Public included in waterfront plans

MORRISBURG – One month to the day since she mailed two pairs of baby booties, to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, for the royal baby, Prince George, Madeline Carkner received a thank you card complete with a picture of the young family. 

“I’m so excited. When they brought it I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,” she says of the special delivery to her room at the Dundas Manor in Winchester. “I sent the booties on August 20th, and they mailed the thank you on Tuesday, September 17. I got it on Friday, September 20th.”

Since the arrival of the thank you picture, Madeline’s room has been a busy spot with friends, family and staff at the manor popping by.

“Once I received it, word soon got around. Just about everybody has stopped in to see it, even the CEO [Cholly Boland] from the Hospital [Winchester District Memorial] came right in to see it when he was here. Everybody and their brother has been in.”

“They say that bad news travels fast; well, good news travels fast too.”

The picture includes William and Kate, with Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, born July 22, in Kate’s arms.

The message on the back reads: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were most touched that you took the trouble to write as you did on the occasion of the birth of their son, Prince George. Their Royal Highnesses have been overwhelmed by all the wonderful messages they have received and send you their warmest thanks and best wishes.”

Madeline explains that she got the idea to knit and send the booties from the director of activities at the Manor. “It turned out the baby was a boy, so I made a white pair and a blue pair. I thought I would likely hear back, but not for a few months.”

Having lived all of her life in the Morrisburg area, Madeline has been at the Dundas Manor for the past 7.5 years. For the last five years, she has been in a wheelchair. She spends much of her time knitting and crocheting, while listening to the radio. She says she keeps up with the news in Morrisburg through visitors, and of course, her weekly Leader.

Her knitted mittens and slippers, made in assorted sizes and colours, are done for the Manor bazaar, which raises money to help offset expenses for various excursions for the residents.

Madeline, who will be 81 in December, has arranged for a two sided picture frame for viewing of both the picture and the message. She invites friends to drop by the manor for a visit and a viewing.  

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The Bargain! Shop in Morrisburg presented the Dundas County Food Bank with a cheque for $4,000 on December 13.

Barry Greer, Eastern Ontario District Manager for The Bargain! Shop recently received a very welcome phone call from The Bargain! Shop’s senior management team. He was told that The Bargain! Shop was going to donate $4,000 to the charity of their Morrisburg store manager’s choice. “It was a nice surprise to get that phone call,” said Greer.

Morrisburg’s store manager is Susan Shaver.Shaver did some research into area charities and decided that the funds would be donated to the Dundas County Food Bank.

“Especially this time of year, there are a lot of people in need,” said Shaver. “This is a worthy cause.”

Dundas County Food Bank chair Alvin Runnalls was happy to receive the donation saying that the food bank is serving significantly more people this year.

South Dundas Food Bank coordinator Norma Smith said that food bank use is up 13 percent over last year.

She said she is seeing a lot of new people and at the South Dundas location in particular they serve a lot of large families.

“I see so much need here,” said Smith. “But, I get to see so much generosity too.”

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A litter of bright pink, and absolutely adorable piglets, all looking for foster homes will be dropping by Valu-Mart in Morrisburg this Saturday, February 7 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

This year’s brood is all ready and eager to go to their month-long foster home in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Wheels of Hope program that provides transportation for are folks needing to travel for cancer-specific medical appointments and treatment.

The little piggies will be travelling with their good friend Jennifer Hindorff, who will be on hand to handle the adoption procedures, and who, as a Wheels of Hope volunteer driver is available to answer any questions about the Piggy Bank fundraiser as well as the Wheels of Hope Program.

“The Wheels of Hope service is especially vital in communities such as ours, as many clients travel outside of our area for treatments,” says Carolyn Bourassa, Community Manager for the SDG Prescott & Russell Canadian Cancer Society office. “Some people would literally not be able to make it to treatment without this crucial program.”

Volunteer drivers are on the road everyday to ensure that people get to their treatments in Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston. While some cancer treatments are handled at Winchester District Memorial Hospital, many cancer patients in the immediate area have to travel to Ottawa.

The local transportation program filled 5,800 requests and drove 333,650 km to take more than 426 clients to their cancer related appointment in 2013. Locally, the direct cost of the transportation program in 2014, was $121,000.

The average cost to take one patient to one round trip appointment/treatment is $75.

The Piglets of Hope fundraiser first ran locally last year and was a huge success. Organizers are hoping to top their success this time around. 

Last February, 25 pink Piglets of Hope (banks) were adopted for the month of February at Valu-mart, taken home, taken to retail locations and taken to people’s workplaces, where for one month everyone chipped in their change to fill the little pink guys and gals.

At the end of the month they were returned with what had been collected.

Each little piggy is hoping for $75 worth of donations which is the average cost of one trip, and each foster family/group has one month to make donations to their piggy banks.

Piglets of Hope will be available for adoption at Valu-Mart this Saturday, February 7 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The Wheels of Hope directly assists local folks to get to their cancer treatments. Those in need of the service pay a one-time $100 registration fee.

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