Photos submitted

Hub Staff

While the pandemic may be foiling some of our festive traditions this year, the Chantry Island Cham-bettes persevered and launched their 12th annual Christmas Tour of Homes online for 2020. The public was invited to virtually visit several homes in the community bedecked in full holiday splendour. Home owners did their own decorating with their own supplies to maintain a safe operation during COVID.

“The Cham-bettes were very excited that despite COVID and the need to go virtual, we were still able to make $9,356 for the [Saugeen Memorial] Hospital Foundation,“ reported Cham-bette member Jo-Anne Willets in a December 21 email. The Christmas Tour of Homes has now raised over $130,000 for SMHF for new medical equipment. This year the SMHF is planning to purchase a new portable digital x-ray imaging machine at a cost of just over $500,000.

Willets explained that they were a little apprehensive at first to proceed with the tour online but once four home owners jumped on board they didn’t look back.

“We had over 200 people view the video and two of the homes will be featured in Our Homes magazine October's edition,” informed Willets. “We received very positive feedback but most look forward to being able to view the homes in person next year,” she added.