Willow Newsletter - The Willow Foundation

Registered Charitable No. 86903 1385 RR0001
fall/winter 2010
DOLLY FULLER ~ BLITHE SPIRIT!
It would be safe to say that everyone at Creek Way knows, or knows of the
delightful Dolly Fuller!
Dolly will be 86 soon and she is an irrepressible spirit if ever there
was one. I first made her acquaintance at a Strawberry Social event
in 2009. Across the room, there she was dancing and singing along
with the entertainer. As she moved around the room, she
encouraged everyone to get up and have a good time with her!
“I love flowers” she tells me as we sit together in her sun-filled room
“and oh, how I loved my Pomeranian - he was wonderful!! Actually,
anything makes me happy!”
Montreal West was Dolly’s birthplace and she lived most of her life in
Chateauguay. Interestingly, her given name is actually Delina but she
never liked it and when she was first married she asked her husband
“Why don’t you call me Dolly?” and she has been Dolly ever since - a
name that suits her perfectly.
Among Dolly’s fondest memories are the summers she spent at Cape
May in New Jersey with her children, Charlotte, Wayne and Harvey but “three weeks was my limit. She showed me pictures of her
children in the precious photo album that also contains the pictures of her marriage to Butch, whom she married after living with
him for 25 years!
Dolly’s favourite events at Creek Way always involve music, and she adores it when the choirs come to visit and she tells me she
knows every song and she joins right in. She also loves it when the guitar player comes in to play during lunchtime. “I can’t be
bothered to sit and mope. I love fun”.
Because her husband was stationed nearby, she spent five years on the Gaspe Peninsula in a five bedroom house with other wives of
Navy personnel. “There was nothing around”! There was one stove for all of the women so you had to get there first, and it was ten
miles to get groceries!” She told me that throughout he whole life she has had a love of baking and her eyes close in absolute delight
as she smiles and says, “Oh, those smells at Christmas time...”
There is always lots to do at Creek Way Dolly tells me (and certainly everything is much livelier when Dolly is in the room!). She tells
me that the residents at lunch have a game of “bib basketball” after meals. They are beginning to organize themselves into teams
where they see if they can pitch their bibs from a meal into the chute for the laundry. Apparently, there is lots of egging people on
and cheering when a basket is scored. Currently, the record is 14 bibs in the chute by one player! As well, everyone joins in with
singsongs during meals she tells me.
Dolly loves Creek Way and says “They are all wonderful here. They would do anything for you”. “ I can do anything”, she says “don’t
kid yourself.” “I’m bad,” she laughs cheekily, “I’m a nut”.
Personally, I think the atmosphere at Creek Way has been livened immeasurably by the presence of this cheerful, energetic lady who
is determined to wring everything possible out of every day and have a blast doing so. “You rock, Dolly!”
by Andrea Gossmann
Board of Directors
Greg Bellamy ~ Director
Kristin Courtney ~ Chair
Brian Dobson ~ Treasurer
Lisa Forbes ~ Director
Bob Hilton ~ Director
Katie Hrycun ~ Director
Roger Lapworth ~ Director
Scott McNabb ~ Director
Jeff O’Rourke ~ Director
Harry Patel ~ Director
Janice Sheehy ~ Director
Teresa Stewart ~ Director
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
GREETINGS FROM CHAIR CARR
Volunteering your time or donating funds is one of the most important gifts you can provide
to others in our community. Each year volunteers at the Willow Foundation organize
fundraising activities for the benefit of seniors living in Halton Region’s long-term care homes
and for seniors and adults with disabilities that participate in our Adult Day programs. In 2010
over $70,000 has been raised by the Willow Foundation through their annual golf tournament
and other fundraising ventures.
On behalf of Regional Council and the staff at Halton Region I thank you for the support you
provide to the Willow Foundation. Through new equipment to events such as our Strawberry
Socials and the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremonies, the Willow Foundation is putting a smile on
the faces of the people we care for in our Regional long-term care homes (Allendale in Milton,
Creek Way Village in Burlington, Post Inn Village in Oakville) and at our Adult Day programs
(Milton Place and Friends Landing in Milton, Silver Creek Place in Georgetown). Your kindness
has helped to enrich the lives of the seniors we serve.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the Board of Directors of the Foundation, for your dedication to the seniors in our
homes and Adult Day programs.
If you have donated time or money to the efforts of the Willow Foundation or plan to do so in the future, I thank you for your
generosity.
Sincerely
Gary Carr
Regional Chair
SPECTACULAR SUMMER!
