Wendy McBain
Special to the Tribune
On September 16th, the Joli Voyageur Campground in Lavigne was honoured by the Alliance Centre for something owners Rodney and Carole Wolfe never thought they would do on a large scale: fundraising. The couple was photographed handing over a $1,500 cheque, the result of their fundraising efforts for Mental Health and Addictions services in the region. Receiving the donation were Sue LeBeau, President and CEO of the West Nipissing General Hospital, which operates the Alliance Centre, and Shawn Page, Chair of the WNGH Foundation.
Lynn Perreault, Program Manager for the Alliance Centre, stresses that donations like these assist not only with the cost of delivering mental health programs, but also with raising awareness, which is just as important. “All those donations that we receive through our hospital foundation are utilized to bolster what we call a community wellness program. Those funds are used to help provide different workshops, for example we’ve already done yoga classes for the community, we’ve had some Indigenous teaching workshops that have been done, free of charge for the community, art therapy by way of a paint night. We also have a small program here called “Joey’s Coffee Stop” that was created utilizing funds from a local family who had accessed the Centre in the past. These funds are used to help people feel comfortable when they come in for services and we do what we can, even assisting with food security as well.” Some of the programs offered at the Alliance Centre include substance abuse/addictions assessment and treatment, a needle exchange, a walk-in clinic, crisis intervention and more, which are all free of charge to the community.
Carole and Rodney Wolfe became involved back in 2023. Reg Perreault, a cousin of Carole’s, suggested they help with a fundraising event for the local food bank. It would be a ‘Music Palooza’ with all proceeds going to charity. Perreault worked with all the artists, who donated their time playing on a chosen Sunday in July, while Joli Voyageur provided the property and stage for the event. Perreault’s event was so successful, despite inclement weather and a date change, that the rough estimate of 130 people showing up was considered excellent. Encouraged by this success, Perreault then suggested another, full weekend fundraiser for the summer of 2024, with the Wolfes choosing the charity. Alas, things didn’t pan out and that fundraiser never took shape for 2024.