Mr. Speaker, I recently had the honour and the pleasure of attending the 50th anniversary luncheon of the Lakeshore General Hospital Auxiliary.
The auxiliary has been a central supporting pillar of the Lakeshore General since before it opened its doors in 1965.
In addition to organizing fundraising activities for hospital improvements and scholarships for nurses, the women and men in blue coats are a welcome and comforting presence to patients and their families dealing with the stress of tests or treatment.
In a very real sense, auxiliary members are also ambassadors carrying, with or without words, a heartening message to patients, “You are not alone. You are part of a caring community that offers you its support in times of need and personal challenge”.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank auxiliary president Barbara Armbruster, past president Sally Brown, Terry Aitken and all of the other past and present auxiliary members who have helped the Lakeshore fulfill its vocation in our community for half a century.