Pfaff Autoworks builds custom hospital bed for fundraising efforts

By Mike Davey

Toronto, Ontario — October 12, 2016 — The race is on and Pfaff Automotive Partners is at the centre of it all. There’s always been a motorsports connection for the Toronto-based business, but this race isn’t on the track. Pfaff has teamed up with the North York General Hospital Foundation (NYGHF) for a three-year race to replace all of the beds at North York General Hospital.

Pfaff  is partnering with the Foundation on marketing, but that’s not all. The company has generously donated $150,000 to the campaign. That’s a lot of money, but the total fundraising goal is $853,000.

The first wave of the campaign is “It’s Not Just A Bed. It’s a Race Car!” The theory behind the campaign’s title is that a hospital bed isn’t just a bed when looked at from the perspective of the patient. To quote from a statement released by NYGHF, “It’s the place they first met their newborn baby; it’s family game night; and, for children, it’s where they exercise their imagination during recovery.”

“We are thrilled to have Pfaff on board for this partnership. We have all known someone who has needed to stay resident in these beds, whether for a short or long term period. It’s important to us that we’re able to offer not only comfort, but safety and a good patient experience for the best possible outcomes during those stays,” says Terry Pursell, President and CEO, North York General Hospital Foundation.

The title of the campaign is more than a metaphor. The fundraising campaign will see a visit or two to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, bringing some friendly competition, in beds and cars, to the track. A statement from NYGHF says plans are in place to engage physicians, front-line staff, and the entire community in the effort.

Chris Pfaff is the President and CEO of Pfaff Automotive Partners. His connection to the hospital goes beyond simply supporting the community.

“Both of my children were born at North York General Hospital, so I have a personal andemotional connection,” said Pfaff. “I’ve experienced firsthand their superior patient care, one of the ideals to which our own organization aspires. NYGH does great work, and we love the marketing campaign they’ve put together around this initiative. We’ve worked on programs with the hospital in the past, and we know that many of our clients are the hospital’s clients as well. We are excited to partner with NYGH with this leadership investment, and look forward to helping them get the word out about this important program.”

Pfaff Autoworks is the company’s collision repair division. They pitched in to customize one of the hospital’s beds and bring the campaign to life.

“We came up with the concept to make it look like our Porsche race car,” said Jeff Pabst, referring to the company’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car. Pabst is the General Manager of Pfaff Autoworks. “We took a couple of pieces we had in the shop, put a wing on the back and welded it all to the bed before we painted it.”

Pabst says the project had the whole staff behind it, with many team members providing input and making suggestions.
The customized bed is currently in the lobby of NYGH to promote the campaign. It will go on tour to various Pfaff locations over the next six months.

For more information on Pfaff Autoworks, please visit pfaffautoworks.com. For more information on the NYGHF and the bed campaign, please visit nyghfoundation.ca.