Hospice Huntsville kicks off two hallmark fundraisers

Hospice Huntsville has kicked off two of its feature fundraisers.

The non-profit has opened registration for the annual Hike for Hospice, which is running in-person for the first time since 2019. 

“We are thrilled to have the hike in person this year,” says Melissa Polischuk with Hospice Huntsville. “The last two years we’ve had to have a virtual hike, or ‘create your own hike,’ and we really, really missed seeing everybody. All our families and supporters of Hospice Huntsville.”

Leading up to the Hike, the organization is also booting up the Purple Boot Campaign. It sees 40 purple-painted hiking boots distributed to various businesses throughout Muskoka. 

People can donate by dropping cash into any of the boots, or scan a QR code to visit the virtual donation page.

Marg Winchester, also known as “Purple Boot Granny,” takes care of the boots during the winter, and coordinates their distribution to businesses throughout the district. She says the initiative has evolved in the decade that it’s run.

“The boot started just as an awareness-raiser for Hospice and the hike,” says Winchester. “[It] worked really well, but then people started putting money in the boots. And it

has become a major part of our hike fundraising event to have the purple boots out in the community.”

The goal of the fundraisers is to raise $50,000, which Polischuk says will stay entirely in the community, at the Algonquin Grace Residential Hospice.

“This year, it’s critical. Things are going up in price, and with everything, we need to raise as much funds as we can,” says Polischuk. “As the need for palliative care grows in our community, as does the need for supporting all of our programs and services to remain free-of-charge.”

According to Polischuk, while the province provides 40 per cent of Hospice’s funding, the organization must fundraise for the remaining 60, which translates to about $1,800 per day.

Hike for Hospice is set for May 1 at Huntsville’s River Mill Park. You can register at Hospice Huntsville’s website, or donate to the Purple Boot Campaign here.