“We didn’t know what Hospice Muskoka was until we needed it,” Nancy Peart-Burkholder says.
Her father passed away at Hospice’s Andy’s House in June. The home opened last year and provides end-of-life care.
Since her father’s passing, Burkholder has taken on the role of Fund Development Coordinator.
“We have a huge task of raising funds just to keep Andy’s House’s doors open,” she says.
This month the Hospice, in partnership with the Andy Potts Memorial Foundation, has two campaigns going. The first is being done in honour of Burkholder’s brother, the late Neil Peart, the legendary drummer for Canadian rock band Rush. The Christmas Cares Auction starts on November 15th and runs until the end of the month.
Burkholder is also the Event Organizer for the Peart Family Memorial Fund.
Within hours of the auction starting, they already hit the initial fundraising goal of $10,000. $12,191 has been raised so far.
The funds will be used to “keep the doors open” at hospice.
Burkholder says the government only funds half of what is needed at the hospice, with the rest of the needed funds having to be raised through the community.
“He was one of the most generous people we know – both to friends, family and especially charities,” Burkholder says of her brother. Around Christmas time, she says he would sit down and create a list of charities he wanted to donate to throughout the year.
Just over a year after his passing, she says his memory is being carried on by his former bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, who both contributed items for the charity auction.
The other campaign is being done thanks to the Friends of Andy Potts Memorial Foundation. They will match donations up to $50,000. That money will be used to cover the cost of five respite beds at Andy’s House.
Burkholder says they’re so grateful that the community continues to see how important hospice – and Andy’s House – is and support them. “Seeing the success on day one is just incredible,” she says.