On June 18, Kinark Child and Family Services held its Annual Celebration Event. Each year, this event offers an opportunity for reconnection and a celebration of the incredible achievements we’ve made together over the past year. As part of the tradition, the Kinark Annual Recognition Event Awards, known as the KARE Awards, and the Long Service Recipient Awards are also presented to acknowledge outstanding individuals.
This year, the Chair’s Award was also presented to honour an individual whose lifetime of contributions deserved special recognition. The award celebrates an individual or group who has made a significant impact in one or more of the sectors Kinark serves.
Sharon Cochran, Chair of Kinark’s Board of Directors, presented Kinark’s Chair Award to Dr. Jeff Wong, with the award given in his memory and accepted by his wife Alix and daughter Emma.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to know Jeff myself, but his contributions to Kinark, to a range of other child and youth mental health and youth justice organizations in Ontario and most importantly, to youth make him someone I wish I had had a chance to know” said Cochran.
The KARE Awards are a meaningful way to celebrate colleagues who go above and beyond to support one another, as well as the children, youth, and families we serve.
Cochran shared her appreciation for staff: “I’d like to thank every member of the Kinark team for the work you do every day to support children and youth, and their families. Over the past year, you have continued to navigate change, respond to growing needs, and be here for our clients in ways that are nothing short of inspiring. The coming KARE Awards are testament to that.”This year, we received another record-breaking number of KARE Award nominations: 101 in total. These nominations recognized 267 individual staff members for their commitment, collaboration, and contributions across Kinark. Staff from all areas of the organization took the time to nominate their colleagues, sharing stories of what made their efforts stand out and how they exemplified Kinark’s values through their work.
Across the seven categories, the recipients of the 2025 KARE Awards are:
- Family Engagement Award: Milani Bavanandan, Program Manager, Lead Agency
- Team Award – Support: Client Experience Team, Autism Services
- Individual Award – Frontline: Aaron Kantomaa, Child and Youth Worker, York Live-in Treatment
- Team Award – Frontline: Complex Care Team, Syl Apps Youth Centre
- Inclusivity Award: Gaynor Fraser, Youth Worker, Syl Apps Youth Centre
- Individual Award – Support: John Russo, Lead IT Support, Information Technology
- Health, Well-being, and Safety Award: Mojghan Ansari, Admin Manager, Child and Youth Mental Health Program
From left to right: Milani Bavanandan, Program Manager, Lead Agency, Gaynor Fraser, Youth Worker, Syl Apps Youth Centre, Mojghan Ansari, Admin Manager, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, John Russo, Lead IT Support, Information Technology, Aaron Kantomaa, Child and Youth Worker, York Live-in Treatment, Client Experience Team, Autism Services, Complex Care Team, Syl Apps Youth Centre.
“I hope each of our seven winners feels a sense of accomplishment, as you all have clearly demonstrated such dedication and care within your roles” said Cathy Paul, CEO of Kinark.
The Long Service Recipient Awards give us the opportunity to honour team members who have dedicated many years, and in some cases decades, to advancing Kinark’s vision of a healthier future for Ontario’s children and youth. At this year’s Annual Celebration Event, 16 staff members were recognized for over 20 years of service, including 5 individuals who have worked with Kinark for more than 35 years.
It is truly inspiring to see so many team members who continue to enrich our work through their long-standing dedication and presence.
Throughout the event, award recipients were honoured, appreciated, and celebrated by their peers. The dedication of our team helps foster the supportive and nurturing environment we strive to provide for the children and families we serve at Kinark. This event serves as a reminder of how important each staff member is in making that possible.
Reflecting on the event, Alvin Cheng, Vice President of Strategy, shared how inspiring the experience was: “When we get together like this, there’s a tremendous amount of energy in the room. People are passionate about their work, but they are also clearly passionate about recognizing the amazing contributions of the whole Kinark team. It’s no wonder that our success is built on the dedication, perseverance, and teamwork of every member of the Kinark roster.”
This year, more than 275 staff members joined the Annual Celebration Event and brought our unifying team theme to life by rallying together with cheer, applause, and excitement. The event celebrated our shared purpose, team spirit, and collective commitment to one mission: achieving better outcomes for children and youth with complex needs. “When we show up as a team, there’s no limit to what we can achieve for the children and families we serve,” said Paul.