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A parade of sports cars circling Windsor Regional Hospital’s Met campus heralded a milestone on Tuesday, with the Corvette Club of Windsor making the largest donation in its 50-year history.
Club members handed over a $34,000 cheque for the hospital’s Paediatric Oncology Unit.
“It’s absolutely a tremendous thing to donate to,” said Lynda Reaume, the club’s waterfront show director. “Just look at the faces of the kids being able to come down and sit in the cars.
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“Absolutely, it’s just a wonderful thing that we’re able to do. This year being our 50th anniversary, we wanted to make it very special. We were able to surpass last year’s donation, so we’re extremely happy about that.”
Through its annual car show, the Corvette Club of Windsor has raised about $140,000 for the pediatric oncology unit since 2011, including $26,000 last year. The club’s fundraising efforts go back to at least 2006, when it raised $1,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
The money raised this year will go toward medical equipment in the pediatric oncology unit, along with some other vital hardware.
“It also helps provide comfort items to the patients, such as toys and electronics that really help reduce stress for the kids while they’re in the unit,” said Cristina Naccarato, executive director of the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation.
“It provides a lot of support to our child life programs so they’re able to make the kids feel at ease while they’re receiving treatment, because it can be a very difficult time.”
Reaume said it’s gratifying to know the Corvette club is helping make a difficult time for children a little less traumatic.
“They’re able to use the money for things that the hospital wouldn’t get for the kids otherwise, to take their minds off the treatments or the tests that they have to go through,” she said.
“It’s really nice that we’re able to do that and see some smiles.”
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