22 FOCUS - JUNE 2018 On April 26, 125 Canterburians gathered in their clubhouse for the kickoff of Canterbury’s 20/20 cam- paign to raise $20,000 for the Oak Ridges Hospice in this, Canterbury’s 20th year. Anne Wright showed a diagram of the layout of the Hospice which will start with five beds and, as soon as funding is approved, expand to 10 beds. The Hospice is located on the site of the former Immaculate Conception School on 7A. The vacant school was torn down to make way for the Hospice on 4.5 acres of fully serviced, appropriately zoned land. Once building permits are issued this fall, construction can begin with an opening date planned for mid to late 2019. Dr. Steve Russell, the head of pal- liative care at Port Perry Hospital and the driving force behind the Hospice, told the audience that there are currently six palliative care doctors working in Port Perry. He explained that hospice care provides dignified professional care with the goal of al- lowing patients to make the best of each day during the last weeks of life. Although nurses and doctors are on hand, a residential hospice thrives with the help of volunteers willing to do a wide variety of tasks such as sitting with patients, holding a hand, reading a story or playing tranquil music. Other volunteers might serve as greeters, bake muffins, tend to the gardens or shovel the snow. Oak Ridges will be the first resi- dential hospice in Durham with pro- jects in the early stages in Clarington/ Bowmanville and Whitby. Across Ontario there are 20 hospices and the Oak Ridges team is working closely with those that are already up and running. Left to right: Lauren Maher, vice chair of the Canterbury Common Residents’ Association, Dr. Steve Russell, Anne Wright from the fund raising arm of Oak Ridges Hospice and Joan Galonska, co-chair of Canterbury’s 20/20 campaign. Lauren Maher ties a purple ribbon on a tree outside the Canterbury clubhouse. This past month (May), volunteers visited each home in Canterbury to sell ribbons to raise funds for the Oak Ridges Hospice. The ribbons were tied on trees, lamp posts and porch pillars early on Mothers’ Day to show Canterbury’s support for the Hospice. Canterbury’s Campaign Kickoff McMurtry LAW 250 Shanly Street, Port Perry 905-982-2650 • www.mcmurtrylaw.ca SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 2010. PROUD SUPPORTER OF LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICES AND CHARITIES. • Family Law • General Civil Litigation