| July 29, 2010 Volume 51 Edition No. 30 |
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| Hospice now recruiting volunteers to collect Corn Festival admission | ||||
| by Cheryl Hardcastle |
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The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc. was the successful applicant that answered the Town of Tecumseh’s call for proposals to implement and administer the $5 gate collection for the Friday and Saturday (August 27-28) of this year’s Corn Festival. they are now recruiting volunteers to help carry out these duties and support this fundriser that will see the local Hospice benefit with a take of 20 per cent of the gate proceeds. “We are super excited about The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc.’s involvement with the Corn Festival,” says Emma Darby, Donor Relations Manager. “When I got the call that we were selected, I got goosebumps. I was just thrilled not only because of the great exposure it meant for The Hospice but also that we would have the opportunity to work with the Town of Tecumseh on such a fun event. I mean the Corn Festival has been around forever. I used to come to it when I was a kid!” Ms. Darby isn’t alone in the enthusiasm. With the Hospice’s share of the proceeds going toward their children’s programs, “Joe Perry, our Wellness Centre Coordinator, hugged me so hard that he pretty much picked me up when I told him we got the proposal,” she recalls. The Hospice has committed the use of their volunteers to collect admission at the gates to the Corn Festival which also entails distributing the admission bracelets. “It’s a huge feat that will require an army of volunteers to pull it off. We need approximately 110 volunteers each day,” Ms. Darby estimates. Volunteers will work various shifts that start at 10:30am and end at 9:00pm. They are putting the call out now for people who are interested in participating. “So far, we have had a good response from our own base of volunteers but we are looking outside too for assistance. I think it will be two days of fun and I’m looking forward to it,” she says. The programs that will receive funding from the Corn Festival include Guitar for Teens, a ten-week support group for teens. Guitars are provided free of charge to use during the program. It is open to teens with a family member facing a life-threatening illness, teens that are facing a life-threatening illness themselves, and teens that have lost someone to a life-threatening illness. Another program is Fun Time for Kids. Each month The Hospice holds a special activity for children to be able to come together for friendship and fun. Activities include patining pottery, making books, doing craft activities and scavenger hunts. Also receiving funding is Family Works, which is a support group that works with children ages 5 to 14 and parents/guardians/caregivers in two separate simultaneously run groups. Children are considered caregivers in the circle of care when a family member is facing a life-threatening illness. The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc. is Canada’s largest community-based palliative care facility that has been serving Windsor and Essex County for over 30 years. Their innovative programs and services support, educate and empower those who are affected by or caring for a person with a life-threatening illness. They are there from the point of pre-diagnosis through the palliative stage and their services and programs are offered free of charge without the need of a physician’s referral. In 2009, The Hospice received 1090 new referrals for Hospice services. Great support has come forward to help make the most of this Corn Festival undertaking. Kel-Com has generously offered the use of walkie talkies so that there will be smooth communication between each of the gates. Any volunteers will receive training, a t-shirt identifying them as Hospice staff that they can keep after the event and refreshments. Those interested in volunteering should call Linda Webb at 519-974-7100 ext. 2219.
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