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3rd annual Tour de Headwaters raises $44,000 for local hospital

September 22, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Pickford

The Headwaters Health Care Foundation (HHCF) wrapped up its 2017 fundraising campaign in style this past weekend, welcoming a record number of riders out for what was the third-annual Tour de Headwaters.

Well over 200 cyclists enjoyed some later summer sunshine on Saturday as the event took over Lloyd Wilson Memorial Arena in Inglewood. With three different routes to choose from, including a picturesque 101.5-kilometre ride through the Hills of Headwaters, a 50-kilometre road route and a 25-kilometre family friendly trail route, there was something for everyone including in this year’s Tour.

Describing a jolly atmosphere among participants on the morning of the event, HHCF’s Annual Giving Manager Nicole Hand said she continues to be blown away by the “unbelievable support” of the local community in what was the Foundation’s final signature event of the year. As of press time, this year’s Tour had raked in a net total of $44,201.37, although Nicole pointed out that total was still rising.

“I think the best word to describe how we’re feeling following this year’s Tour de Headwaters is overwhelmed,” Ms. Hand told the Citizen. “It truly is incredible for us to see the level of support we consistently receive from our community. Events like this truly do make a difference… All you have to do is look at our new ambulatory care unit to see what can be achieved when a community comes together.”

She added, “We couldn’t be any more thrilled. We had a record number of riders out and we’re hoping to see a record (fundraising total) once everything is in. It was another special Tour and it really was a fitting way to bring our signature event schedule for 2017 to a close.”

With donations still fluttering in, Nicole is confident this year’s final fundraising total will be in excess of $50,000, which would take the three-year amount to approximately $150,000. The money from this year’s Tour will go towards financing priority equipment at the facility.

Nicole is always quick to recognize the many community leaders who come together to help put on events such as the Headwaters House Tour and the annual hospital gala, and the Tour de Headwaters is no different. She heaped praise on event chair Tim Peters and Don Coats, of Caledon Hills Cycling, for all their hard work in making the third annual event a huge success.

“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the incredible support of incredible people in our community. Tim and Don have done so much with this event over the past three years,” Nicole said. “We’ve had our die-hard cyclists from day one out helping us, but they’ve worked really hard this year to grow the event and truly establish it as one of our key fundraisers.”

“The Tour de Headwaters really is the most fun you can have on two wheels,” Mr. Peters said. “It’s always such a great day, and this year was no different.”

It’s amazing to see what a community can achieve should it work together. The hospital’s new $14 million ambulatory care facility is a prime example of that, with a significant portion of the money needed to pay for the project coming from Foundation fundraisers. Nicole says she’s noticed a “massive increase” in both events and funds raised since she started in her role four years ago, a trend she hopes to see continue for many, many years. With a second redevelopment project now under way to turn the facility’s old ambulatory care unit into a third operating room, the community support that has almost served as the lifeblood of the local hospital over the past few years is just as important as ever. Ms. Hand says work is already well under way for the Foundation’s 2018 fundraising season.

“I would love to say that we’ll be able to take a rest now and put our feet up, but the work never truly stops, and I wouldn’t want it to stop,” Ms. Hand said. “This is our last signature event of the year, but we do have a lot of community events coming up that we’re exciting for, we have some donor recognition things we’re going to be doing, and we’re also going to be bringing people in to tour the new (ambulatory care) space.”

She added, “It does make me proud looking at that new facility and thinking about all the people that came together to make it happen. Whether you dropped $5 in a bowl somewhere, or whether you made a major gift, there is a sense of pride and ownership of the hospital in this community that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in any other community I’ve worked in. It’s unique.

“I’m pleased to know we have a cutting edge facility right here in our community and, you can rest assured, the HHCF will do whatever it can to help ensure this hospital does what it can to bring quality care closer to home,” Nicole concluded.

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