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Officials with the recently formed Children’s Treatment Centre Foundation of Chatham-Kent presented the Children’s Treatment Centre with a cheque for $67,362 today. The funds, the result of the Foundation’s first community appeal — a $50,000 request launched in July — will be used to purchase equipment for an accredited Augmentative and Alternative Communications Clinic, also a first for Chatham-Kent.
“We are thrilled with the response from Chatham-Kent to our Every Child Should Be Heard campaign,” said Mike Grail, Foundation board chair. “We couldn’t have asked for a better result for our first official fundraising effort.”
Guyanne Smoke, the Centre’s board chair agreed. “This is exciting because children with significant communication challenges will now get the support they need much sooner and much closer to home,” she said. “Today, non-verbal children requiring assistive devices are referred to the Thames Valley Children’s Centre in London and face a wait time of 18 to 24 months.”
While many individuals, companies and service clubs contributed, Grail acknowledged that funds raised at two events, the Foundation’s first Mosaic Art Gala and the RBC Golf Tournament put on by staff of the two Chatham branches, were critical to the campaign total.
Substantial donations were also received from President’s Choice Children’s Charity, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited, Gengrowth Renewables, RJ Equipment, RBC Dominion Securities and the Centre’s own employees. In addition, a number of local construction companies donated, including Windmill Cabinets, South Western Construction, Bouma Builders, Henry Heyink Excavating and JoVan Mechanical. Chatham La Sertoma, student body at Ursuline College Chatham, the Blenheim Rotary Club and the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation (Corsini Fund) also donated.
Smoke said that the additional funds raised above the $50,000 target will cover equipment cost increases as well as allow the Clinic to accelerate its development with additional resources.
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