Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank our front-line and essential services, the residents of the Bay of Quinte who have kept us safe and well during this pandemic. Our community has come together to find accommodations for workers and to donate PPE, food and personal care products to staff and residents of long-term care facilities and retirement homes affected by COVID-19.
In Trenton, a group of sewers got together. They made close to 25,000 masks and raised nearly $25,000 to purchase medical grade PPE for Trenton Memorial Hospital. To date, over 5,000 surgical masks have been donated to Trenton Memorial Hospital, VON and Hastings Manor. Another $5,000 has also been collected from the sale of poppy masks to support the work of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 110 in Trenton.
Ongoing generosity like this is helping to boost the morale in our community, especially among our front-line workers, where it is needed the most.