The Friendship Lunch Committee recently made a $2,000 donation to the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign.

The Friendship Lunch Program has been running for over forty years from September to June, and twice a month during July and August. Each lunch averages 80-100 participants and is a way to provide food, fun and friendship every Friday. Presently held at St. John’s United Church, 400 Prescott Street, Kemptville, it is open to anyone in the community at no charge. A donation box is available. Dedicated volunteers from five groups help make this program happen and include parishioners from St. James Anglican Church, Kemptville Pentecostal Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church, St. John’s United Church as well as the House of Lazarus.

The donation to the KDH Foundation represents “free will” offerings from the lunch participants.

Joanne Mavis, Executive Director of the Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) Foundation said she was thrilled to receive this donation to the CT Scanner Campaign. “We are very grateful for this wonderful gift from the community. We know that the CT Scanner will benefit all of us with a quicker diagnosis and treatment, closer to home.”

The KDH Foundation is one of three recipients of the Friendship Lunch Committee’s generosity which includes the House of Lazarus and the Salvation Army.

For more information and stories about the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign and how you can donate, see Kemptville District Hospital Foundation's Crossroads Campaign

Turning fifty and hearing “the buzz” from her clients about the CT Scanner has motivated Kim Stapleton to direct her fundraising efforts to the Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) Foundation’s Crossroads Campaign.

With her fiftieth birthday on the horizon, she has suggested to her guests that in lieu of gifts, please donate to the CT Scanner. At her party there will be a cash box and online devices to make donations or guests may gift online in advance of her party.

Kim shared that she was a qualified Personal Trainer and Aquafit Instructor prior to her current twenty-six-year career as a policewoman. She has requalified her fitness credentials over the last seven years and operates a Fitness Studio in Kemptville. This summer she is also instructing aquafit in the Kemptville Pool. She explained, “it’s fun for me! Fitness is my passion.”

Another CT Scanner fundraising event she is planning is Step Aerobics which will be held in the upper-level parking lot at KDH on August 18, 8:30 am. “Please save the date!” she said.  A Donation Box will be available for participants.

On Thanksgiving Weekend, October 14, Kim will be spinning on her bike for six incredible hours! Others can join her for one-hour sessions (or more) on one of the nine bikes she has available in her Fitness Studio. Everyone donates into a big jar, including members of her family – and pledge by the minute or hour or however they wish.

In the past, Kim has directed her fundraising efforts to Parkinsons, Cancer and the Beth Donovan Hospice. She explained that her choices were prompted by personal connections to the charities.

This year, she wants to help support the CT Scanner. She knows that this diagnostic tool will be a great asset to the growing North Grenville community where she has lived for nine years, and it will save long trips to other hospitals for patients who need a CT Scan.

Joanne Mavis, Executive Director, KDH Foundation commented: “We are delighted that Kim has chosen to support the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign! Every donation brings us closer to our goal of bringing better and urgent care close to home.”

For more photos, stories and information about the CT Scanner Campaign and how you can help get us across the campaign finish line: The Crossroads Campaign

To contact Kim Stapleton: KS Fitness, Let's connect! - ksfit (jimdo.com)

At the well attended June 17 Groundbreaking Ceremony for the CT Scanner at Kemptville District Hospital (KDH), Margret Norenberg, Chair, KDH Foundation Board of Directors, addressed the gathering which included Frank Vassallo, KDH CEO, Steve Clark, MPP, Mayor Nancy Peckford, Jeff Nolan, Chair, KDH Board of Directors, Dr Colin Sentongo, Chief of KDH Staff, Mrs. Louise Tallman, Chair of the CT Scanner Campaign and many others, including donors, physicians and staff. She thanked everyone for coming and said that “procuring a CT Scanner has long been a dream for us”. 

She explained that “this achievement is not merely about acquiring a piece of equipment; it is about investing in the health and well-being of every individual within our community and beyond. I am delighted to share that we have raised $1.6 million and we are working hard to raise the remaining $600,000 needed to make the final payment of $2.2 million.”

She expressed her sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the Campaign and reviewed some highlights of the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign.

The Foundation Annual Mail to the community raised over $150,000. The exciting Camaro Car Lottery last summer raised over $200,000. A long list of community organized events included golf and baseball tournaments, the Little Black Dress, Fashion Shows and choir performances, book and lemonade sales, which raised close to $200,000. Service Clubs from North Grenville and beyond, including Kemptville, Manotick, Merrickville and South Mountain have added another $70,000 to the Campaign. Financial support from eQuinelle Homes and the Taggart Parkes Foundation has been impactful. Hundreds of individuals have made personal gifts to the campaign, ranging from $25 to $100,000.

Ms. Norenberg gave special acknowledgement to Mrs. Louise Tallman. She and her family have been long time supporters of the hospital and the community at large.

She also noted that “the tremendous support of the community has demonstrated the power of collective effort. This has made a profound difference, for which I am very grateful.”

In her closing remarks, Ms. Norenberg concluded in the same way she had started by thanking everyone “for their remarkable generosity and unwavering commitment to the well-being of our community.  Together, we have made a lasting impact that will benefit all of us today and in the future.”

