Hospital foundation's Light the Way campaign kicks off

The launch of Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation’s 2017 Light the Way campaign and its fairytale theme brought out all the kings, queens, and fairytale princesses.

Hub Staff

With a little fairy dust and the tip of a crown Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation’s (SMHF) 2017 Light the Way campaign officially kicked off in fairytale fashion ahead of Lakeshore Recreation Fairy Tale Ball November 12.

The goal of the annual campaign is to raise $150,000 during the months of November and December for annual needs at the Southampton hospital and this year $100,000 is needed for a clinical chemical analyser.

Dressed as a queen, SMHF Executive Director Sally Kidson said she knows that not all visits to Saugeen Memorial Hospital resemble a fairy tale, but “because of the great staff and the excellent equipment in the hospital people go home and living happily ever after once they have been treated and received the care that they need.”

King Jim Barbour, SMHF Chair, said that the Light the Way fundraiser is an appeal to the community to help raise funds for annual needs. “Each year we are presented with a list of items needed for the hospital and then we try to raise the funds to purchase that equipment,” he said. “We do this because the provincial government does not provide funding to the purchase of hospital equipment.” Barbour added that the foundation purchases everything from IV pumps to hospital beds to heart monitors to MRI equipment.

“All to achieve our goal to make our hospital medically vital to our community,” said Barbour.

Every year the Light the Way campaign hosts an honourary chair and this year is no different as Mike Mowbray, owner of Mowbray’s Canadian Tire, happily accepted the position. Mowbray said he was honoured to be asked and is formulating ideas along with his wife Eleanor on how their Port Elgin store can go above and beyond in fundraising efforts as well for the Light the Way campaign.

Mike Mowbray said needs of the Saugeen Memorial Hospital hit close to home when Eleanor suffered a leg injury and was treated locally. “The care and the treatment and just the way people treated you, like you were family or friends, really meant a lot to us.” Mowbray admitted that they didn't know until recently how much money was raised by the community to help keep the hospital going and called it “phenomenal”.

New SMHF Director, 98 the Beach’s John Divinski, made a special announcement during the kick off and said that the Port Elgin radio station will be holding the second annual Light the Way Radio-thon on December 14. The inaugural Radio-thon in 2016 raised $70,000 in a 12 hour time period. “I didn't think that was possible but we did it and we hope that you will make this year’s Light the Way a success.”

Following the kick off remarks, the kings, queens, and other fairy tale characters from across the land joined together to accept the first donation made to the campaign from Lakeshore Recreation. Proceeds from Lakeshore’s Fairy Tale Ball November 12 amounted to 1,601.63, and was donated by Lakeshore owners Queen and King, Ann and Gord MacKay.

The Light the Way mail out has already taken place, sending donation forms to townsfolk via Canada Post, and a new donation form can be found online for the 2017 capaign at www.lightthewaycampaign.ca.

The first donation to the Light the Way campaign came from Lakeshore Recreation, proceeds from their Fairy Tale Ball November 12. From left: Sue Buckton, Gord and Ann MacKay of Lakeshore Recreation, Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Sally Kidson and Sara Dolbeck, 2017 Honourary Chair Mike Mowbray and Eleanor Mowbray from Canadian Tire, SMHF Chair Jim Barbour, Susan Dunlop November 12.