WE-SPARK Health Institute’s Cheers to Hope Event showcases health innovation in Windsor / Essex

Theresa Chao, Samantha Dade, Dania Mousa, and Seeret Banwait, student members of Science Meets Art,

discuss health research projects at Cheers to Hope, Thursday at the Ambassador Golf Club.

WE-SPARK Health Institute’s annual “Cheers to Hope” event, held Nov. 7 at the Ambassador Golf Club, brought together academic and health-care professionals, students, and community supporters from across Windsor-Essex to raise awareness and launch fundraising efforts for its 2025 grants program, which powers health innovation throughout the region.

Celebrating collaboration, the event spotlighted WE-SPARK’s five key partners—Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor, and Windsor Regional Hospital. A research showcase demonstrated the impact of previously funded projects, reinforcing the event's focus on advancing local health research.

WE-SPARK’s grants program includes two strategic funding streams:
•    Igniting Discovery Grants: Supporting early-stage, innovative health research in Windsor/Essex.
•    Incentive Grants: Assisting projects nearing success in national funding competitions.

The mission of WE-SPARK’s grants program is to foster the next generation of health researchers, drive meaningful discoveries, improve community health, and ultimately, save lives.

Since its launch in 2020, WE-SPARK’s grant program has awarded $1.8 million for 105 projects involving 604 researchers. Learn more about the grants program and projects that have received funding.