St. Michael’s Foundation Challenges Ben Stiller: In a bold and unexpected move, Toronto’s St. Michael’s Foundation has issued a pickleball challenge to Hollywood star Ben Stiller—straight from the middle of an operating room. The challenge is part of a fundraising campaign for Paddle Royale, a charity pickleball tournament set to take place in March, to raise $200,000 for frontline healthcare teams.
A Unique Fundraising Approach
The campaign’s attention-grabbing film was directed by Jesse Senko and produced by Nimble Content, part of Holiday United Group (HUG). The project is part of HUG for Good, an initiative founded in 2018 by Josefina Nadurata that connects creative talent with purpose-driven charitable organizations.
The video stars Dr. Kim Connelly, Head of Cardiology at St. Michael’s Hospital, who delivers a dramatic monologue while performing heart surgery—only to shift gears and challenge Stiller to a pickleball match.
“I’ve performed hundreds of heart procedures. Developed a life-saving drug. Spent a decade in medical school,” Dr. Connelly declares before demanding surgical tools like a valve and probe—only to seamlessly transition to asking for a pickleball paddle and sweatband.
The scene escalates as Dr. Connelly rips off his scrubs to reveal full pickleball outfit, joined by his enthusiastic teammates.
HUG for Good’s Impactful Campaign
Eastern Yoo, Executive Producer at HUG, emphasized the importance of using creativity to drive meaningful change.
”We thrive off of creating work with real impact through the HUG for GOOD initiative. We could not pass this opportunity to help out St. Michael’s and create some genuinely disruptive work.” – (Eastern Yoo)
Will Ben Stiller Accept the Challenge?
So far, there has been no response from Stiller, but with a $200K fundraising goal, the campaign is banking on big names generating big donations. As Dr. Connelly cheekily states in the film’s closing shot while catching a pickleball mid-air:
“The ball is now in your court.” – (Dr. Connelly)
News in Brief: St. Michael’s Foundation Challenges Ben Stiller
St. Michael’s Foundation in Toronto has issued a pickleball challenge to Ben Stiller in a dramatic fundraising film set in an operating room. The campaign promotes Paddle Royale, a charity tournament aiming to raise $200,000 for healthcare workers. No response yet from Stiller, but the ball is in his court.
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