It was an emotional and successful outcome over the weekend at The Clubhouse at Baldoon.
An all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner fundraiser was held on Saturday at the Wallaceburg business, with all proceeds going towards the Foundation of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance to support the CKHA’s mental health and addictions programs.
Christine Foulon, one of the organizers and an employee at The Clubhouse, said $2,370 was raised at the event, which they hope to make an annual fundraiser.
“It was a good success for our first go around,” she said. “It’s nice because it came from Blenheim, it came from Ridgetown, it came from Chatham, it came from Wallaceburg. So, it was really Chatham-Kent involved. All the money raised is staying in Chatham-Kent.”
Foulon said the date of the first event was significant, as her step-son Devin would have turned 22 the day before.
Devin passed away in July last year.
“This was in memory of him,” she said. “Every year this will be in memory of a loved one”
The event includes three guest speakers: Melissa DuChene, Melissa Gaylard and Steve Tooshkenig. All three spoke about mental health and addictions, whether it was stories about themselves or their family members.
“You could of heard a pin drop when the speakers were up… 110 per cent full attention,” Foulon said. “A lot of times you go places and people are talking in the background… people were not even shuffling in their chairs. Everybody was just zoned right in.”
Duchene, who also works at The Clubhouse and helped organize the event, said raising awareness about mental health and addictions is something that is close to the hearts of their families and staff at The Clubhouse.
“What a nice thing for our community to come together to share and speak on the topic of mental health and addictions, to try and end the stigma or at least break the silence,” she said. “Enormous community support.”
All the staff at The Clubhouse donated their time to run the event.
The following businesses and individuals donated towards the event as well:
– Lasting Memories Flowers
– Subway
– The New 99.1 FM CKXS
– North Kent Mutual Insurance
– Sydenham Current
– Aug’s Video
– Ridgetown Foodland
– Downie Photo Services Inc.
– MovieTime
– Noggins Hair Design Studio
– Patterson Motors
– Salon Simplicity
– City Lights Hair Design
– Boston Pizza Chatham
– Home Run Restaurant
– The Sugar Shack Wallaceburg
– Venus De Milo
– Blenheim Decorating Centre
– Mitton’s Jewellers
– The Towsley Family
– Theresa Lewis
– Keith Pazitka
– Janet VanCouteren
– Nicole Snobelen
Photo: From left, Melissa DuChene, Christine Foulon and Theresa Lewis.
