Pictured above: Members of the community gather for the 32nd annual Christmas Wish Tree lighting ceremony at CKHA’s Chatham site on December 16, 2021.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation’s (CKHAF) 32nd Annual Christmas Wish Tree fundraising campaign has drawn to a close. The campaign raised a grand total of $113,871, surpassing its projected $100,000 goal thanks to the incredible generosity of our community.
This year’s campaign honoured 713 family members, friends, and neighbours throughout the Chatham-Kent community and beyond.
“We owe the success of this year’s campaign to our community and to our sponsors, who continue to provide unwavering support for local healthcare,” said Bob Hockney, Chair of CKHAF’s Board of Directors. “Donations came in from every part of Chatham-Kent, highlighting just how much this campaign means to our community.”
The 2021 Christmas Wish Tree campaign was presented by Karen Ewald, Vice-President & Portfolio Manager at RBC Wealth Management Dominion Securities. This marks the second consecutive year for Ewald as the event’s lead sponsor.
Other campaign sponsors included Western Equipment & Lighting, Maple City Business Solutions, Life Transitions Burial & Cremation Services, Apollo Property Management, and TekSavvy Solutions.
For the first time in two years, members of the community were invited to attend the annual tree lighting ceremonies in person in 2021. A number of supporters came out to celebrate the memory of their loved ones on Wednesday, December 15th at CKHA’s Wallaceburg Site, and Thursday, December 16th at CKHA’s Chatham site. Both ceremonies also featured a live broadcast on YourTV and Facebook, which included a pre-recorded performance by the Brio Academy Choir.
“There was really something special about this year’s ceremonies,” noted Mary Lou Crowley, CKHAF President and CEO. “The ability to celebrate in person again created a true feeling of togetherness as we honoured family and friends, as well as our special honourees.”
Those honourees included nine influential members of our community, each of whom were recognized with a purple light placed on the tree as a tribute to the tremendous impact that they’ve had on Chatham-Kent.
Proceeds from this year’s campaign supported the purchase of a new ventilator for CKHA’s Chatham site, and five new vital sign monitors for CKHA’s Wallaceburg site.
