Danny Murphy
Philanthropic Leadership Award

Danny Murphy is a man who appreciates the value of a good work ethic and supports and encourages those who are willing to work hard for success. About 9 years ago, the Alzheimer Society of PEI asked if they could partner with his Tim Horton's stores in Charlottetown for the World Alzheimer Day - Coffee Break^® event. Danny agreed and offered the profits of the sale of all large or extra large coffees, not just in Charlottetown, but also throughout the entire province. That first Coffee Break^® netted the Society over $10,000, no mean feat in a small province.

L to R: Danny Murphy and his wife, Richard Nakoneczny, President of the ASC Board of Directors

Through the hard work and commitment of AS PEI volunteers to supporting Coffee Break^®, Danny was impressed and decided he wanted to do more for an organization that operated with so little, yet offered so many services to Islanders. He got to know more about the services offered by the Society and appreciated the heavy dependence on volunteers to ensure that programs ran smoothly; he came to understand that there was neither government funding nor wealthy financial supporters to fund the Society, and decided to do what he could to ensure the Alzheimer Society of PEI was supported and had the resources they need to continue to deliver valuable services to families.

Danny's good business sense and his need to give back to the community became evident when he decided he would open his home, 'Gingerwood', for "A Night to Remember" in 2002. The event was complete with fine dining, drinks, and top-drawer entertainment. The event has continued to be popular with Islanders and they support it in a big way. Danny continues to do all of the work for this annual fund-raiser and turns the proceeds over to the Alzheimer Society of PEI. 2009 will mark the 7th annual Night to Remember, which raises one third of the Alzheimer Society of PEI's annual budget. To date, the event has raised close to half a million dollars. None of the staff or volunteers at the Society is required to lift a finger to raise the funds, although most of the volunteers willingly and happily attend the event, and encourage others to buy tickets. (see http://www.alzpei.ca/night2remember.html).

After learning about Danny's contribution to AS PEI, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia invited Danny to create a similar event for them. Danny lent his expertise and found a suitable place and patron for the event there. His dream is to have a similar fund-raising Night to Remember in each province in Canada, and he has expressed his willingness to get such events started.

Because of Danny's commitment, the AS PEI has been able to ensure the provision of core services and resources for Islanders province-wide. As part of his legacy, a leadership award has been established and is now awarded annually. The Danny Murphy Leadership Award was established to encourage support and inspire excellence in dementia care and to acknowledge those who support the goals and objectives of the Alzheimer Society.

Danny's dedication to the Alzheimer Society, in both PEI and NS, has been exemplary and demonstrates true philanthropic leadership to the Alzheimer Society Federation.

This page last reviewed/revised June 2009.
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