The Pearl McGonigal Award
Established in 2019, the Pearl McGonigal Award honours an individual or group for outstanding contributions to Grace Hospital and our community at large. Ms. McGonigal was the award’s first recipient in May of 2019.
The award itself was created by noted local sculptor Jordan Van Sewell. Mr. Van Sewell and Ms. McGonigal have been friends for decades. The sculpture embodies the “Spirit of Grace” with its beautiful prairie sky and flowing Sturgeon Creek. Each recipient of the Pearl McGonigal Award receives a replica of the original award.
The 2025 Recipient
On October 28, 2025, the Grace Hospital Foundation recognized Dr. Ramin Hamedani with the Pearl McGonigal Award for a lifetime of achievement.
Dr. Ramin Hamedani has been a fixture at Grace Hospital for more than 25 years. Specializing in Cardiology, Dr. Hamedani embodies excellence in clinical practice, and has provided life-saving care to countless patients over the years, with compassion and poise, his hallmarks. Ever the leader and mentor, Dr. Hamedani has been extensively involved in both undergraduate and graduate level teaching at the Grace, fostering his strong ethics and ideals into a generation of new physicians.
In 2015, he was appointed the Chief Medical Officer, Grace Hospital, a role in which he excelled, bringing not only leadership to the hospital’s executive team, but also a personal and hands-on approach to management that saw him here on many late nights. During the depths of the COVID-19 Pandemic, you could routinely see Ramin delivering meals to over-worked staff, and pitching in throughout the facility wherever help was needed.
As a friend to Grace Hospital Foundation, he is beyond compare. An annual major donor, Ramin has set an example for Grace Hospital’s physician group on how to give back in support of enhanced patient care. A perennial fixture with his family at the Joe Aiello Bocce Ball Tournament for Grace Hospital, and indeed, at the Grace Gala, Ramin walks the talk and is a participant in, and advocate for, Grace Hospital Foundation’s events and activities.
In 2025, Ramin retired as Grace Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer. Thankfully, he continues on in his role as a master clinician, providing daily care to the patients at Grace Hospital.
Dr. Ramin Hamedani, we thank you. It is our honour to have you as the 2025 recipient of the Pearl McGonigal Award.
Past Recipients
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2024 – Joe Aiello
Joe Aiello receiving the Pearl McGonigal Award for a Lifetime of Achievement, 2024
On October 22, 2024, the Grace Hospital Foundation recognized Joe Aiello with the Pearl McGonigal Award for a lifetime of achievement.
Joe is a Winnipeg boy, born and raised in the West End. A graduate of Daniel McIntyre Collegiate and a student of the University of Winnipeg, Joe heard the call of radio very early in his life and began his career at KY58 and 92 CITI FM in 1987. Joe has been a fixture of the Winnipeg morning radio scene for more than three decades, and so many of us start our day with our dear friend. But Joe is so much more than a fun and friendly voice over the air ways. Joe Aiello is a leader and community builder who has made his city and province a better place.
Joe has spent his life dedicated to many worthwhile causes. From his years of service to the Sons of Italy and the Dream Factory, to his tireless efforts to collect toys at Christmas for the Salvation Army, from his extraordinary work with Cancer Care Manitoba, to his annual participation as a host, emcee and ambassador for quite literally several hundred local charities, Joe has left an indelible mark.
At the Grace, Joe has been a part of the hospital for more than 20 years. In addition to his attendance and support at most every Foundation event, Joe was the host of the Grace Golf Classic starting in 2005, and was instrumental in assuring the success of this fundraising institution for patient care at the Grace. But in classic Joe Aiello fashion, his desire to do more led him to conceive the Joe Aiello Bocce Ball Tournament for Grace Hospital, an event that he has championed since its inception 2019, and that has raised almost $300,000 for the Grace to date. Not one to merely lend his name to an effort, Joe is the leader and chief organizer of the Tournament, and thanks to his hard work it has become the Foundation’s most popular and successful event.
A true Winnipegger, Joe is fond of saying that “Winnipeg punches above its weight class” when it comes to things like charitable support and giving. We couldn’t agree more, and there is no better example of that than Joe Aiello. No one had done more for so many.
If you happen to miss Joe in the morning on 92 CITI FM, you can always come by Frankie’s Italian Kitchen, where he is a partner and you can find him most evenings.
