Hub Staff

Elgin Jewellers in downtown Port Elgin helped kick off the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation's Light the Way campaign by donating $1,000. Elgin Jewellers' Charles Ebenstreit presented a cheque to the Foundation's Executive Director, Sally Kidson and Vice-Chair, Jim Barbour on November 17.

The Foundation's Light the Way campaign aims to raise $130,000 through donations to help cover the hospital's annual needs that aren't covered by government funding, and Elgin Jewellers' donation put them near the $20,000 mark.

Ebenstreit also donated a more unusual gift of a Tungsten ring cracker for use at the hospital. The ring cracker is designed to shatter rings made of hard metals without hurting the finger, in particular rings made of Tungsten Carbide and Cobalt, that are too hard to cut with a ring cutter and will be used to remove rings that need to come off patients' swollen fingers.

Ebenstreit demonstrated how the device works and said he decided to get an extra one for the hospital after purchasing one for his own business, saying that when used, the ring just shatters.

He explained that Tungsten bands are increasingly popular. “I probably get about 30 percent of people buying Tungsten right now,” he said.

To donate to Light the Way, visit www.smhfoundation.ca