North Shore Health Network Foundation Receives $100,000 Donation From Local Family

The North Shore Health Network (NSHN) Foundation is extremely grateful to Don and Heidi Lees for their recent donation of $100,000.  This contribution will have an immediate and lasting positive impact on patient care through the purchase of much-needed equipment.

 With their donation the Lees family is extending a legacy created several years ago.  “My father, Don Lees Sr., founded Milltown Motors in 1962. Our family-owned business was supported by a loyal customer base along the entire North Shore for more than 60 years. My father brought this passion for his community to a team of local leaders who wanted to ensure a new hospital was built in Blind River. The NSHN Blind River site is the result of those efforts", says Don.

 Joanne Falk, Chair of the NSHN Foundation Board notes that "community support is vital in securing much-needed funding for equipment and patient services, and we are so grateful to the Lees family for their generosity".  Medical equipment is not funded by the government, and the NSHN and the Foundation are continually identifying items of greatest need to be purchased or replaced.  According to Ms. Falk, "donations to the Foundation allow us to support the NSHN in purchasing equipment that ensures an optimal level of local care for patients at our Blind River, Thessalon and St. Joseph Island sites.  Mr. and Mrs. Lees played an integral role in determining how their contribution would be used to support patient care."

 Tim Vine, the CEO of the NSHN adds; “We are so grateful for the support of our community in ensuring we have the equipment needed to provide the best patient care possible. This latest generosity by Heidi and Don, adds to the legacy of the Lees family in supporting not only the Blind River community, but communities across the North Shore. On behalf of NSHN I want to extend my sincere thanks to Heidi and Don for their leadership with this amazing gift to support the organization the Foundation.” 

 Mr. Lees shared that "our family’s efforts were rooted in the belief that the North Shore Health Network is a cornerstone for our entire region. Heidi and I feel strongly that supporting the North Shore Health Network Foundation is the best way to thank our communities for the 60 years they gave us.”

Thank You Thessalon Tim Hortons!!

During September's Smile Cookie campaign, the Thessalon Tim Hortons earned $7,100.33 for their efforts!

Staff and volunteers all worked so hard to make this type of impact on local health care.

Thank you to owner Rico Fata, and his staff, who met the additional demands of baking over 1000 Smile Cookies every day of the campaign. All of this while keeping up with everything else that a Tim Horton's provides!!

Pictured here are a few of the dedicated volunteers from the Thessalon Ladies Auxiliary who decorated thousands of Smile Cookies! Board members Joan and Doug Clute, as well as former Board member Donna Orlando, were also instrumental in obtaining, and fulfilling the pre-orders!!

Pictured below:

Phyllis McLeod, Nancy Mundell, Owner-Rico Fata, Darlene Withers, NSHN Foundation Chair-Joanne Falk, Robin MacDonald, Pam Cavanaugh.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Smile Cookie campaign with their purchases and donations! Every cookie counts!

Thank you Blind River Tim Hortons!!

The Tim Hortons Smile Cookie was extra sweet this year! The Blind River locations brought in $7,623 in Smile Cookies this year towards your local NSHN Foundation.

That is over 1000 cookies a day!

This year the Tim Horton's Smile Cookie campaign nation wide raised over $15.3 million dollars all across Canada. That is an increase of over 21% in sales.

The NSHN Foundation would like to say a special thank you to owners Alain and Nicole for choosing the NSHN Foundation. Events like this go towards critical equipment purchases in order to keep health care accessible on the North Shore.

The Tim Horton's staff at both Blind River locations, as well as our dedicated Foundation Board of Directors, and the Blind River Auxiliary, all worked together to decorate, take pre-orders, and deliver the smile cookies!

The NSHN Foundation would also like to say a very special thank you to the Blind River Beavers! They showed up every day during Smile Cookie week to decorate cookies!! Two or three team members would arrive in the mornings to decorate so that we could get smile cookies out to customers during the day, and fulfill pre-orders. Then, a couple more members of the team would arrive in the evening in order to get cookies ready for the next day!

Get a Smile, Give a Smile and Make a Difference

This year, the annual Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign runs from September 13th - 19th in participating restaurants across Canada. This year both locations in Blind River as well as the new location in Thessalon will be donating their proceeds from the Cookie Campaign towards the North Shore Health Network Foundation. The NSHN Foundation that supports hospitals in Blind River, Thessalon, and Richards Landing-Matthews Site.

During the campaign, guests can enjoy a freshly baked chocolate chunk Smile Cookie for $1, plus applicable taxes, and the Tim Hortons restaurant owners will donate the full $1 from each cookie sold back to local charities – like North Shore Health Network Foundation right here on the North Shore.

There are 550 Canadian charities, hospitals and community programs supported through the Smile Cookie campaign.

In 2019, the Smile Cookie campaign raised $9.8 million across Canada.

The Smile Cookie campaign began in 1996 to help raise funds for the Hamilton Children’s Hospital in Ontario and has grown to become a major fundraising event at Tim Hortons Restaurants nationally.
Visit timhortons.ca/smile-cookie for a list of local charities benefiting from the Smile Cookie campaign. Join the conversation online and share your smiles on social media using the hashtag #SmileCookie.

Starting Monday, August 3rd, the North Shore Health Network Foundation launched their newest Fundraiser, a monthly online 50/50! It is a way of supporting local healthcare while also offering a chance to win!! The NSHN Foundation 50/50 can be purchased by clicking here: NSHN5050.com or NSHN5050.ca

The proceeds will be going towards equipment and services provided by our North Shore Health Network which is comprised of three sites; Blind River Hospital, Thessalon Hospital, and Richards Landing-Matthews Hospital. Today, outstanding local healthcare is more important than ever. The Foundation’s goal in raising funds is to ensure that our health care professionals have the tools they need to take care of local patients.

The jackpot will be updated online in real time for each months draw, and will continue to grow as more people participate. Half of the total each month goes to the drawn ticket holder, and the other half will go to support patient care at all three sites supported by the NSHN Foundation. Remember, the more tickets you buy, the greater you chances of winning!! Good Luck to all, and thank you again for Keeping Health Care Within Reach.

Hospital Beds for Sale

Do you or someone you know require a hospital bed?

The NSHN Foundation has used hospital beds by donation. Any and all proceeds go towards purchasing new equipment!

The Stryker' beds are High-low, so the head, foot, or entire bed can be raised. They have wooden head & foot boards and electronic controls. There are three different styles of rails: split rails, 3/4 length rails, and full rails. They fit a single-sized mattress.

They weigh approx. 300 lbs each and can be transported in a half-ton truck or trailer. Pick-up only.

For more information, please contact Cynthia Wilton-Koke in the Foundation Office at 705-356-2265 ext. 2619.

upcoming events

The Foundation hosts and partners with several fundraising events throughout the year. Don't miss out! You can stay up to date by visiting the Foundation's Facebook Page.