ALLENDALE SUMMER PROGRAMS
Allendale life enrichment staff worked tirelessly this summer to present a wide variety of interesting
and varied programs for residents, in conjunction with The Willow Foundation.
A picnic at Country Heritage Park proved to be a huge hit with residents and family members who
took to the outdoors for a delightful “al fresco” meal. The weather was very cooperative and
everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves!
Reptile Rob joined residents with his collection of creepy
crawlies and things that slither. The highlight of his
presentation is one verrrry long snake which he delights
in draping over the shoulders of willing participants.
One of the best events of the summer was the Mountsberg Birds of Prey exhibit. It was
a wonderful highlight for residents when they had an opportunity to see a hawk right up
close – truly a unique experience!
Willow bingos with prizes rounded out the Willow Foundation-Allendale summer events!
Upcoming Events
♥♥♥♥
Smile Theatre ~ Professional Touring Company Theatre Production
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies 6 pm - 8 pm
Allendale ~ December 1st Creek Way Village ~ December 2nd Post Inn Village ~ December 6th
9th Annual Golf Challenge ~ May 26th, 2010 at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
SPECTACULAR SUMMER!
STRAWBERRY SOCIALS
One of the signature events of the summer is the Willow Foundation’s Annual Strawberry Social
Event, held at Allendale Village, Creek Way Village and Post Inn Village in the month of June. This
celebration of the welcome beginning of the summer months is complete with strawberries and
ice cream served on luscious cake, beverages for everyone, and live entertainment to complete the
event. Family members always join in to celebrate with residents. Pink and white balloons created
an especially festive atmosphere and at Allendale this year, there was a whole lot of dancing going
on! All in all, a wonderful way to celebrate the start of the summer season!
CREEK WAY SUMMER PROGRAMS
Parties and music characterized Creek Way’s Summer Programs. The Birds of Prey Exhibit fascinated
residents and staff alike. The exhibit included several birds of prey, an owl
and an opportunity to view these fabulous birds up close, right on the arm
of the presenter.
Peter Baumann, the wonderful, wandering accordion player, and Sonny
Sinclair, who plays guitar, treated residents and guests to nostalgic sing-alongs also as part of the Summer Programs. Everyone joined in on the
journey down memory lane.
Life Enrichment staff created a very special party to celebrate summer.
Guests enjoyed ice cream treats and live entertainment. Capping off the
Summer Programs was a “luxury” Wine and Cheese Extravaganza. Residents were delighted when
the entertainer (dressed up for the occasion in a tuxedo!) handed out roses and cuddly stuffed animals.
There were cheese platters with crackers and residents could select wine or juice to sip happily in the sun.
POST INN SUMMER PROGRAMS
HERE COMES THE BRIDE!
One July afternoon , the Bar Café was crowded with
residents, family members and guests, all eagerly waiting
for the Wedding
Extravaganza to begin.
Summer students
assisted life
enrichment staff
modeling lovely
bridesmaid and
wedding gowns,
including one from
the 1960s! The wives
of the couples who
live at Post Inn Village were even
given the gift of a corsage. The second, third and fourth
floors each had a display and a contest of “Guess the
Couple” featuring original wedding pictures!
Two lovely members of the life enrichment staff modeled
their own wedding dresses and it was an afternoon to
sigh over, truly a walk down an aisle of memories.
CASINO NIGHT AT POST INN!
The second annual Casino Night was
held in September. The games of
chance included horse races, casino
war, poker, blackjack and crown and
anchor. The life enrichment staff all
dressed their parts as croupiers,
complete with black fedoras!
Everyone was able to cash in their
winning chips for prizes. This event
is always very eagerly anticipated
and was well attended by both
residents and their families.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME!
Summer wouldn’t be summer without
the annual trip to the Blue Jays game
for Post Inn residents.
This year the weather cooperated and
excitement was high as the group took to the stands. As always, pizza,
nachos and ice cream figured highly in the day’s fun and everyone had a
wonderful time.
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
GOLF ANYONE?
The Willow Foundation wishes to gratefully acknowledge our very generous corporate sponsors at the 8th Annual Golf
Challenge held May 27th, 2010 at Crosswinds Golf and Country Club in Burlington.
Gold Sponsor
Lunch Sponsor
Welcome Bags
Dinner Sponsor
Tournament Sponsor
Active Health Management
Dufferin Aggregates
Knights of Columbus
Glen Schnarr & Associates
London Excavators
Burlington Memorial Gardens
Halton Regional Police Assoc.
