Money In, Money Out

We're back in the saddle at the SMHA ranch!  Here's some of our latest news:

• Our raffle on a case of lobster raised $1,375, which is a great result!  Thanks to all the volunteers who sold tickets and to all those generous people who bought them.  We have this raffle every summer, so expect us to be "trapping" you in our lobster raffle next year!
• The auxiliary recently made a large donation of $5,000 towards the purchase of 12 new mattresses for the long-term care residents.  The mattresses are already in use and are providing the residents with superior comfort and support.  This donation represents a large percentage of the money raised by the Auxiliary over the past year.  Here's a photo of Auxiliary President Doreen Wooder (right) and Stewart Memorial Hospital Nurse Coordinator Kelly Blanchard with one of the new mattresses.

• Four of our members attended the PEIAHA annual meeting on Saturday, October 22 at the Montague Curling Club.  Our members enjoyed meeting up with fellow auxiliary members from across PEI.  This meeting marked the end of the Kings County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary's two-year term as the PEIAHA executive and they all did a great job!  The baton now passes to the Western Hospital Auxiliary in Alberton, so we look forward to a trip west for the semi-annual meeting in April.

A Great Party!

Saturday, July 9 started off cloudy and grey.  By noon the rain had started and our  Stewart Memorial Hospital 60th anniversary celebration would have to be postponed until our Sunday rain date.

And what a day it was!  

Bright sunshine, gentle breeze and lots of hospital supporters made for one of the nicest events at the hospital in recent memory.  MC and hospital administrator Andrew MacDougall capably guided the official proceedings and added many funny stories of his associations with SMH.  Special guest Stewart Brookins, grandson of Dr. Stewart, brought greetings on behalf of his family and then presented the hospital with the original copy of his grandfather's 1904 McGill Medical School class picture.

Representatives from groups associated with the hospital then gave their remarks.  Ruth MacLellan, niece of Mrs. Eliza Stewart (Dr. Stewart's wife), and a long-standing SMH Auxiliary member, spoke on behalf of her fellow Auxiliary members. Heath MacLellan and Leigh Newcombe, the sons of the contractors for the original hospital, told stories about the building of the hospital.  Leigh also brought greetings from the SMH Foundation.   Thelma Phillips reflected on the role the hospital has played in the life of the community.

Dr. Madigane, Chief of Medical Staff at SMH, looked back over her 36-year career in Tyne Valley.  Paula Biggar, MLA for Tyne Valley-Linkletter, brought greetings on behalf of the Hon. Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Health and Wellness, and offered her own congratulations as well.  Denis Marantz spoke on behalf of the PEI Health board.  Co-chair of the Friends of SMH, Lynden Ellis, spoke about his group and the commitment of the community to the hospital.  Darlene Bernard, Chief of Lennox Island First Nation, talked about the importance of SMH to the residents of her community.  Kelly Blanchard, Director of Nursing at SMH, told of her time at the hospital and congratulated the staff and volunteers.

After the official ceremonies, a tree was planted in front of the hospital to honour the work of all the staff and volunteers over the hospital's 60 year history.

As usual, the members of the SMH Auxiliary, with much help from community members and hospital staff, offered up some lovely refreshments: sandwiches, sweets and punch.  Judy at MJ's Bakery in Tignish created an amazing cake in the shape of SMH and it tasted every bit as good as it looked.

The summer students working at the hospital created a "Kids Zone" in the gazebo and entertained the children with face painting, games, treats and even a pinata! Madam Memoria, ensconced in a beautifully decorated tent, looked into the future and told the fortunes of those lucky enough to get an audience with her.  A display of memorabilia was also available in the board room.

We were honoured to have many former staff and volunteers with us for the afternoon, and everyone seemed to enjoy the opportunity to catch up with old friends.  Many remarked that they hoped we wouldn't wait another 60 years to hold a similar celebration!

SMH 60th Anniversary Celebration

Stewart Memorial Hospital turned 60 years old on May 24, 2011.  A celebration of this great milestone will be held on the hospital grounds on Saturday, July 9 (rain date July 10) from 1 - 4 p.m.

