Spring Concert for Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary

Due to the great success of last year’s Spring Concert for Stewart Memorial Hospital, the second edition is now being planned for Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Britannia Hall, 816 Canada Road in Tyne Valley.

Concertgoers can expect an evening of diverse entertainment. The Harmony Mill Band will blend their guitars and voices on a few numbers.  Local musical hero Roy MacCaull will also put his guitar and great voice to work, and as a special treat he is going to bring to life a couple of his own musical heroes.  Singing trio The Sisters will blend their voices on a couple of their favourite songs.

Last year’s performance by the SMH Players was such a big hit that they are back with another skit sure to tickle every funny bone in the hall.  Rounding out the evening’s entertainment will be a clogging performance by Gwyn Bellefontaine.  There will also be fudge sales, 50/50 and the draw on a raffle for two beautiful wooden lawn chairs donated by Evan Locke.

Concert tickets are $7.50 and will be available at the door.  Last year we had people in the audience from across Prince County and beyond, so we hope to see you there.

The Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary has been fundraising for 62 consecutive years.  Members continue to raise thousands of dollars each year to purchase items for the care and comfort of hospital patients and residents.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Sandra Palmer from the Evangeline Credit Union presented the Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary with a $1,250 donation at the Auxiliary's March meeting.  The ECU has a long history of helping Stewart Memorial Hospital and this latest generous donation further strengthens their important role in the community.

Auxiliary President Doreen Wooder thanked Sandra and the Credit Union members and staff for their support and said that the money has already been earmarked for something at the hospital: a new chair  that folds out into a bed so a patient can have someone stay with them overnight if necessary.

Doreen noted that Sandra was once the Auxiliary's treasurer, so it was a great that she was the one to make the presentation.

Shown at the cheque presentation are (from left to right) Verna Barlow, Ruth MacLennan, Norma Ramsay, Sandra Palmer from Evangeline Credit Union, President Doreen Wooder, Secretary Wanda Barlow and Community Hospitals West Administrator Cathy DesRoches.

Dancing The Night Away

We had another great crowd for the 25th Annual Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Valentine's Dance.    It would be difficult to find a more energetic and dedicated group of dancers!  Our community once again came together to pull off a successful evening.  We had lots of great sandwiches and sweets, door prizes and raffle prizes.

The raffle prizes were won by the following people:

1st Prize - Two nights for two with breakfasts and dinners at the Rodd Mill River Resort: Aleah MacLennan
2nd Prize - Mahogany infant's rocking cradle from Community Connections: James Williams
3rd Prize - Burgundy office chair from HMS Office Supplies: Shirley Doyle
4th Prize - Afghan donated by Bea Ballum: Aleah MacLennan

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who purchased tickets.

Here's some photos from the dance setup.  We've got the best helpers!

25th Anniversary of Our Valentine's Dance!

Silver anniversaries are occasions for great celebration and remembrance within families.  For the Stewart Memorial Hospital family, the 25th Annual Valentine’s Dance on Saturday, February 18 will be every bit as fun and special.

For the first few years, the dances were organised by the Stewart Memorial Hospital Board.  By the mid-90s, the SMH Auxiliary had taken over the coordination of this major fundraiser.  “It is through the great generosity of local businesses donating door prizes, and individuals providing support, that we are able to hold this event each year,” said Doreen Wooder, SMH Auxiliary President.  “We have always served a beautiful lunch half way through the evening, and people from all the 22 communities provide the delicious food.”

As in the past twenty-four years, the dance will be held in the Ellerslie Legion.  Live music will once again be provided by Old Habits.

Auxiliary members are also selling raffle tickets that will be drawn that night.  The four donated prizes are: two nights for two with breakfasts and dinners at the Rodd Mill River Resort, a mahogany infant’s rocking cradle from Community Connections, a leather arm chair from HMS Office Supplies, and an afghan from Bea Ballum.

President Wooder noted that local residents are big supporters of the dance, but people also come from Summerside and O’Leary as well.  “They tell us they look forward to coming to Ellerslie each year because of the great atmosphere, and we really appreciate their support of our hospital.”

And that support has been substantial: over the past twenty-four years, the dances have raised nearly $48,000 for Stewart Memorial Hospital.  Auxiliary members hope that the $50,000 mark will be surpassed this year. 