ConMed Healthcare
Medical Mart
Henderson Partners
Nurse Next Door
Diversey Inc.
Homewatch Caregivers
Retro Rock Lounge
D'Orazio Infrastructure Group
King City Group
Whiz-A-Top
BOT Construction Group
Hole in One
Cart Sponsor
Beverage Cart Sponsor
Thank you to the following companies who sponsored a hole:
Bronze Sponsor
Photo Sponsor
Our thanks to those who sponsored as a Friend of The
Willow Foundation:
D'Orazio Infrastructure Group
London Excavators
Special thanks to the following companies who donated silent auction, raffle and golf prizes:
Aaron Courtney
Harish Patel
Pasquale's Restaurant
AGO
Pfizer
Hello Gorgeous Hair Salon
Bar Code Applications
Home Hardware
Poise Boutique
Brant Florist
Homewatch Caregivers
Quality Inn & Suites
J. Nieradka
Cam Jackson ~ Mayor Burlington
R. Lapworth
Casa Loma
Retro Rock Lounge
J. Savoline, MPP, Burlington
Cobble Beach Golf Resort
K. Courtney
Riedel
Conservation Halton
Le Scandinave Spa
The ROM
Cora's
Laser Quest
Sharkey's Restaurant
Crosswinds Golf & Country Club
Lululemon
Sisi on Main Restaurant
MC Event Planning
Dufferin Aggregates
Mike Wallace, MPP Burlington
Tabangi Electronics
Elements Therapies
Mirella's Boutique
Futuremed
The Dam Pub-Thornbury
Mohawk College
The Keg
Glencairn Golf Club
Oakview Funeral Home
Global Total Office
The Mill Restaurant-Thornbury
Oakville Hospital Foundation
Tholos Restaurant
Hampton's Restaurant
Optical Trends 4 U
Thyme in a Basket
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
GOLF ANYONE?
We hope to see you all again at the
Ninth Annual Golf Challenge
Thursday May 26th, 2011
Crosswinds Golf & Country Club, Burlington
OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CONTEST WINNERS!
Winning Foursome
Honourable Mention
Satish Palisseri
Sameer Patel
Harry Patel
Michael Paralavos
Peter Dennis
Dave Forte
Carmen Bonfiglio
Steve Reynolds
Dean Herridge
Don Clarke
Chuck Descheney
Mens’ Long Drive
Ladies’ Long Drive
Mens’ Closest to the Pin
Ladies’ Closest to the Pin
Sean Hill
Shelly Font
Rolf Schwartje
Paulina Leung
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
THE WILLOW TUCK SHOP
The Willow Foundation is thrilled to announce the
opening, in September, of two new tuck shops.
The Willow Tuck Shops are located in Post Inn
Village in Oakville and in Creek Way Village in
Burlington.
The shops provide a wide variety of items from
greeting cards, to candies, stamps, batteries,
puzzle books, used books and gift items.
The two Willow Shops have proven to be
extremely popular with residents. Creek Way
residents frequently enjoy a morning coffee and
visit with friends who drop by. The shops are
staffed both by residents and volunteers.
Christmas is coming! Watch for new and exciting
items each week.
SILVER CREEK ADULT DAY
PROGRAM
Silver Creek, the newest addition to the Adult Day Program in
Halton Region, is located in Georgetown. As part of The Willow
Foundation’s summer programs, clients and staff took to the
bowling lanes to enjoy a morning of five pin and pizza.
In the early fall, clients took part in a delicious picnic outing to
Chudleighs. The day was sunny and hamburgers and a hayride
through the countryside proved to be an irresistible combination for
everyone. THANK YOU WILLOW FOUNDATION!
NAN WHEELER ~ 100 YEARS YOUNG!
Nan Wheeler recently celebrated her 100th
birthday at Friends Landing Adult Day
Program in Milton. Nan remains very active,
attending the day program twice a week.
She is full of spunk and has a wonderful
sense of humour. She has many memories,
including her travels to Germany and
Barbados, that she shares with staff and
participants. Nan continues to live
independently on a 5 acre property in Glen
Williams with support from her family.
When asked to reflect back over the past
100 years, she said she likes to think that
she has led a full, fair and honest life.
FRIENDS OF THE WILLOW FOUNDATION
Donations to The Willow Foundation enable us to continue supporting and enriching the lives of seniors and disabled adults in Halton
Region. We would like to take this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge and thank the following individuals who have generously made
donations in memory of or on behalf of a friend or relative currently residing in one of Halton Region’s long term care homes or
participating in an on-going program. We apologize for any inadvertent omissions. Please feel welcome to contact us if your name
should appear on the list below.
