’ve raised millions, changed the game for Para sport funding, and built something that will last long after I’m gone.”
For Jim Westlake and Dean Brokop, the mission remains the same: ensuring that every Canadian Para athlete has the financial support they need to succeed—now and in the future.
But Westlake believes that the biggest achievement is the Foundation’s long-term sustainability.
“I told CPC that we had to hire a full-time person to lead this,” Westlake says. “That’s when we found Dean Brokop… probably the most overqualified person we could have asked for.”
Over the next decade, Westlake shared some of the PFC goals, including increasing the number of Canadians who contribute to Para sport funding and growing partnerships that foster a stronger community of support for the Paralympic Movement in Canada.
When Jim Westlake first took on the role of Chair of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada (PFC), he had one clear goal in mind, to build something that would last.
“I started in October 2014, and by November, we were already running our first fundraising campaign, even before we formally established the Foundation,” Brokop, Chief Philanthropic Officer of the CPC and Executive Director of PFC remembers. “We raised ,000 in that first year without any donor history. It was all about networking and personal connections.”
And as the Paralympic Foundation of Canada enters its next decade, its impact is only just beginning.
IGNITE The Light was the PFC’s signature fundraising campaign for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Through the sale of virtual seats, Canadians were invited to light up a virtual stadium in honour of the Canadian Paralympic Team competing in Paris.
As Westlake prepares to step down as PFC’s Chair, he looks back on the past 10 years with pride.
Over the years, the Foundation has celebrated numerous milestones. For Westlake, some of the most memorable include launching the ParaTough Cup, which began as a single small event and has grown into a major national event series fundraiser.
“If you’re going from zero to 100, I’d say we’re not even at 50 yet,” Westlake says. “There’s still so much room to expand.”
As PFC enters its second decade, Westlake has one clear message for potential supporters that now is the time to get involved and to help the PFC ignite change through Para sport.
We need your support to IGNITE the Future of Canadian Para Sport.
“We have incredible momentum,” he says. “We’re seeing more visibility for Para sport, more corporate support, and more engagement from Canadians. But we need to keep pushing forward.”
Finding the right leadership was also crucial.
The mission remains clear, to IGNITE a future where Canadians with a disability are offered ample opportunities to experience the transformative power of sport.
