It's been a full decade of end-of-life care for Chatham-Kent (CK) Hospice, as they gathered to celebrate the anniversary.
In a press conference on Thursday morning, the organization announced that it will celebrate the milestone in multiple ways throughout the year.
This includes a special memorial at the annual 'Hike for Hospice', the installation of a memorial fence and mural on its property, and the reintroduction of community tours.
The most notable announcement was the launch of a $286,000 fundraising campaign to support a kitchen renovation.
"We're always looking for community partners to collaborate with," said Brock McGregor, Executive Director of the CK Hospice Foundation (CKHF).
He added that the support from the community and local businesses has been a crucial part in helping the organization operate.
"We receive phenomenal support from the local business community through corporate sponsorship of events, and we see really strong support in the community through fundraisers," McGregor added.
That was showcased when CK Hospice announced its newest partnership with a local business, teaming up with Sons of Kent to sell a commemorative beer that will contribute to the kitchen fundraiser.
"I've been involved since the very early days, and it's very rewarding," said Keith Graham, Board Chair of the CKHF.
When asked about how it felt to hit the ten-year milestone, Graham stated that it couldn't have been achieved without the community.
"We're very lucky to have this in Chatham-Kent. Many larger communities in Ontario don't have something like this because of the vision of the people that were the genesis of this originally, and the support of our community, we're able to have this in our community," he added.
Since opening their doors in 2016, CK Hospice has provided care for over 1,700 families and supported 2,500 people.
***This story was written by Ede Brecevic. Ede is a student in the Fanshawe College journalism program, and is currently doing an internship with CKNewsToday.ca
