Canada — Isadore Sharp: Seasons of Philanthropy

Every morning, Canadian-based hotelier Isadore Sharp walks into the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts headquarters, where he conducts business in his first-floor office.

Blueprints for a new hotel await his approval as he takes a few moments to advise a Four Seasons Hotel owner on the phone, who has called from halfway across the world.

As the founder, chairman and CEO of Four Seasons since 1961, Sharp is still actively involved in the legacy he began.

When he opened the doors to his first hotel in the heart of Toronto, he never thought that his entrepreneurial move and innovative ideas would put him at the base of a brand that is now one of the world’s luxury hotels.

With 78 Four Seasons Hotels located in 32 countries, Sharp plans to double this number in the near future. This year will see new properties in Florence, Macau, Mauritius, Mumbai and St. Louis. An additional Four Seasons in Yorkville is slated to open in 2010.

Sharp is quick to say that his ingenious thoughts and in-depth knowledge of the building industry are not the reason for the Four Seasons’ revered reputation. It’s because his 40,000 employees follow in his footsteps, living life by a moral code.

“What brought the company to where it is are the principles behind it,” explains Sharp. “We have one very profound statement that underlies the culture of the company. It’s the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would want done unto you.”

In fact, many Four Seasons employees are philanthropists who participate in the Terry Fox Run each year. “The people who join the company believe in that value system … People who have similar attitudes about responsibility to their fellow workers and to the general community work for Four Seasons,” says Sharp.

Years ago, Sharp endured the unimaginable pain of losing his son Christopher to melanoma cancer, a year after legendary hero Terry Fox was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to strengthen cancer awareness and help find a cure, Sharp found himself believing in Fox when most of Canada didn’t. “He always spoke from the heart,” says Sharp of his first encounter with Terry. “He was a serious young man who was beyond his years in wisdom. When I met him, I believed in what he was trying to do, and thought: Here’s an opportunity for somebody to carry a message through him.”

Sharp donated thousands of dollars to support Fox’s dream of running across Canada. He also started a competition among Canadian companies to encourage a flurry of donations. And when Fox was unable to finish his Marathon of Hope because of his health problems, Sharp sent a telegram to Fox’s bedside, promising to start a run in his name.

Since the beginning, Sharp has been deeply involved in the Terry Fox Foundation, which is Canada’s second largest non-government fundraiser for cancer research.

Today, about $425 million has been raised for cancer research in Fox’s name, with Terry Fox runs held in more than 40 countries. This is a major feat, since the foundation is a grassroots organization that does not accept corporate sponsorship opportunities.

Over one hundred Four Seasons Corporate and Hotel employees volunteer their time to coordinate Toronto’s largest Terry Fox Run at Wilket Creek Park. “There has always been a group of people in the company who have picked up the challenge and, each year, keep moving it ahead,” says Sharp about his employees at Four Seasons Hotels. “There is a corporate support that Four Seasons has been providing. I consider it much more valuable when people devote their time, rather than just making financial contributions.”

If you have not yet experienced the luxurious amenities and prompt service at a Four Seasons Hotel, participating in the Run will provide you with a feeling of hope that comes when you’re living life the way Sharp does.

www.fourseasons.com, www.terryfoxrun.org, or call the Provincial Office at 1-888-836-8786