Dance tickets are $12 each.  You can reserve them by calling Doreen at 831-2975 or there will also be tickets at the door.

Carolyn Millar (left) and Ruth MacLennan take a break from wrapping door prizes

for the 2012 Stewart Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Valentine's Dance.  

Bringing Nature In

Stewart Memorial Hospital has always benefited from the talents of local artists.  In the early 1980s, the Auxiliary contacted local painters and encouraged them to donate something to the hospital.  14 paintings were donated and they still hang in the hospital, along with a plaque indicating who created the work.

More recently, Deborah Kerr has used her great talent to brighten the walls of SMH.  The outpatient department waiting room was renovated a couple of years ago and Deborah painted a beautiful mural of lupins, insects and hummingbirds.

With its hidden ladybugs, spiders, ants and bees, it's the perfect piece to entertain everyone: older patients can dream about being in their gardens, and children can challenge themselves to find every little creature they can.

Deborah was back over the Christmas holidays to beautify another couple of corners.  The main entrance gained some gorgeous sunflowers and chickadees.

And the back entrance was not forgotten, either, when this majestic eagle landed to survey his domain.

Each of these murals bring nature and beauty into our hospital, both necessary for healing and comfort.  Congratulations to Deborah for a job well done!  

From Far And Wide

Once again our supporters helped make our annual Christmas Tea a big success!  We raised over $2,700 to support Stewart Memorial Hospital.  Almost $900 of that total came from our bake table alone!  And no wonder, with delicious goodies like this to tempt shoppers:

We had so many wonderful volunteers in the kitchen, serving guests, and selling at our bake, craft and raffle tables.  Thank you for your great work.

Tyne Valley's Shelly Campbell is a decorating genius, and she once again created a beautiful setting for our tea.  It's a lot of work for Shelly to transport everything to the fire hall, arrange it all so elegantly and then take it all down after the tea and take it home.  Shelly will always say that decorating for special events is something she loves, and doing something you love is never work, so she is happy to help.  Her cheerful generosity is just further proof of what a wonderful woman she is!

Our fellow PEI Association of Healthcare Auxiliary members did us proud as we had guests from each of the other four Island auxiliaries!  It was so good of them to make the drive to Tyne Valley.

From left to right, SMH Member Kit Loschiuk, PEIAHA President Norma Getson (Western Hospital, Alberton) and PEIAHA Past-President Linda Patterson-Gibson (Kings County Memorial Hospital, Montague)

We were especially pleased to have Her Honour Mrs. Dorothy Lewis, wife of Prince Edward Island's Lieutenant Governor Frank Lewis, in attendance.  Mrs. Lewis, who is originally from the Tyne Valley area and is the sister of our present treasurer Janice Trowsdale, is also a member of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary.  We were proud that she found the time in her very busy schedule to join our festivities.

Although yours truly tried to get out of the kitchen to take more photos, I wasn't successful, as the meagre selection in the Picasa photo album in the right sidebar proves.  You'll have to take my word that it was a great afternoon - fun and profitable, which is what makes Auxilians happy!  The weather was sunny and warm, as was the cheery atmosphere in the hall.

See you all in 2012!

Tea Time

A group of our Auxiliary members were reminiscing recently about our Christmas teas.  We tried to remember how long we had been holding them and no one really knew, though we guessed it was probably 50 years or more.  The teas were once held in the Stewart Memorial Hospital itself, but when the Tyne Valley Fire Hall came along, we moved there, and that is where we have stayed.

This year the tea will be held on Wednesday, November 16 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.  Enjoy delicious sandwiches and sweets, tea or coffee, and the pleasure of seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Our popular bake and craft tables will be overflowing with tempting treats for you to purchase and take home. Our very talented decorator Shelly Campbell will once again transform the fire hall into a Christmas wonderland.  We'll have raffle tickets available on a lovely afghan and we'll draw for a Christmas centerpiece donated by Kelly's Flower Shoppe in Summerside.

All this for $7.00 for adults, $3.00 for students and free for children 6 year and under.

The best part is that all proceeds will go towards the care and comfort of patients at Stewart Memorial Hospital.  Hope to see you there!