With a couple of major shopping holidays behind us, the giving spirit is alive and well in Chatham-Kent for Giving Tuesday.
Traditionally held on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year's push for Giving Tuesday donations at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) Foundation is getting a special boost from two retired local business owners -- Bob and Robin Hockney.
The pair previously committed to matching up to $25,000 in donations towards the CKHA Foundation's Christmas Wish Tree campaign, which is raising money towards the purchase of a new Bladder Scanner for the CKHA’s Wallaceburg site and a new Urodynamics Machine for the CKHA’s Chatham site.
CKHA Foundation Chair Mary Lou Crowley said Tuesday that the donation-matching pledge was maxed out a couple of days ago, but the Hockneys issued a new challenge.
"They have come forward to say, 'You know what, that match was so successful, we would like to match up to $25,000 for Giving Tuesday,'" said Crowley. "So, for every dollar that is raised today, up to $25,000, Bob and Robin are going to match it."
By the end of the day Tuesday, the community raised $27,978 for the campaign, more than matching the Hockney's $25,000 gift, and bringing the one-day donation total to $52,978.
There won’t be any in-person ceremonies for this year’s Christmas Wish Tree campaign supporting the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s Urology program, but there will be a live video broadcast of both tree lighting ceremonies — one at the hospital in Chatham and another at the Wallaceburg campus.
