Since inception 7 years ago Bluewater International Granfondo has raised over $350,000 to support Palliative Care Education for front line workers at Bluewater Health Palliative Care, St. Joseph’s Hospice as well as nurses and support workers within the community of Sarnia Lambton. In addition, the BIG has also raised additional funds to support Big Brothers/Big Sisters through the Slow Roll event that started Summer 2022.
The $350,000 raised through the Bluewater International Grandonfo has supported the development of the Bluewater Palliative Care Retreat (BPCR) which saw its fourth successful event this past Fall. The BPCR is an accredited event attended by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, spiritual care providers and volunteers to hear presentations from world renowned palliative care leaders on topics ranging from the most recent advances in palliative care to the importance of self-care for health care workers. This focus on education allows for the development of knowledge and skills in those who attend while promoting working relationships and practices between palliative care organizations in the community. This, in turn, positively impacts all those who receive care from these organization. Focusing the donations toward the BPCR promotes a relatively larger overall impact on the palliative care community.
St Joseph’s Hospice has been supporting terminally ill people in our community as they face their illnesses since 2005. The Hospice also offers support programs for people who are caring for or grieving the loss of a loved one. In addition to this, in December 2009 St. Joseph’s Hospice opened its doors as a Residential Hospice on Christina Street Sarnia. This home-like, ten suite residence provides 24-hour specialized palliative care, free of charge, to people living with an illness within their life cycle or with a terminal illness. The hospice is a non-profit organization serving Sarnia Lambton with a highly skilled professional staff, and over 375 volunteers.
Palliative Care at Bluewater Health is supported by five dedicated palliative physicians who care for patients in hospital, community and in clinics. In addition to the 35 staff that work on the unit, Bluewater Health has a full-time palliative care nurse that provides basic palliative care and is a palliative resource and support for all staff. With strong partnerships between hospital and community, local and regional cancer centres, palliative care in Sarnia-Lambton focuses on patient and family-centered care that is expert, compassionate, holistic, and individualized. The history of palliative care in hospital is credited to the late Dr. Linda Bowring, who started palliative care services in the Sarnia-Lambton community over 25 years ago.
For over 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters have been championing the health and wellbeing of youth. They step in before it’s too late, to help prevent the physical and mental effects of adverse childhood experiences. They ensure children as young as 7 are supported by caring adults as they overcome these adversities, helping them to do better in life – physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, and academically. Their events and initiatives along with their no-cost mentoring programs strive to reach young people who face adversity and are in need of an additional supportive relationship. This organization makes a difference in the lives of thousands of youth in the Sarnia-Lambton Community.