LITTLE CURRENT—Manitoulin Centennial Manor has enjoyed significant success with its Tree of Lights fundraising campaign over the past several years. The last couple of iterations of the campaign have been aimed at replacing residents’ beds with a replacement target of 20 beds per year. Now, thanks to this year’s successful campaign and a generous $35,000 donation from the trustees of the now closed (and sold) Green Bay Hall, that target has been handily met.
“We will be able to purchase all of the beds with this generous donation,” confirmed Manor Administrator Don Cook. “Between what we raised thanks to our generous donors during the Christmas Tree of Lights and this boost from the Green Bay Hall trustees we have enough to complete the bed purchases.”
“We donated $35,000 to the Manitoulin Health Centre and decided that the Manor was a good place to put the other $35,000,” said Green Bay Hall trustee Craig Ferguson. “This way the money from the sale of the hall will be benefiting many of the people who grew up with the hall.”
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Mr. Ferguson said that maintaining the Green Bay Hall had become unsustainable, given the lack of children in the community as families have gotten older, and the trustee had to make the difficult decision to close it down and sell the property.
Mr. Cook explained that the new beds will be a boon to both residents and staff, allowing greater safety and comfort for the residents and being more flexible for the staff who care for them.
“We really didn’t have a choice when it comes to replacing the beds,” noted Mr. Cook. “The old beds are wearing out and sourcing replacement parts has become impossible.” The decision to replace 20 beds each year meant that the redundant beds could be scavenged for parts to keep the remaining older beds in play—now that won’t be necessary.
“We have been so fortunate thanks to the generosity of Manitoulin donors,” said Mr. Cook, who noted that in addition to the new beds, a new outdoor space complete with gardens and recreational opportunities will be in full operation come the warmer weather thanks to a generous donation from the den Otter family in memorial of Mary den Otter.