Sgro Family Creates a Catalyst Fund to Remember and Commemorate Their Late Daughter Lindsay
New Fund Honours Lindsay Sgro's Legacy in Choral Music and Community Arts
March 31st, 2026 BURLINGTON, ON
The loss of a child is more than heartbreaking - it is something that becomes part of the life a family lives when a child passes - they are not there to be seen as they grow, to feel the warmth of their hugs.
Ralph and Susan Sgro lost their daughter Lindsay in August 2024. They created a Catalyst Fund with the help and direction from the Burlington Community Foundation to continue to celebrate the child who was no longer with them and at the same time reflect the values, interests and passions the child had.
As a family, they had the resources to create something that would represent what Lindsay was about: music. She was also a Western Ontario graduate and a successful business person.
Myriad Ensemble along with the Sgro family joined in the announcement, creating the Myriad Ensemble Choral Catalyst Fund, in an event that took place at the Burlington Convention Centre earlier this month.
This newly established fund will support the long-term artistic growth, innovation, and community impact of Myriad Ensemble, enabling bold programming, new commissions, and expanded access to choral music for audiences and artists alike. The expanded access will include a new Spirit of Myriad Award to support choir participation, established in honour of the Lindsay (Sgro) Bridge.
"This fund and the new Myriad Spirit Award are a perfect way to honour Lindsay," said Susan. "She was passionate about the arts and community, and being able to support Myriad - a choir we know she would have loved - is a wonderful way to honour her legacy and enhance access to the arts."
The new fund builds on the Sgros' enduring commitment to the arts, including their transformational leadership gift to the Burlington Community Foundation to establish the Lindsay's Loves Fund. The grant to support Myriad is one of the first made from the fund, which aims to reflect Lindsay's deep love of the arts and support children and youth in accessing meaningful arts programming.
The creation of the Myriad Ensemble Choral Catalyst Fund will invest not only in access to the arts, but in the artistic excellence and creative leadership that sustain a vibrant cultural ecosystem.
The Choral Catalyst Fund is designed to be both responsive and forward-looking, supporting initiatives such as: * New choral commissions and collaborations with Canadian composers * Innovative, multi-sensory performances and artistic experimentation * Professional development opportunities for emerging artists * Community-engaged programming that expands access and participation
For Myriad Ensemble, the fund represents a significant step in its evolution as one of Ontario's leading upper-voice choirs, known for its commitment to artistic excellence, contemporary programming and championing of emerging artists.
"This fund is a catalyst in the truest sense - it creates the conditions for possibility," says Elise Naccarato, Artistic and Executive Director of Myriad Ensemble. "Through Ralph and Susan's generosity, we are able to invest further in the art form, in ideas, and in the kind of creative risk-taking that allows choral music to evolve and resonate in new ways."
The fund ensures long-term sustainability and impact through a trusted philanthropic structure that supports charitable initiatives across the region.
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