Kids’ birthday party nets great big bus
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What started with a birthday party for kids has ended in fun times for seniors.
Two-years ago, nine-year-old twins Kenna and Ethan Laundy celebrated their birthday by donating $360 raised at their party to a fundraising drive to purchase a new bus for Rest Haven Lodge. Their great-grandmother Jean Hadden, a resident of Rest Haven, donated another $1,000, and “it started from there,” Kenna said.
The twins, who are now 11, were regular visitors to Rest Haven where they frequently joined residents in craft projects and singalongs. They knew their great-grandmother liked to get out for visits, but the van Rest Haven owned “was pretty bad,” according to Ethan.
The 20-year-old van could hold eight passengers on two bench seats, and could only accommodate two small wheelchairs. But the $100,000 price tag on a new bus seemed insurmountable.
“After seeing the enthusiasm and generosity of these young people, we confidently thought ‘we can do this!’” said Rest Haven activity coordinator Myrna Fox.
Rest Haven staff appealed to residents and their families for donations. They held garage sales, plant sales, craft sales, “and, oh my, sold lots of Purdy’s chocolate bars,” said Fox. “Donations from residents, families and staff were very generous.”
By the end of last year, the bus fund was sitting at $48,000. “Then on December 31, a gentleman named Alec Provan came in with a donation of $50,000 — what a wonderful way to end the year,” said Fox.
Provan was a friend of former Rest Haven resident Margaret Matthews, his former nanny. Matthews was also nanny to well-known artist Myfanwy Pavelic’s daughter Tessa.
“We had many generous donations towards the bus, but the one on behalf of Margaret was outstanding. In her honour we have named the bus Maddie, which was Myfanwy’s nickname for Margaret,” said Fox.
Other large donations came from the Victoria Rotary Club, Royal Bank, Knights of Columbus, Victoria Savings Credit Union and Peninsula Co-op.
“We can get twice as many people out now, we can even take the big Broda chairs (large wheelchairs) out,” said Fox. “We can get people on who can transfer from a wheelchair to a seat, we can go on longer trips.”
The 2009 Ford Para-transit mini-bus can take from 16 passengers and two wheelchairs to six wheelchairs and six seated passengers. “It’s opened up whole new avenues for some residents,” Fox said.
Unfortunately the twins’ great-grandmother did not live to see the new bus. “Jean Hadden passed away in April 2009 before our bus arrived, but she was well aware the bus had been ordered and that her eager interest in starting the bus fund had come to fulfillment,” said Fox.
“It feels nice to know you helped other people that needed help,” said Kenna.
editor@peninsulanewsreview.com
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