Dan Edwards Do It For Sarnia campaign reaches $150,000 goal
July 4, 2019
Thanks to the incredible success of the LiUNA Do It For Sarnia Block Party featuring The Trews last month, the Foundation is thrilled to announce that Dan Edwards has reached his $150,000 fundraising goal. Funds raised are the product of four Block Parties and countless community donations and fundraisers.
“I am so excited to be able to share this great news,” says Kathy Alexander, Executive Director, Bluewater Health Foundation. “It’s a true testament to the impact Dan has on Sarnia-Lambton and beyond. We’re honoured to have the opportunity to not only help him reach his goal, but to support and raise awareness of a very important cause in our community.”
Edwards will be working closely with staff from Mental Health and Addiction Services at Bluewater Health to determine how the funds will be best used. Focus groups will be held and feedback sought from front line care providers, patients and their families.
“We are grateful to Dan for being such a remarkable champion and advocate for mental healthcare in our community” says Paula Reaume-Zimmer, Vice-President of Mental Health and Addictions, Bluewater Health. “We know that his support and personal efforts toward making this campaign a success will have a tremendous impact on the work we do and the care we provide.”
Edwards started the Do It for Sarnia campaign in 2016 in response to the generosity received from the community when he was involved in an accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down in 2006. He set a $150,000 fundraising goal as part of the initiative, benefitting Mental Health and Addiction Services at Bluewater Health.
Since the launch of his campaign, Dan has also become a Bluewater Health Foundation board member, working closely with staff on several fundraising initiatives benefiting Bluewater Health, and was the recipient of a Bridging Excellence Award in 2018 for his efforts.
An event celebrating Dan’s accomplishment is being planned later this summer, 13 years after Dan’s accident. Details of the celebration will be shared in the coming weeks.
While Dan may have achieved his goal, much work remains to be done in our community to continuously strengthen mental health care and delivery at Bluewater Health. As such, plans for next year’s Block Party are already underway, with a tentative date scheduled in June, 2020.
A personal message from Dan Edwards
“I kicked off this campaign in 2015 by writing a letter to the community of Sarnia. While reflecting on this journey over the past few weeks, it only seemed appropriate to share my thoughts on the culmination of this campaign by doing the same thing I did almost four years ago; by writing a letter.”
