Ontario Finnish Resthome cancels fundraiser

NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO FINNISH RESTHOME ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDATION
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The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association (OFRA) would like to thank and honour all our frontline workers, not only here at OFRA, but all over Sault Ste. Marie and beyond. To the healthcare workers, the foodservice providers, the delivery service workers and every other essential service worker all over our community, WE THANK YOU!!

During this unprecedented time, here at OFRA, we are fighting hard to ensure the health and well-being of your loved ones. We are taking all possible measures to maintain the safety of residents and staff, going above and beyond government-mandated activities and switching our methods of interacting with residents.

Thus, to keep everyone healthy, we have decided to cancel the Harvest Fest Draw and postpone the Harvest Fest Event that was scheduled for September 18, 2020. 

While we are upset by this, we want to ensure our residents, staff, volunteers and supporters remain safe in these uncertain times and beyond. Despite the cancellation, Anna and Sam Biasucci of the SalDan Construction Group have decided to donate their Gold Sponsorship to our Pandemic Fund Campaign.  Thank You Sam and Anna, and thank you to all of our Harvest Fest Sponsors: Leisure Living, Sault Chiropody Clinic, North Star Travel and AK Graphix for your continual support.  Without you, this annual draw and event would not be the success it is now.  We look forward to working with you next year! 

Currently, our long-term care home (LTCH), Mauno Kaihla Koti, is receiving extra funding during this outbreak, but it does not cover everything. We are most concerned about the extra costs for our Assisted Living complex, Kotitalo.

To assist with this need, The Ontario Finnish Resthome Foundation has launched a COVID-19 Pandemic Fund campaign, in correlation with #GivingTuesdayNow, an emergency response global day of giving, to be held on May 5th. OFRA’s goal of $20,000 is to help with the cost of Personal Protective Equipment and other resident needs and assistive items. These funds would assist with 1/3 of the cost currently spent, but we expect our expenses to continue and it’s depleting our reserves that were intended for other projects and upgrades.

Your support on May 5 will make a difference. Every dollar counts. Your generosity will have an immediate impact on the staff and residents of OFRA.

Please consider a donation to help us keep our residents and staff safe during this crisis. Donations towards our COVID-19 Pandemic Fund can be made easily online or you can mail a cheque to 725 North St., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6B 5Z3.

For more information about OFRA, what we are doing to protect our residents, staff and more, please visit our website.

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