GIVING BACK

Inspired by his warm childhood immersed in the arts, through his company and his own personal charity, Barry has spent thousands of hours giving back through many charitable undertakings. Amongst his favourites has been the establishment of the Irving Avrich Fund at The Toronto International Film Festival. Named after his father, the fund helps emerging filmmakers access the resources of the film festival. Barry has also donated his time producing lavish events for hundreds of high profile charities that have raised millions of dollars for developmentally challenged adults, impoverished children in Canada and Africa, and cultivating the arts in Canada. He has used his relationships with major Hollywood stars to make an immediate impact for those less fortunate. In 2006, while visiting a terminally ill friend in the hospital, he walked past a hospital room and saw a young child wrestling with a small DVD player. It dawned on him that a child should not have to miss out on the “go big” screen magic of movies while staying in a hospital. The next day he made a godfather style offer to SickKids Hospital. He would raise the funds to build a Hollywood-style movie theatre for terminally ill children inside the hospital: the hospital had only 48 hours to accept the offer before the restless Barry would move on to the next idea. The Daniels Hollywood Theatre was the first in-hospital movie theatre that was launched in 2007 with latest edition of Shrek.   

See the news:

http://www.citynews.ca/2007/05/18/sick-kids-hospital-unveils-state-of-the-art-theatre/

http://www.thestar.com/news/2007/05/18/lights_camera_action_at_sick_kids.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/sick-kids-hospital-is-going-hollywood/article968591/