Raising 'spirits' and funds for Headwaters

Members of the Caledon Village Haunted Hall committee present John McDermid, Headwaters Health Care Centre, with a cheque for $2,226.61 from the two-day event. Shown are (back, l to r) Lisa Graham, Caledon Agricultural Society; Lorraine Glassford, committee chair, Caledon Optimist Club; Steve Hayward and Jim Glassford of the Caledon Lions Club, John McDermid, Headwaters Health Care Foundation, (front) Tucker Henry and Kate Henry.

The second annual Caledon Village Haunted Hall, held Oct. 27 and 28 at the Caledon Village fairgrounds, welcomed 1,687 people and raised more than $2,226 for Headwaters Health Care Centre.

Visitors toured the Haunted Hall, graveyard, mad scientist lab and castle dungeon and could take a class at the witches school. More than 75 young people and 48 adults took part as "scare-actors."

The Haunted Hall project began as an idea in the mind of Caledon Optimist Club member Lorraine Glassford.

"The idea was to bring the main service clubs in the area together to present an

event that would engage local youth. It has blossomed into an annual must-attend event that has grown in the second year and will grow again next year," she said.

HOSPITAL FUND-RAISER Howard Beckett (centre), owner of Howard the Butcher's Meats and Deli in Caledon East, held an evening of wine tasting and food paring recently to raise money for Headwaters Health Care Centre. Joining him were (from left) Stephen Doney, chair of the Headwaters Health Care Foundation, Mayor Marolyn Morrison, Linda Gray, executive director of the foundation, and Headwaters board chair John McDermid. Beckett said they're trying to inject money into th system to bring doctors to the Dufferin- Caledon community.

The local service clubs involved in the presentation of the Haunted Hall included Caledon Optimist Club, Caledon Village Lions Club, Caledon Agricultural Society and the Caledon West Rotary Club. The youth groups who participated included Pathfinders from the Caledon East, Caledon Mountain, Mono Mills and 3rd Orangeville clubs, and students from the Charlestown Residential School.

Because the government does not generally provide funding for most hospital equipment purchases on an ongoing basis, Headwaters Health Care Foundation relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses, service clubs and community groups to raise the funds to meet the hospital's clinical equipment needs, which average more than $1 million dollars each year.

The Caledon Village Haunted Hall donation of $2,226 will be directed to the women's and children's program at Headwaters Health Care Centre. The gift will be used toward the purchase of a transport incubator, the total cost of which is $27,500. A transport incubator is used to transfer critically ill newborns and premature

babies to other hospitals for advanced care. This special incubator provides an environment that maintains

the baby's life support requirements while being transported.