WELLINGTON, January 11, 2024 – A local farm family has invested in Prince Edward County’s new hospital.

Robert (Bob) Hunter and his wife Barbara, who own and operate PEC Farms in Wellington, were looking for a way to give back to their community. They decided the best way to do that was to invest in the future of Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) by donating $50,000 to the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation’s (PECMHF) Back the Build campaign. This gift will be included in the PECMH Auxiliary’s 1:1 matching gift initiative for donations to the new hospital that is underway until January 31, 2024.

“Last year (2023), we had the best crop yields since moving to The County in 2004. Barbara and I wanted to share our gratitude over such a great harvest and couldn’t think of a better way to do so than to donate to a cause benefitting all…building a new hospital,” said Hunter. “The Hunter family, along with Barbara and I, extend a special thanks to our farm staff and crew who helped make this all possible: Debra, Heather, Terry, Wade, Gerry, Rob, Luke, and Jeff.”

Knowing the importance of having access to care close to home, this gift is a way for the Hunters to show their gratitude to the community. The Hunters hope other farmers who produced great yields last year feel inspired to Back the Build.

“Bob and Barbara are an outstanding example of the community spirit in Prince Edward County. On behalf of the entire hospital, its staff and patients, I want to thank the Hunter family for their generosity,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation. “The foundation and Back the Build team are grateful for this generous donation. Bob and Barbara’s investment in our new hospital makes a huge difference in the lives of every person in this community. We are touched and inspired by how much local families, like the Hunters, are doing to make our new hospital a reality.”

The new hospital will comprise over 96,000 square feet of space and provide 24/7 emergency services, expanded inpatient beds, leading-edge equipment, and enhanced infection control measures in a welcoming environment. A room in the inpatient unit of the new hospital will be named in recognition of the family’s commitment to delivering healthcare to the community they proudly call home.

“Both Barbara and I have aged in our 20 years of being in The County and will personally need the new hospital more in the future. Helping the doctors, nurses, and technologists acquire new equipment and move into a more modern hospital will help them deliver the best care possible to the community,” said Hunter. “Let’s dig in and support the new hospital!”

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds to advance health care for the people of Prince Edward County and patients of the hospital.

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