We are lucky to have some of the musicians who regularly entertain residents and patients at SMH performing.  There will also be refreshments, face painting and games for children and even an old-fashioned palm reader!  Photos and memorabilia will be on display.  Join us for a wonderful afternoon!

A New Beginning

The Friends of Stewart Memorial Hospital and the SMH Auxiliary hosted a welcome reception on Sunday, June 5 for our new physician, Dr. Ihab Abdelmalek, his wife Nadine and their beautiful six-month-old baby, Yara.  The Tyne Valley Fire Hall  was filled with more than 100 residents.  There were many wonderful words of welcome given by various people and a chance to speak to the Abdelmaleks.  The afternoon concluded with a social time and refreshments provided by the Auxiliary and Friends members.  A special thank you to the extremely talented Shelly Campbell for donating her superb decorating skills to make the fire hall look so beautiful.

Have a look in our Picasa album for more pictures from that fun afternoon.

Solarium Redecoration

In 1973, a solarium was added to the front of Stewart Memorial Hospital.  The funds for this major project were donated by James Henderson, a resident of Brookline, Massachusetts at the time who had grown up in Freeland, PEI.

The solarium has received donations from both the SMH Auxiliary and the SMH Foundation in the past, supplying decorations and comfortable chairs for the use of hospital patients and residents. The room is also used by family members of patients and by outpatients receiving treatments, so it well used.

This spring, the Auxiliary were pleased to pay for the installation of beautiful new blinds, two new table lamps and a hanging plant.  Hospital staff repainted the room and it all looks wonderful and serene.  Many thanks to Auxiliary President Doreen Wooder for her great work on this project.

Spring Fundraising Concert "For The Fun Of It"

Expect an evening of great entertainment on Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. as the musical group “For The Fun Of It” perform a spring concert at the Britannia Hall in Tyne Valley as a fundraiser for the Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

“For The Fun Of It” includes Carl Arsenault, Gwyn Bellefontaine, Eileen Conway-Martin, Lloyd Hardy, Sandra Henderson, Lowell Palmer and Sandra Palmer, and they will fill the hall with their guitar music and voices.  Rounding out the evening’s entertainment will a clogging performance by Gwyn Bellefontaine, a skit by the SMH Players, a 50/50 draw and fudge sale. 

May 2011 marks the 60^th Anniversary of the opening of Stewart Memorial Hospital, so the SMH Auxiliary were delighted when the group offered to perform this special concert as an anniversary fundraiser.  Tickets are $7.50 and will be available at the door.  All proceeds will be used by the Auxiliary to purchase items for the care and comfort of hospital patients and residents.

“60 Years of Working Together” has been the theme of the SMH Auxiliary’s activities over this past year, celebrating over six decades of service to the hospital.  While the hospital officially opened on May 24, 1951, fundraising to build and furnish the hospital started a few years prior, and the Auxiliary were leaders in these initiatives.  The Auxiliary continues to raise thousands of dollars each year.

Montague Memories

SMH Auxiliary members Doreen Wooder, Kit Loschiuk, Thelma Phillips and Wanda Barlow travelled to "Montague The Beautiful" for the semi-annual meeting of the Prince Edward Island Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries.  The PEIAHA executive provided the attendees with an informative and interesting meeting at the Montague Curling Club.  5 ladies were presented with life memberships and each auxiliary provided reports on their recent projects.  All 5 member auxiliaries are doing great work and raising lots of money for our Island hospitals.

Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary appreciates the work of the auxiliaries at the two referral hospitals on PEI, the Prince County Hospital in Summerside and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.  Both auxiliaries raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to buy equipment and provide services. In recognition of their hard work on behalf of all Islanders, we occasionally make donations to each of these auxiliaries.  Kit Loschiuk (right) was pleased to present $1,000 each to QEHA President Kathleen MacDonald (left) and PCHA Vice-president Marie Salamoun-Dunne (center).

We thank them for their commitment to healthcare on PEI.

It was a lovely spring day to travel east to see old friends and meet new!