Catherine Agg
Robert Atkins
Heather Bainbridge
Bank of Nova Scotia
Douglas BartholomewSaunders
Michael & Elaine Bladon
Marjorie Bland
Bill Blom
Kathryn Bryant
Ian Burns
Marlene Cain
Canada Helps
Ari & TinaCarastathis
Jeannette Caswell
Mr. and Mrs. Ciufo
Xavier Cormier
Marilyn Crowley
Norma Dalgleish
Gerald Damphousse
Lois Davidson
Mike & Dolores Davis
Margaret Dennis
Linda Dessaulles
Bonnie Dewsnap
Elaine Evenson
Cathy Fadyshen
Gerald & Peggy Getty
Patricia Gleeson
Grand River Foods
Marc Henein
Mary Hewitt
Elsie Hewitt
Linda Hickey
Karen Hilliard
Sandra Hornby
Olive Horvath
Grant & Karen Hughes
Daphne Hyatt
Margaret Jasinski
Ron Johnson
Imre Kaman
Christine Kostiw
David & Shirley Lawrence
Mr. and Mrs. Leduc
Margo Lindner
Sheelagh MacDiarmid
John Mackenzie
Jim and Mirella Marshall
Andrea Millar
Anne Nedd
Board of Directors Northern
Credit Union
Sandra Pakosh
Perkin Elmer
Alma Prieditis
Marion Richardson
Betty Rowley
Hilda Schiebling
Rusty & Delores Serafini
Heather Slater
Shirley Spencer
Jean Sterritt
Lorna Van de Mosselaer
Vanier College
Jean Watts
Susan Wayne
Christine & Ken West
In memorium gift cards are available at all local Halton Funeral Homes as well as at the Foundation office - Post Inn Village 203
Georgian Drive, Oakville Ontario L6H 7H9, Tel: 905.825.6000, ext.4049, Fax:. 905.257.0042, andrea.gossmann@halton.ca.
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
Annual Spirit of Giving
Campaign
I would like to share in the Spirit of Giving with my Holiday Gift in the amount of $___________.
Please use my information below.
Signature _______________________________________
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE WILLOW FOUNDATION?
The Willow Foundation is a non-profit, registered charitable
organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Funds are
raised through community initiatives as well as donations from
individuals, service clubs, community organizations and businesses
to further enrich the quality of life for seniors and disabled adults
in the Halton Region’s three long term care homes. These include
Allendale in Milton, Creek Way Village in Burlington and Post Inn
Village in Oakville, as well as the Adult Day Programs in Milton and
Georgetown. Through the kindness and generosity of our donors,
The Willow Foundation is able to provide financial support for
annual life enriching social events, education, equipment, special
needs and various building projects.
respect to hosting, participating in, sponsoring, or donating
to an event.
We offer a number of opportunities to support The Willow
Foundation including:
We continue to expand our planned giving donor base through the
generosity of those who donate on a continued basis. Planned
giving allows a donor to make a substantial gift and at the same
time provide valuable tax benefits. Methods of planned giving
include pre-authorized giving programs and charitable bequests.
Annual Fundraising Events
Our annual fundraising events include our Charity Golf Challenge
and our Spirit of Giving Campaign during the Christmas season.
We are also very thankful to benefit from third party fund raising
events that take place in the community where funds raised are
donated to The Willow Foundation. These events not only raise
funds to assist The Willow Foundation, they also provide an
opportunity to involve family members and others within the
community in a meaningful way. We welcome suggestions with
Annual Giving
Annual donations are vital to The Willow Foundation and provide
the majority of our funds.
In Memorium Giving
In Memorium gifts to The Willow Foundation make a tremendous
difference in the lives of many seniors and disabled adults in the
Halton Region. A memorial card is sent to the next of kin to
acknowledge the In Memorium gift.
Planned Giving
We appreciate the kindness of the many individuals who support
The Willow Foundation and would like to take this opportunity to
thank our supporters very much for their generosity which
ultimately benefits the lives of many seniors and disabled adults.
We simply couldn’t do this without you.
DONATION FORM
Registered Charitable No. 86903 1385 RR0001
Allendale & Adult Day Programs (Milton)
Post Inn Village (Oakville)
Creek Way Village (Burlington)
Silver Creek Adult Day Programs (Georgetown)
Thank you for your donation of $
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Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region
♥ IN TOUCH: THE WILLOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER ♥
LIFE ENRICHMENT THERAPIST ~ DANA GARNER
The bundle of smiles and laughter
that is Dana Garner hails from
Beeton, Ontario and their loss is Post
Inn Village’s gain!
a Recreation Therapist at Hampton Terrace Long Term Care. Along
the way, Dana continued to work part time for Jackson Services,
which provides private Recreation Therapy programs to clients
within the community or long term care homes.
