Not many would complain about a bonus of $4,550 at this time of year.
For Cochranite Marilyn Paquin, it was a welcomed surprise to learn she was the recipient of the first 50/50 Christmas draw put on by the volunteer-run Bethany Family Council on Dec. 23.
The council fundraises to provide the “little extras” for residents at long-term senior care facility Bethany Cochrane.
“It’s a shocker,” laughed Paquin, whose husband is a resident at a different care facility. When asked what she will do with the money, she quickly answered that she has five grandchildren to dote on.
“It’s amazing work that you do here to keep improving the facility,” said draw master and former Eagle publisher Jack Tennant, who joked that he has found himself paying more attention to senior care facilities in recent years.
The other half of the draw will go toward the council’s current project for which it recently received a $15,000 donation from the Treasures For Your Home Society (Home Treasures): a wheelchair-accessible, partially glassed-in gazebo between wings six and seven at the facility.
“Over the last three years it’s a total of $108,000 that we have donated back into the facility,” said council chair Maureen Vink.
Vink’s mother, Hazel Walker, is the oldest resident at Bethany Cochrane. Walker is 101, turning 102 in February, and has lived at the facility for eight years.
Included on the list of “little extras” that the council’s fundraising initiatives have resulted in: blanket warmers; dementia wing security fencing; three large murals; and landscaping and improvements to a seating area at the front of the facility.
“We really appreciate the support of the community – the residents are really thankful,” added Vink.
She said that the council will look to running the 50/50 draw on an annual basis moving forward.
