With ‘Rotary Opens Opportunities’ being declared Rotary International’s presidential theme for 2020/21 year, it seemed only fitting that members of the Rotary Club in Wellington seized an opportunity to support the building of a new hospital in Prince Edward County.

The theme encourages Rotarians around the world to embrace opportunities that enrich their lives and the communities in which they serve.

Knowing that opportunity seldom knocks twice, members of the Rotary Club of Wellington stepped forward on Friday to announce their Club’s pledge of $400,000 to help the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation Back the Build for the new hospital.

Representatives from the club took the opportunity to present members of the PECMH Foundation team with their first pledge installment of $100,000. The waiting area in the Emergency Department of the new QHC Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital will be named in recognition of the Club’s generous support.

“We believe it is important our community continues to have access to the best possible health care. A new hospital will not only replace an aging building, it will ensure patients of the hospital continue to have access to quality health care, close to home,” said David Smith, president of the Wellington Rotary Foundation and lead volunteer on the Club’s new hospital fundraising team.

Wellington Rotarians have been actively fundraising for the new hospital for over three years. Smith is proud to say the club is within $130,000 of reaching their $400,000 goal for the new hospital campaign thanks to the support of our community members and the Friends of Wellington Rotary.

“PECMHF is so fortunate to be supported by the Wellington Rotarians, who demonstrate incredible passion for local health care,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation. “All of their fundraisers have been planned and executed entirely by them. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing efforts. We are also extremely grateful to the community members who continue to attend these fundraising events and support our new hospital build through Wellington Rotary. The work of the Foundation would not be possible without our partners in the community and their commitment to making a positive difference, like Wellington Rotary has.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing the cancellation of most public events and fundraisers, Wellington Rotary has looked at different ways to continue raising funds for the new hospital project, especially in the wake of having to cancel their annual fundraising dinner.

To achieve fundraising success, the Rotary Club of Wellington generates funds through donations, club activities and high profile community events. The members are riding out the tough times of the pandemic by pivoting their practices to host a new event.

Beginning on Tuesday, September 15 and running for one month, community members will have the opportunity to bid on over 100 items secured by the Wellington Rotary Club that will be available for purchase through an online auction.

The Club will direct all funds raised through the auction to support their fundraising campaign for the new hospital.

Of notable mention, Prinzen Ford in Bloomfield has offered up a one-year lease on a F150 XLT Sport Crew Cab.

“We wanted to try something new to create even more buzz and excitement for our new hospital fundraising campaign,” said Smith. “We have been blown away by the support that we have received from local businesses in terms of the items that will be auctioned off online.”

Items available for viewing and bidding will being on September 15, 2020 by visiting www.32auctions.com/wellingtonrotary. The auction closes on October 15, 2020.

“We are so appreciative of the partnership with our local Rotary Clubs, and we are truly grateful Wellington Rotary has chosen to help us Back the Build for a new hospital,” said Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign co-chair. “It goes without saying, these are challenging times for everyone. COVID-19 and the provincially-mandated restrictions have taken a toll on fundraising events. We are absolutely thrilled, and grateful, Wellington Rotary continues to find innovative ways to fundraise in these unprecedented times.

“The Rotary Club of Wellington is determined to help support the building of a new hospital for this community. COVID-19 has increased the need for community support while forcing the cancellation of fundraising events we have relied on for years. However, there are generous people in our community who are able to help. We’ve seen that first-hand through our private label wine sales held last year at Lacey Estates and this year at Domaine Darius. We hope our online auction, with all that it has to offer, will give people an opportunity to support the future of health care delivery in the County,” said Smith.

The Rotary Club of Wellington will celebrate its 18th anniversary in 2020. They are a vibrant club of approximately 40 members who are recognized as enthusiastic supporters of the Prince Edward County community and can be counted on for both charity and volunteering service above self, locally and internationally. 

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to raise money to advance health care for the patients of the hospital and the people of Prince Edward County

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