By her own admission, Dana has
always loved seniors. At age 14 she got
a job as a Dietary Aide at the local
nursing home. She stayed at this job
throughout her university years and it
was this job that fostered Dana’s interest
in and love for seniors. Dana is also an
only child, and grew up around her 4
grandparents and 2 great grandparents
which also gave her first hand experience working “with seniors” at
a young age. An Honours degree from Brock University’s Recreation
and Leisure Studies program launched Dana into her career as a Life
Enrichment Therapist.
In March 2002, Dana met one of the loves of her life, Shawni, her
toy poodle. She then met the other love of her live, her husband Bill,
in 2002 and they were married in 2004. Both Bill and Dana are both
avid curlers and play squash regularly and Dana says she always has
a book (or two!) on the go. Lucy, her other toy poodle came into
their family in 2005. Shawni and Lucy often accompany Dana to
work to provide Pet Therapy for the residents, but the problem she
encounters is that they run in opposite directions, so she claims one
at a time is enough!
One of Dana’s first experiences in Long Term Care was at Heidehof,
a German Care Home in St. Catharines. It holds a very special place
in Dana’s heart. She certainly went “above and beyond”, learning to
speak enough German to converse with residents during the two
years she worked there!
Dana then worked as a Recreation Manager at Kilean Lodge in
Grimsby and then went on to St. Joe’s Hospital in Hamilton as a
Recreation Therapist for a Continuing Care unit. She then worked as
Dana has been working at Post Inn Village since Valentine’s Day
2005. There are 64 residents whom Dana provides Life Enrichment
programs for, and she believes that no matter what age, a sense of
humour is a very important trait to have. She uses it in her day-today interactions with the residents.
“I know it is not easy moving to Long Term Care after all those years
of being in your own home, with unfamiliar faces and surroundings,
so my main goal is to make people smile and encourage them to
continue the activities they enjoyed prior to coming to Post Inn. I
just hope that when I get there, someone will do the same thing
for me.”
THE DAY TUCKER CAME TO VISIT!
Friends of ours brought their
new puppy Tucker to visit
Raleigh. Everything was
delightful UNTIL his
teenaged owners decided
to go off to a movie and
leave me to babysit
their dog. “He doesn’t
like the leash much”
one of the girls
casually commented
as the front door
slammed shut behind
them. When it came time to
put him in the car to pick up the teenagers
the game was on. The leash was the plague, to be
avoided at all costs. I moved forward, leash in hand, and in the
blink of an eye, Tucker sped around me. As I moved to the left
Tucker pivoted at lightening speed and took off to the right!
Tucker is a herding dog and moving groups of large reluctant
sheep (and people) at warp speed is his reason for living.
Forget the leash. I foolishly decided to open the door and
motion him towards the car – surely he would follow. Tucker
saw his chance and shot out the door in a flash. Now, my
friends’ beloved puppy was outside and headed for the hills!
Mike, a neighbor, sensing my panic, helped me to corral Tucker
back into the house and now we were both playing the game of
“Get the Dog”. We stationed ourselves at both exits to the
family room and in one lucky moment, I lunged and caught him!
I stepped back, slipped on the floor and looked down in horror at
the gazillion piles of poo and pee the frightened puppy was
depositing on the floor. Immediately I let go of the dog. Mike
made a spectacular tackle and caught him on the fly, Tucker
obligingly depositing poo once again, right where they both
landed on the floor.
Collective wisdom prevailed - we called for reinforcements.
Mike’s daughter was conscripted to accompany me and Tucker to
the movie theatre. We wrestled the bewildered pup, (firmly in
the clutches of Kathleen) into
the passenger side of the car
where we had layered a lot of
newspapers, one of my first
wise decisions of the day!
The teenagers exhibited
little concern for my
travails. Instead there
was much murmuring
and comforting of
the pup, along the
lines of “are you
o.k Tucker?” and
“oh poor baby,
you’ve had a hard
day.” Needless to say,
Tucker has not been back to visit.
Next time when I know he is coming,
I’m getting the cleaning supplies ready and
we won’t be going for a lovely walk! I snapped this
picture of Raleigh later on in the evening - she too, had
had enough excitement for one day.
Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors and Disabled Adults in Halton Region