Three Chatham-Kent men have decided to make sure they enjoy the people in their lives while they are still alive, instead of meeting every few years at funerals.
Ray O’Phee, Howard Morton and Mike Dorner have known each other since elementary school and connected recently at the celebration of life of their mutual friend Brent Preston. Happy to see each other, the three men commented that it’s too bad they only see each other when a mutual friend has passed.
0’Phee said that observation sparked an idea with Dorner that they should make an effort to get together while they are able to enjoy each other’s company.
“We all knew each other before, and Mike said we need to do something about this; like a family reunion but a friend reunion,” O’Phee said.
From that conversation over beer, the three men, with help from O’Phee’s sister Linda St. Pierre, decided they would host a celebration party, with an opportunity for people in attendance to donate to the Chatham-Kent Hospice.
O’Phee said while their friend Brent was in the hospice, they were impressed with how the staff took care of him and his family, allowing him to die with dignity in a caring and supportive atmosphere.
“We knew one of his last wishes was to see his dog again and we couldn’t believe it when we asked and they let us bring his dog up to lay with him,” Dorner said. “He really enjoyed it.”
Dorner said the three men had no idea what a hospice was until they came to the Chatham-Kent Hospice and they were more than happy to try and raise awareness and funds in honour of Preston.
Their friend passed away shortly after that visit with his dog, so they were happy they were able to make his last wish possible.
Once the idea to host a celebration took shape, the friends decided to dedicate the celebration to Preston, and went ahead not knowing how many people might be interested in attending. Through social media and word of mouth, close to 400 people attended the party and $2,000 was raised for the hospice. Morton said people from as far away as Saskatchewan, Fort Erie and Toronto came to the recent event.
“It was an open house. People came and went,” Morton said. “It started at noon, and by 1 p.m. only three or four people were there, but by 2:30 p.m., you had to try and find a place to stand.”
“We were overwhelmed but we committed to doing this and are planning for future events,” O’Phee added. “We are just three blue-collar guys who bumped our heads together.”
St. Pierre set up a booth with information about the Chatham-Kent Hospice, with a jar out for donations, with no pressure or sales pitch for people to donate and they were able to raise a substantial amount of money.
The group credits many people for generously donating their time or services to the event, including the Kent Belgium Dutch Club, Chris Bird and the Bushman, Dave Boismier and his son Carmen. Local magician Marien Hopman also donated his services to entertain.
The hall is already booked for the next event, according to O’Phee, and while they hope to do another celebration in the fall, they definitely plan to make the event an annual one.
“This helps bring awareness to C-K Hospice as well,” St. Pierre said. “I had some people coming up to the booth saying, ‘What is hospice?’”
Alysson Storey, in charge of donor and community relations for the hospice, said the support is appreciated.
“Donors in Chatham-Kent warm our heart literally every day,” Storey said of the donation. “I get to see the most generous donations from people, whether it’s donations from kids from a bake sale at school to corporate donors who donate thousands.”
She said every dollar that comes into hospice has a heart-warming story behind it and a person behind it that is connected to Hospice.
“The friends from Chatham – they came to us. It was entirely their idea to have friends come together and throw money in a bucket. It can be as simple as that, and I love meeting those people and hearing their stories. It’s everyday people like you and me and they make a huge difference,” Storey added. “Everyone of those dollars helps a local family and that’s what we like to keep reminding people. Hospice care in Chatham is entirely free and not everyone is aware of that.”
