Frankie Edroff (formerly Jeneece Edroff born January 20, 1994) is a Canadian philanthropist who has raised over a million dollars for

Variety, the Children's Charity Variety, the Children's Charity is a charitable organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927. History On October 10, 1927, a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On ...

. He was inducted into the

Terry Fox Hall of Fame The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame (formerly the Terry Fox Hall of Fame), recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadi ...

in 2006 and has received multiple awards, including the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal () or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. There are four versions of the medal: one iss ...

in 2012.

Early life and education

Edroff was born on January 20, 1994, in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

. At three years old, he was diagnosed with

neurofibromatosis Neurofibromatosis (NF) refers to a group of three distinct genetic conditions in which tumors grow in the nervous system. The tumors are non-cancerous (benign) and often involve the skin or surrounding bone. Although symptoms are often mild, e ...

. By the age of seven, he started a penny drive to raise money for

. He attended

Claremont Secondary School Claremont Secondary School (CSS) is a public secondary school in Saanich, a municipality of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is operated by School District 63 Saanich. CSS is one of three secondary schools in the school district an ...

in Victoria and completed a food course at the

Camosun College Camosun College is a public college located in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The college has two campuses, Lansdowne and Interurban, with a total full-time equivalent enrollment of 4,946 students in 2022/23. Camosun College also provides co ...

in December 2014.

Career

Throughout his childhood, Edroff has raised over a million dollars for Variety. In 2009, he served as a torchbearer and lit the Olympic cauldron at the

British Columbia Parliament Buildings The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Speaker and the Sergeant-at-Arms are amongst those responsible for the legislative precinc ...

for the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

. In 2012, Jeneece Place at the

Victoria General Hospital Victoria General Hospital (VGH) is an acute care facility located in View Royal, British Columbia, Canada, a western suburb of Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress ...

was opened in honour of his eighteenth birthday. Edroff established Jeneece Place to provide short-term housing for families of

, while their children undergo medical treatments.

Awards and honours

Edroff was inducted into the

in 2006 and awarded the

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administe ...

in 2010. Other accolades include the

in 2012 and the

Meritorious Service Cross The Meritorious Service Cross () is a State decoration, decoration that is, within the Orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Monarchy of Canada, Canadia ...

in 2016 for his civil work.

Personal life

In 2012, Edroff sought a medical consultation at the

Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...

for issues related to his spine and leg. He had previously undergone surgeries at the

British Columbia Children's Hospital British Columbia Children's Hospital is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. It specializes in health care for patients from birth to 16 years of age (possibly l ...

when he was younger. In 2018, he came out as a transgender man and is now using the name Frankie. In 2019, a documentary about Edroff's

gender transitioning Gender transition is the process of affirming and expressing one's internal sense of gender, rather than the sex assigned to them at birth. It is a recommended course of treatment for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria, providing impro ...

was released.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edroff, Frankie 1994 births Living people 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people Members of the Order of British Columbia People from Victoria, British Columbia Canadian Disability Hall of Fame Canadian transgender men Canadian philanthropists Camosun College alumni