PICTON, September 12, 2023 – Supporters of the eighth annual Teeing Up Fore Health Care golf classic held on June 13 scored a hole-in-one by raising a record-setting $52,780.84 for the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF).

Realtors at RE/MAX Quinte Ltd. in Prince Edward County teed up their support to improve the care patients receive at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital by directing the proceeds from the sold-out tournament toward the hospital foundation’s Back the Build equipment campaign.

This year’s proceeds will purchase a digital mammography machine for our new hospital’s Diagnostic Department. Digital mammography plays a critical role in the early screening and diagnosis of breast disease. This equipment can accurately show changes in breast tissue long before the patient or physician is able to feel a lump. These changes may involve the following: calcifications, masses, asymmetries, or distortions, and can be as small as a pencil eraser!

Mammograms are among the most powerful breast cancer detection tools available, and during the last year, technologists performed over 1,550 breast exams at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH). Our current mammography machine is over 10 years old and is past its recommended lifespan. A new digital mammography machine is estimated to cost $500,000.

“New digital mammography machines can find breast abnormalities far earlier than the past equipment can, creating treatment options that can eradicate cancer before it has a chance to do lasting damage,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation. “The foundation aims to partner with County businesses and others to help us meet the needs of our fundraising goals - bringing modern equipment to our current hospital and to our new hospital. We are proud of RE/MAX’s ongoing efforts to Tee Up Fore Health Care in support of our new County hospital.”

Last year’s tournament in 2022 netted over $38,000 for an x-ray machine. This year’s tournament achievement brings RE/MAX’s total for funds raised for PECMHF to just over $519,000.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled with the response from the community for this tournament and for the fundraising efforts for the new hospital,” said Sean McKinney, broker of record at RE/MAX Quinte. “Our reps are extremely active and involved in this community, and they know the positive impact that having a viable hospital has on families. The fact that we can facilitate this tournament and be a part of helping the hospital foundation in such important work is extremely fulfilling and is a natural extension of our business.”

Twenty-five foursomes teed off under sunny skies to enjoy 18 holes on the picturesque and challenging course at the Picton Golf and Country Club, a Par 72 course.

The Teeing Up Fore Health Care committee are very grateful for the tremendous support from the community to achieve a net of $52,000. This is truly outstanding. Kudos to all. Special thanks are extended to Wilkinson and Company Chartered Accountants and Tax Specialists who came in again as the title sponsor for the tournament for the eighth consecutive year in a row. This day would not be possible without the incredible support from our corporate sponsors: Gulliver & Co Mortgage Group (Terri Gulliver); Herb and Kathy Pliwischkies; HDR Architecture Associates; Market High Advertising; Monument Geomatics; Parkside Landscaping and Contracting; Pioneer Patient Transfer; Port Picton Homes; Wellings of Picton and Tri-Canadian Energy who were the lunch sponsor.

Picton Home Hardware and Building Centre donated the prizes for the hole activities and top foursome. The winners of the various activities throughout the day were as follows:

Longest Drive Competition:

Male =            Hunter Fargey                                   Female =        Rachel Henry

Closest to the Pin:

Male =            Hotch Earl                                           Female =        Ali Hainse

Winning foursome: Wilkinson & Company LLP Chartered Accountants (Jeff Snider, Richard Dainard and Terry Greer) at 15 under par.

The live auction portion of the evening saw wonderful prizes donated by Deerhaven Farm and Garden, Brookstreet Hotel, Kristen Rutgers, and the Wheelhouse View Restaurant. Over 40 other local businesses contributed items to the silent auction. The auction raised over $20,000.

“We are incredibly grateful to be the beneficiaries of this wonderful community event hosted by RE/MAX,” said Nancy Parks, chairperson of the Back the Build campaign. “Donor support is key to making the new hospital a reality and that includes arming it with leading edge medical equipment, including the new mammography machine. We have an extremely rare opportunity to build and equip a modern facility that will improve the quality-of-care patients receive locally. This is a game changer for Prince Edward County and we are calling on business and community leaders, like RE/MAX, to invest in the new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital to bring this important project to life.”

For more information about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find a sales representative in Prince Edward County, please visit http://www.remaxquinte.com/

To learn more about how you can Back the Build for the new hospital or to organize an event that benefits the hospital foundation, visit www.pecmhf.ca.

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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Pictured in front of the Back the Build billboard on the future site of our new hospital from left: Briar Boyce, senior development officer with the PECMH Foundation and Teeing Up Fore Health Care golf committee member; Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign cabinet chairperson; Herb Pliwischkies, sales representative with RE/MAX Quinte and Teeing Up Fore Health Care golf committee member and Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation.

Missing from photo are golf committee members: Terry DeRoche, Rachel Henry, Kerry McConkey, and Sean McKinney