Handbags for Hospice raises $201,000 for Huron Shores Hospice

The seventh annual Handbags for Hospice was a resounding success, raising $201,000 for Huron Shores Hospice.

“We are so blessed to have such amazing support from our very generous community,” said founding director Cheryl Cottrill.

The sold-out gala saw about 170 people pack the Kincardine Pavilion, Thursday night, enjoying hors d’oeuvres served by volunteers, and checking out the many designer handbags in the silent auction.

MC Phillip Craig welcomed everyone and then Carol Rencheck, chairperson of Huron Shores Hospice, thanked everyone for attending and taking an active role in supporting end-of-life care.

“We thank the 200 sponsors of this event, and all our volunteers, for helping us raise the money we need to sustain our community hospice well into the future,” said Rencheck. “Since the hospice opened in 2018, we have served 128 families. That’s what we’re here for, to support this beacon of compassion, providing hospice care for the clients and their families, all free of charge.”

Duncan Hawthorne, who with his wife, Lesley, is the host sponsor of the event, said they are pleased to be back in the Kincardine community.

“Many people are struggling with the high cost of living everywhere, but you are all here because you understand the importance of supporting this event,” he said. “These events require a lot of help behind the scenes. Thanks to all the volunteers and supporters for your hard work and dedication.”

Mike Rencheck, president and chief executive officer of Bruce Power, told the crowd that supporting Huron Shores Hospice makes a difference; it builds communities and helps us all.

Bob Simmons of Kincardine was the guest speaker, talking about his experience when his wife, Jakkie, was a client at the hospice last year.

“Jakkie had cancer in 1998 and underwent treatment but 20 years later, it came back and she was told she had two years to live,” he said. “She underwent great treatment and four years later, she was on oxygen and struggling. We were given three choices for her final days: hospital, hospice or home. She chose hospice and we’re so glad she did.”

Simmons said that Dr. Damian Gunaratne, the hospice physician, talked to them and said there was a room available and they could go there immediately. So, he drove to the hospice at Tiverton Park Manor and got Jakkie settled in. Then, he came home and packed up some of her necessities and returned to the hospice.

“Their job was to make her comfortable and make our family comfortable,” said Simmons. “If she was in pain, they gave her something to ease her suffering. We had lots of privacy and lots of time together. Everything you needed was right there; it was just like being at home. They provided home-cooked meals for us and for our son and daughter when they arrived. And everything was free!

“The volunteers were there to look after Jakkie and all of us too. Everybody was caring and compassionate. The whole system worked great. I had one job, and that was to find out where my wife was to go after she died. And when that happened, the hospice staff took care of everything. It was unbelievable. And it was all free; it didn’t cost me a thing!

“They take a bad situation and make it as good as they can. The hospital would have been very restrictive, and at home, there would have been a lot of stress. At the hospice, I didn’t have to worry about anything. I spent 100 per cent of my time with my wife.

“We are very lucky to have such a fine facility in this area. I thank all the people who work there and everyone who supports it. Thank you to the volunteers, the staff and the board at the hospice. You made a real difference to my life and to my family’s lives, during a very difficult situation.”

From there, the evening was turned over to Layne the Auctionista. The gala featured live and silent auctions with more than 100 designer handbags, luxury experiences and get-aways, as well as a wine wall, true-and-false game and a premium prize raffle.

Huron Shores Hospice opened its doors in 2018 with a one-bed suite at Tiverton Park Manor. In 2019, community programs for grief support, end-of-life planning, Death Cafes and End-of-Life Doula services, were added; and in 2021, the second suite was opened, doubling the number of families the hospice can serve.

How can you help Huron Shores Hospice?
 

• Pledge your financial support by donating on-line at www.huronshoreshospice.ca or by mailing your donation to Huron Shores Hospice, Box 250, 24 King Street North, Tiverton, Ontario, N0G 2T0. All donations are greatly appreciated. Tax receipts can be issued for donations over $20.
• Spread the word to family and friends.
• Volunteer – volunteer on the board, on a committee, provide comfort care in the hospice or help with administration and clerical work.
• Donate – through planned giving, Legacy giving and memorial donations
• Attend the annual fund-raising events – Hike for Hospice in May and Handbags for Hospice in September.