AMHERST – Cumberland County’s hospice and palliative care society is set to launch its Toonies for Hospice fundraising campaign.
The society, which is raising money to build and support a free-standing hospice facility in Amherst, is selling tickets for its weekly Toonie draw that will hold its first draw on Wednesday, May 2.
“The hospice has been working for several years to raise awareness toward the need for a hospice facility in Cumberland County. We haven’t launched our capital campaign to build it yet because as part of our plan we have to show government that we can sustain the building,” society coordinator Laura Hicks said. “Raising the money to build it is one thing, but we have to prove that we can afford to maintain it after it’s built.”
Hicks estimates the society is going to have to come up with a couple of hundred thousand dollars annually to support the centre that would provide end of life care and allow those staying there to live out their final days in dignity in a home-like atmosphere.
While the hospice is hosting numerous fundraisers, Hicks said, there are only so many gift baskets it can sell tickets on to raise money. The society, she added, needs something more sustainable.
“We did a lot of brainstorming and came up with the idea of holding our own Toonie draw. We have had wonderful support from the community and we have had all kinds of individuals and organizations making donations, but we needed something that’s more sustainable,” Hicks said. “We know it’s going to take a lot of work, but we’re confident we can make it work.”
The Amherst CIBC Wood Gundy Ramblers have operated a Toonie draw for several years and it has been a huge success. Hicks said the hospice society does not see itself as competition to the Ramblers’ draw, saying it’s already more established and raises much more money than it can ever dream of.
“We don’t want to take anything away from the Ramblers. They have a successful Toonie draw that’s already well established,” she said. “We believe there are enough people out there that we can operate our own draw.”
While the Ramblers’ draw has purple boxes and draws on Tuesdays, Hicks said the hospice society uses yellow boxes and will hold its draw on Wednesdays. She is hoping to work with the Ramblers, and the VON (that has a new Loonie draw) to make sure Toonies (and Loonies) go in the right boxes.
“We’re more than willing to work with both organizations to avoid Toonies from our draw showing up the Ramblers’ boxes and I know they are willing to help avoid Toonies from their draw ending up in our boxes,” Hicks said.
People can play week to week, pay $20 for 10 weeks, $40 for 20 weeks and $104 for a year.
Like the Ramblers’ Toonie draw, if a number isn’t played the prize will be carried over to the next week. The VON Loonie Draw has a guaranteed winner each week.
Hospice Toonie boxes are located at the Amherst Country Store (Co-op), Mobil Gas Bar, Pharmasave, Cumberland Honda, IMP, Harrison’s Home Hardware, West Amherst Esso, Vogue Optical and Wrench and Rubber in Amherst; at the Advocate Country Store; Pugwash Harrison’s Home Hardware; Foodland and McMillan’s Home Hardware in Springhill; the Amherst Shore Country Store; GDJE Enterprises (Alphabet Store) and Lower Main Market in Oxford; Harrison’s Home Hardware in Parrsboro and Reid’s Convenience and MacLellan’s Service Centre in River Hebert.
People can also visit the society’s office in the Amherst Centre mall.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
