The local chapter in southwestern Nova Scotia is collecting donations of purses and scarves for its second annual Purses for Wishes event, which will take place at the Comfort Inn in Yarmouth on May 2 starting at 2 p.m.
Donations of gently used purses, and scarves, are being collected for the fundraiser and can be dropped off at 369 Pleasant St. After April 1 they can also be dropped off at the Comfort Inn on Starrs Road. For more information call 902-742-2126.
Last year’s event featured around 1,600 donated purses, and took place in several packed rooms at the Comfort Inn. Purses ranged in price from $5 to $25.
“It was busy. They were lined up outside an hour before the doors opened. With that many people in and out of there, and it being crowded, there was not one single complaint,” said Jean Doucette of the local chapter. “When you have a fundraiser and raise $6,000 in two hours without a complaint, it's good as far as I’m concerned.”
The purses that are donated are examined for quality and any with frayed edges or broken zippers are discarded. Doucette says they aim for quality over quantity. Volunteers then sanitize the purses, stuff them with paper and tag them.
In mid-March Doucette said they were still hoping for more donations, but she said purses and scarves were coming in.
“I have 450 purses from Halifax,” she said, explaining a donation box had been set up at the IWK by the wish foundation’s Halifax office. She said like last year, so far they’ve got a good variety.
“We've got brand names and big purses and different colours,” she said, adding they were overwhelmed with the response to the fundraiser last year.
“We were absolutely amazed,” she said, saying truckloads of purses were coming in from surrounding communities. And on the day of the event, everyone had a lot of fun, she noted.
“They were laughing and they were coming out with their arms loaded with purses,” she said, saying the Comfort Inn, the location of the event, has been so good to the foundation for this and other events.
“They go over and above,” she said.
All of the money raised helps to pay for local wishes. Trips to Disneyworld remains the most popular wish, but Disney cruises are also growing in popularity. Sometimes kids go for the practical side of things, asking for a computer set-up for their rooms.
Doucette estimates over the years they’ve filled around 130 wishes in southwestern Nova Scotia.
The criteria for wishes is limited life expectancy.
“The parents apply for it. It goes directly to the physician who makes the final decision. If the doctor says yes, than it’s a go and we get ahold of them and things begin immediately,” Doucette explains. “I always tall parents when we take these applications, ‘If I were a parent in that position, I would rather have it come back no, they’re not eligible, because than you know that they’re going to get better.’”
The local chapter in southwestern Nova Scotia is collecting donations of purses and scarves for its second annual Purses for Wishes event, which will take place at the Comfort Inn in Yarmouth on May 2 starting at 2 p.m.
Donations of gently used purses, and scarves, are being collected for the fundraiser and can be dropped off at 369 Pleasant St. After April 1 they can also be dropped off at the Comfort Inn on Starrs Road. For more information call 902-742-2126.
Last year’s event featured around 1,600 donated purses, and took place in several packed rooms at the Comfort Inn. Purses ranged in price from $5 to $25.
“It was busy. They were lined up outside an hour before the doors opened. With that many people in and out of there, and it being crowded, there was not one single complaint,” said Jean Doucette of the local chapter. “When you have a fundraiser and raise $6,000 in two hours without a complaint, it's good as far as I’m concerned.”
The purses that are donated are examined for quality and any with frayed edges or broken zippers are discarded. Doucette says they aim for quality over quantity. Volunteers then sanitize the purses, stuff them with paper and tag them.
In mid-March Doucette said they were still hoping for more donations, but she said purses and scarves were coming in.
“I have 450 purses from Halifax,” she said, explaining a donation box had been set up at the IWK by the wish foundation’s Halifax office. She said like last year, so far they’ve got a good variety.
“We've got brand names and big purses and different colours,” she said, adding they were overwhelmed with the response to the fundraiser last year.
“We were absolutely amazed,” she said, saying truckloads of purses were coming in from surrounding communities. And on the day of the event, everyone had a lot of fun, she noted.
“They were laughing and they were coming out with their arms loaded with purses,” she said, saying the Comfort Inn, the location of the event, has been so good to the foundation for this and other events.
“They go over and above,” she said.
All of the money raised helps to pay for local wishes. Trips to Disneyworld remains the most popular wish, but Disney cruises are also growing in popularity. Sometimes kids go for the practical side of things, asking for a computer set-up for their rooms.
Doucette estimates over the years they’ve filled around 130 wishes in southwestern Nova Scotia.
The criteria for wishes is limited life expectancy.
“The parents apply for it. It goes directly to the physician who makes the final decision. If the doctor says yes, than it’s a go and we get ahold of them and things begin immediately,” Doucette explains. “I always tall parents when we take these applications, ‘If I were a parent in that position, I would rather have it come back no, they’re not eligible, because than you know that they’re going to get better.’”
