Connections and Hiking Made for a Great Day!
Sunday June 1st was a day of connection and celebration at the Lion’s Head Arena – The sun shone inside and out!
More than 50 of us gathered in the upper arena to launch the annual Hike for Hospice. With over $40,000 raised in support of Bruce Peninsula Hospice (BPH), we hikers itched to hit the road and trail!
Mayor Milt McIvor of the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula and Mayor Jay Kirkland of the Town of South Bruce Peninsula joined BPH Executive Director, Nancy Forgrave, Board Chair, Bettyanne Waddington and Bob Cunningham, Hike for Hospice Co-Chair, in thanking the hikers, volunteers and all those who donated to make our hike a success. Since the inception of Bruce Peninsula Hospice in 1995, over 230 compassionate volunteers have provided care to 1500 families on the Bruce Peninsula and surrounding area free of charge.
Folks young and old chose to peruse the village, with Anita Cunningham leading the way on a historical tour; others chose to join Bob Cunningham in the ride up the hill to the McCurdy parking lot, hiking to Donna’s Bench and then hiking back to the arena. Anita’s tour brought Lion’s Head families’ histories to light: she herself descends from Tackaberry blood, and regaled us with stories of the big Main Street stone house her great grandfather built. The stones he built the walls with were shipped from Ireland and used as ballast for the ships on the journey across the ocean! Who knew that the pharmacy was once a bank? That a bakery graced the street (with an ominous connection to the funeral home!). Also, a telephone company, milliner, and a Chinese restaurant that “grew their own giant vegetables” were once flourishing businesses.
Back at the arena – more connections sparked. I spoke with one couple recently transplanted to the Bruce, who were curious about BPH and made a donation. New BPH volunteers, Andrea Buck and Debbie Parcels shared how hospice volunteering has been unexpectedly enriching by introducing them to one another as new friends through the training. Debbie shared how, “I kept thinking on our drives together to our training sessions: Wow, me too!, whenever Andrea would tell a story. This really impacted my feelings of isolation as a newcomer, in a positive way”.
Capping off the 30th Anniversary of BPH with delicious sandwiches and cake, all dispersed with the knowledge that Bruce Peninsula Hospice continues to thrive as a strong support for individuals and families experiencing declining health, serious illness or grief. Using a compassionate community approach, and helping people live well at home, BPH also shared they have just introduced a new grief and bereavement program for children and adolescents.
Another vital connection making our hike so successful – the sponsors of BPH Hike for Hospice. The sponsors included Bruce Power, Middlebro’& Stevens LLP Wiarton, Ebel Quarries Inc./Polycor Ontario, and McKenzie’s IDA Sunshine Pharmacy. A big thank you to ‘Mary at the Booth’, who deftly served coffee and tea while juggling the Pickleball Tournament players’ needs. Local People helping Local People!
We’re not finished! BPH is seeking to collect stories throughout the summer—of real connections made between volunteers and families over the years—and sharing some of them at our Annual General Meeting in Tobermory on September 25th.
Bruce Peninsula Hospice is grateful for every participant, volunteer, donor and sponsor who helped to make this day such a great success!