Murray Dryden

Who was Murray Dryden?

Murray Dryden, CM was a Canadian philanthropist. He was also the father of Hockey Hall of Famer and politician, Ken Dryden and Dave Dryden.

Born in Domain, Manitoba, the eldest of eight children of Scottish parents, he worked on his family 408-acre farm until finishing grade 11 in 1928 when he moved to Winnipeg to look for a job. In 1932, he found work selling plant food in Hamilton, Ontario and married Margaret Campbell in 1938. They would have three children: Ken, Dave, and Judy. In 1948, Dryden moved with his family to Etobicoke, in the western portion of the City of Toronto, where he sold building materials. An amateur photographer, he enjoyed taking pictures of children at sleep.

In 1970, after retiring, he founded with his wife the charity, Sleeping Children Around the World, whose mission is to "give bed kits to needy children in developing countries". He would be made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1981 for this work. As of 2008, SCAW has raised over C$20 million and provided bed kits to over 900,000 children in 33 countries. In 1988, Dryden sold three Christmas tree farms for C$3.5 million to ensure SCAW will be able to give 100% of its donations to help children.