With Hospice Awareness Month upon us the 100 Mile District Hospice Palliative Care Society is gearing up for a month of events and fundraisers.
Executive director Tracy Haddow said that everyone at some point in their life interacts with hospice as either a client or a member of a client’s family. She’s hopeful the entire community will support hospice in any way it can this month and throughout the year.
“There’s not one of us who doesn’t experience a death or even a serious illness. It impacts all of us, so hospice does everything it can to support people so they can have the best quality of life that they can have,” Haddow said.
Hospice kicks off its fundraising efforts this Friday, May 3 at the South Cariboo Women’s Fair with the return of its 50/50 draw. Last year Haddow said the 50/50 was incredibly successful with hospice paying out over $22,000 to the winner. If they sell out of tickets this year they could be looking at a payout of $25,000 for both hospice and the lucky winner.
READ MORE: 100 Mile Hospice gives record 50/50 prize
Tickets are on sale now for $20 and will remain on sale throughout the summer until Aug. 31 at midnight with the winner being drawn on Sept. 9. Haddow said tickets can be bought at several local businesses including Life-Cycle Financial, the 108 Canco Supermarket, BJ’s Donuts, High Ground Café, Donex Pharmacy & Department Store, Pharmasave, the Sugar Shack, Up Town Brewing or by calling hospice at 250-395-7680.
“We’re hoping and predicting a sellout this year but whatever we make will be good,” Haddow said, noting they have 2,500 tickets available.
Every Wednesday this month at the Cask and Cleaver 15 per cent of all profits will be donated to hospice, Haddow said. The Lac La Hache Bakery will also sell butterfly cookies this month for $2 each with all proceeds going to hospice.
In the middle of the month, the Cariboo Plant Ranch will run its annual sunflower/planted pot sale, with a portion of the revenue going to hospice. Haddow encourages anyone looking to get a head start on gardening to buy some flowers from May 17 to 18 at the plant ranch’s location at 715 Alder Avenue.
Rather than holding a fundraising gala this year, Haddow said hospice is partnering with the artist community. Starting on Tuesday, May 7 the South Cariboo Artists Guild’s Showcase Gallery will feature the work of Bobbie Crane with all painting sales going to hospice. On Saturday, May 25 Parkside Art Gallery’s new show will also be in support of hospice, with half of all sales going to the organization.
To end off the month hospice is once again partnering with Crane to run Butterfly Brushes Paint Night with Bobbie Crane on May 28 at the 108 Mile Community Hall. Tickets for this event are $50 each with only 50 seats available, with about a fifth already sold. Those who sign up will receive all the supplies needed to create their own version of Butterfly Kisses, a painting by Crane of a fox being kissed by a butterfly, and a meal.
“Bobbie is quite the supporter of hospice and she does so much to support us and that’s partially because she’s known people who have utilized our services,” Haddow remarked. “(During Butterfly Brushes) she is going to bring a bunch of demo paintings she’s used to teach classes in the past and she’s going to put a bunch of them on a table for a very low price. It will be a chance to get a Bobbie Crane original.”
