Showing you care with bells
Event in support of renovations at Northside Guest Home
A fundraising initiative to help raise money for the Northside Community Guest Home is in the final stretch.
The eighth annual Bells of Care campaign is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the main lounge of the guest home.
The fundraiser sees friends and family members purchase Christmas bells that will feature the names of past and present residents of the North Sydney home.
As part of the emotional and uplifting holiday event, all purchased bells will be placed on a Christmas tree.
“We sell a lot of bells ‘in memory’ and that part of the evening is sort of sad,” said Glenda
McKeough, chair of the fundraising committee. “After that we hand out bells ‘in honour’ and that’s always a lot of fun because usually the residents are here and the bells are hung on the tree by a couple of family members.”
Last year, the event raised $14,000, allowing the guest home foundation to purchase an INR monitor, which is a piece of medical equipment that gives fast, accurate results from a simple finger test for residents on anticoagulant medication.
This year money raised will go towards extensive renovations to the dining area and bathing suite on the Theresa Terrace unit.
“We’re lucky to have such great support from our community,” said McKeough. “We send out letters, letting people know about the fundraiser, but we only send them to people who had and have family members here — we do get other people coming in purchasing bells, many in honour of volunteers or staff members.”
The special evening also includes apple cider and Christmas cookies as well as carols to help get everyone in the holiday spirit.
Bells are prepared by fundraising committee volunteers. The committee has 13 members and on average six or seven help with the bells each day.
The committee’s goal for this year’s initiative is to raise at least $10,000.
“The final day is always busy as people usually come in at the last minute to purchase bells,” said McKeough. “We always have a few people buying bells the night of the event as well.”
Bell purchase options range from white ornaments that cost $10 each to the gold version that are $500. Other options include green bells for $25, red bells for $50 as well as blue bells for $100 and silver bells for $250.
To purchase a bell contact the guest home foundation office at 902-794-4733.