2023 – Bob & Cathy Tallman, Tallman Family, Princess Auto Foundation, Trans Canada Brewery
The Tallman Family receiving the Pearl McGonigal Award for a Lifetime of Achievement, 2023
On October 24, 2023, the Grace Hospital Foundation recognized Bob & Cathy Tallman, the Tallman Family, Princess Auto Foundation and Trans Canada Brewery with the Pearl McGonigal Award for a lifetime of achievement.
During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tallman Family was there for the Grace. in January 2021, they did something extraordinary. The Princess Auto Foundation contacted us with an offer to feed our staff 100 meals at lunch and 100 meals at dinner, every day, for the entire month. Then they extended that to Feburary and then again in May and June. All told, in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Prince Auto Foundation provided the staff at the Grace with over 20,000 hot meals.
2022 – Wajih (Moe) Zeid
Wajih (Moe) Zeid receiving the Pearl McGonigal Award for a Lifetime of Achievement, 2022
On October 25, 2022, the Grace Hospital Foundation recognized Wajih (Moe) Zeid of FOODFARE with the Pearl McGonigal Award for a lifetime of achievement.
Wajih Zeid came to Canada in 1967 when he was twenty years old with as the saying goes, nothing but the shirt on his back. For many years, Mr. Zeid worked during the day as a butcher at Manitoba Sausage and in the evenings as a delivery driver. he saved well and in 1977 he bought his first grocery store, a small Payfair store on St. Matthews Avenue. Now, almost 50 years later, he is the largest independent grocer in Winnipeg, with five highly successful FOODFARE locations. Mr. Zeid is the father of seven children and has 38 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He has dedicated much of his time and resources to many important causes in the community and has been a major support of Grace Hospital for decades.
2021 – Edward and Marjorie Danylchuk
Hon. Pearl McGonigal presenting the 2021 Award to Marjorie Danylchuk
Ed and Marge Danylchuk are the largest donors Grace Hospital Foundation has ever had. In 2016, they made a $3.25 million gift to support the construction of Grace Hospital’s new Emergency Department and MRI Building. The Emergency Department is housed in the “Edward & Marjorie Danylchuk Centre”.
They have also made many other gifts over the years, and Marge has been on the Grace Hospital Foundation Board since 2003. Sadly, Ed passed away in the Fall of 2020. Before he died, he gave the Foundation a vintage 1988 Mercedes, which we sold to a private collector, with all proceeds going to the 2021 Radiothon.
2020 – R.W. (Bob) Cunningham
Hon. Pearl McGonigal presenting the 2021 Award to R.W. (Bob) Cunningham.
The 2020 Virtual Grace Gala honoured R.W. (Bob) Cunningham with the second annual Pearl McGonigal Lifetime Achievement Award. Bob Cunningham is a business leader and philanthropist, whose efforts have left an indelible mark on his city and province.
Aside from his many business achievements, Mr. Cunningham has been a tireless champion for many worthwhile causes, including Cancer Care, Upper Fort Garry Historic Park, University of Manitoba, and St. John’s Ambulance. He has been an active supporter of Grace Hospital Foundation for several decades, both as a donor and volunteer. He has had a true impact on the quality of care that is provided to the patients of the Grace Hospital, and it is our privilege to honour him with the 2020 Pearl McGonigal Lifetime Achievement Award.
2019 – Pearl McGonigal
Honourable McGonigal was the award’s first recipient in May of 2019. Ms. McGonigal is a founding member of the Grace Hospital Foundation and was its Chair for almost two decades, retiring in 2011.
Under her guidance the Foundation raised more than $25 million in support of patient care at The Grace. In 2016, she Co-Chaired the “Tomorrow’s Grace Capital Campaign”, which raised $6 million to help build the new Emergency Department and MRI Building.
In addition to serving as the Chair of Grace Hospital Foundation, Ms. McGonigal also served two terms as the Chair of the Grace Hospital Board of Management (1987-1993). All told, Ms. McGonigal has devoted more than 40 years to The Grace.
Beyond her service to the Grace, Ms. McGonigal has been a dedicated public servant and a trailblazer, serving as the first female Deputy Mayor of Winnipeg and the first female Lt. Governor of Manitoba. Her awards and accolades are far too numerous to mention.