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Donations exceed target for dementia centre

Katherine Roth
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, May 19, 2009

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Fundraising for a dementia centre in Yellowknife has surpassed expectations, according to organizers.

A group of Yellowknife city staff and the Union of Northern Workers are the latest to donate money to the home. They presented a cheque for $10,000 to the Aven Cottage Dementia Care Facility on Friday afternoon.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Milne, Kerry Nicholson, Kevin Butt and Debbie Ross presented a cheque for $10,000 to the Aven Cottage Dementia Centre on Friday afternoon. - Katherine Roth/NNSL photo

"We have already exceeded our target of $700,000," said campaign manager David Gilday. "This whole project has been such good news from the start."

The group, made up of city hall staff, Municipal Enforcement, Yellowknife firefighters and the UNW, joined their efforts last fall and pooled the money through fundraisers, personal donations and group donations.

Last weekend, a car wash in the parking lot of the fire hall pulled in nearly $5,000, according to firefighter Stewart Milne.

"The number of people that came out to support the event was so high we ended up turning people away near the end," he said.

"Donations ranged anywhere from $5 to $50, but most people gave around $20. It was great to see the generosity."

Employee groups in Yellowknife are known for helping out both locally and internationally, said city administrator Max Hall.

"This is just another project that makes Yellowknife a better place to live, work and retire," he said. "It has been something that we've enjoyed doing while working towards that goal."

The dementia care facility will contain 28 rooms, all of which have been purchased by groups around Yellowknife for the donation cost of $10,000, but many groups have gone beyond the amount of money required per room.

"We have been getting so many duplicates and triplicates of donations, we hope people aren't forgetting that they have already given us money," said Gilday. "Seriously though, it is remarkable."

The project was funded by the territorial government for $15 million to build the basic structure, and the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors put forward $550,000 for construction and fundraising to support the daycare program, Gilday said.

He added that this facility is going to be unlike most nursing homes.

"Old-age homes usually smell badly, but this is going to be nothing like that," he said. "It's going to be a home for these people who are really quite healthy, but their minds have just gone."

The facility is expected to open in late January of next year.