In the photo, proudly showing one of the three new Syringe Pumps recently purchased by the KDH Foundation are (l-r) Tanya Deans, RN, Manager, Clinical Services, Dr. Yvonne Kaethler, Anesthesiologist, Dr. Christopher Kirby, Chief of Anaesthesiology and Dr. Colin Sentongo, Chief of Staff. Through the wonderful generosity of The Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command Branches and Ladies Auxiliary Charitable Foundation and the Royal Canadian Legion Kemptville Branch 212, $15,000 was gifted to the KDH Foundation to make this purchase possible.  A Syringe Pump is a small infusion pump used to gradually administer small amounts of fluid (with or without medication) to a patient. Our pumps in the OR were outdated and not compatible with the hospital’s new software system called EPIC. Thank you Royal Canadian Legion for this gift!

The Kemptville Tim Horton Smile Cookie Campaign held in May was another outstanding event in support of youth mental health in North Grenville. On June 11, Ingrid Kohling and Jose Salvador, independent owners of the Kemptville Tim Horton’s franchises, presented a $17,502 cheque to the Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) Foundation Board Chair, Margret Norenberg and Joanne Mavis, CEO of the KDH Foundation. These funds will be directed to WAY - Wellness Access for Youth.

WAY is a collaborative between fifteen community partners which includes Kemptville District Hospital. It provides referrals and support to youth and young adults aged 12 to 25 years of age, and their families, in need of mental health and addictions services.

Another WAY community partner is Connect Youth.

Dan MacKinnon, a navigator for Connect Youth in Kemptville, shared how their agency “aims to reduce barriers for youth and connect them with services, including housing for temporarily homeless teens.”

Robyn Holmes, Executive Director of Connect Youth, explained that “Smile cookie funds are used to support services that facilitate access to mental health supports for children, youth and families in the North Grenville community. Examples of supported activities include youth engagement groups, mental health promotion activities, community service coordination, and more.”

Kohling, the franchisee Tim Horton’s owner at Kemptville Mall, said, “Smile Cookies are so much more than just cookies. The focus of our Smile Cookie Campaign is about raising awareness. Through much appreciated support from our Kemptville Community we can help educate and end the stigma surrounding mental health. Our much-loved Smile Cookie represents community love, compassion and acceptance.”

Holmes added, “The ongoing support of the Smile Cookie Campaign is invaluable to the WAY program, as it not only supports service delivery but also reiterates our community's commitment to accessible mental health services for all.”

For more information about WAY and its health partners, see Wellness Access for Youth - KDH.   

For information about the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation and how to donate to the Crossroads CT Scanner Campaign, visit our campaign page.

A $15,000 donation was presented May 15 by members of the Royal Canadian Legion Kemptville Branch 212, from the Ontario Command Branches and Ladies Auxiliary Charitable Foundation. This gift is intended for the purchase of OR Syringe Pumps which administer medication in the OR at a steady rate over a long period of time. In December 2023, the Foundation had also received a $2,500 donation from Legion Branch 212 for the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign, the proceeds from their Poppy Campaign. The KDH Foundation is very grateful for the enduring support from the Legion!

On May 9, 2024, the Foundation was invited to a cheque presentation at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre in Ottawa. Margret Norenberg, KDH Foundation Chair (right) was presented a cheque for the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign from Erin Zipes, (left) Vice Chair of the Ottawa Jewish Community Fund. KDH Foundation was truly delighted to be a recipient of their Annual Disbursement Fund. Every donation brings us closer to our goal! Thank you!

The KDH Foundation recently had a banner day with two donations to the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign.

The first donation of the day was from Debra Amirault who dropped off two cheques in memory of her late mother. She remarked that the nurses at KDH were wonderful and so very thoughtful of her and her mother which was greatly appreciated, especially during that difficult time. She explained that her late mother had fallen a few times and had to go into Ottawa for a head scan to rule out a brain bleed or fracture. She said, “It will be huge to have the CT right here, in Kemptville!”

Kristy Carriere, KDH Foundation Coordinator (left) and Joanne Mavis, KDH Foundation Executive Director (right) received donations for the CT Scanner from donor, Debra Amirault (middle).Debra’s enthusiastic support of the CT Scanner Crossroads Campaign continues with the Canada Day Bingo she and her husband are organizing at the Royal Canadian Legion 212 Kemptville Branch. All proceeds from the July 1 event will go towards the CT Scanner, including the 50/50 draw. Doors open at noon and the fun gets underway at 1:00 pm and continues until 3:00 pm. Refreshments will be available at the canteen.

The second community donation to the Crossroads Campaign on May 2 was from the Kemptville Duplicate Bridge Club. This was the second year in a row the club has generously presented $1,000 to the Foundation. Present to gratefully receive the cheque from the club’s president, Liz Robinson, was Margret Norenberg, KDH Foundation Chair and Joanne Mavis, KDH Foundation ED.

Every donation brings us a step closer to the Campaign goal of $2.2 million and having a CT Scanner in the Kemptville District Hospital. Its impact will mean better, faster and urgent care for patients.

For more information, stories and events about the Crossroads CT Scanner Campaign, including how you can donate, see: The Crossroads Campaign.