Businesses decorate trees for hospital fundraiser

November 25, 2015

Auxiliary vice-president Mike Brooks, director Patti Erwin, and past president Rose Goodwin with the banner and welcome tree at the cafe entrance. TONY PEARSON Special to This Week
By Tony Pearson

The corner café at the North Hastings Health Centre is certainly in the holiday spirit. A dozen small Christmas trees adorn its side walls and front window. Each tree has been decorated by a local business or organization, with rich colours and imaginative ornaments.

But the trees are not just there for decorative purposes. Rather, they are a fundraising program for the North Hastings District Hospital Auxiliary.

The auxiliary, fresh from meeting its objective of raising money for new diagnostic equipment – completing the task in one year instead of the planned two – is now ready for its next challenge. Accordingly, nine of the trees are being auctioned off, while the remaining three are being raffled.

To see the trees, to enter a bid or to buy raffle tickets, visit the café beside the Manor on any Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. You have until Friday, Dec. 11, to stake a claim to one of the trees. You can also drop in after the Santa Claus parade on Saturday, Dec. 5; there’ll be free hot chocolate and cider. Or you can attend a wine-and-cheese reception on Friday evening, Dec. 11, between 6 and 8 in the evening.

Actually, you don’t even have to visit the café. You can go to the Auxiliary’s Facebook page (www.nhdhospitalauxiliary.ca/auctions), check out the photos of the trees, and put in an auction bid online. The finale will be held in the Café on Saturday, Dec. 12. Tea and cookies will be available, and the winners announced.

Trees have been decorated and donated by the Bancroft Eatery, Critter Comforts, Dr. Bishop DDS, the North Hastings Family Pharmacy, the Kawartha Credit Union, Joan and Chris Grant of ReMax, McMichael’s Jewelers, the North Hastings Hospital staff, the Old Tin Shed, Posies, Timber Mart, and Vance Motors. By the way, even if you don’t end up with a tree, you can still vote for your favourite.