Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the 142 trained volunteers of the Hospice of Waterloo Region.
The hospice is committed to preserving the dignity, autonomy, self-esteem and privacy of individuals facing life-threatening illness. The friends and family of the 1,194 clients from the Kitchener-Waterloo area who have used the hospice will tell you that the palliative care volunteers make a remarkable difference in the lives of the terminally ill.
Recently Lucille Mitchell, the founder of Hospice of Waterloo Region, was honoured at the annual mayor's dinner. In 1994 Lucille recognized the need for a volunteer based organization that would assist the ill with their physical and emotional needs. Hospice volunteers under Lucille's direction have given 27,548 hours to assisting the terminally ill.
Last week the hospice held its annual fundraiser. I would like to extend my congratulations to an excellent event. I commend the Hospice of Waterloo Region and all its dedicated volunteers. They are—