Father founded a fundraiser in tribute to son’s friend

The donors: Lana Duke, R. David Duke and family

The gift: Raising $10,000 and climbing

The cause: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada

The reason: Not that long ago, R. David Duke's five-year-old son Jackson came home from school worried about his friend who had leukemia.

"My son came home and said 'John Robert is not doing well, he hasn't been in class'," recalled Mr. Duke, a co-owner of Ruth's Chris Steak House restaurants in Toronto and Texas with his mother, Lana Duke, who is from St. Catharines, Ont. and helped launch the chain in the 1970s. Mr. Duke and his wife, Lori Duke, looked into several charities devoted to cancer care and research before starting a fundraiser in Toronto for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. With the help of Mr. Duke's mother and the staff at the company's new location across from the Toronto airport, they raised $8,000 for the society at the restaurant's opening in December. More money has come in since then and the restaurant will continue to donate $1 from the sale of each onion ring appetizer to the society.

Mr. Duke, who is based in New Orleans, said the fundraising has held special significance because of Jackson's friend and because the founder of the restaurant chain, Ruth Fertel, died of cancer. "It just seemed like all the things were lining up for us to do this," he said. When asked how John Robert was doing, Mr. Duke replied: "He's doing amazing."