Mike Holmes joins Investing in Care – Close to Home Honorary Campaign Cabinet

Mike Holmes is known for working hard to make his local community a better place. One of his latest causes is supporting the Investing in Care – Close to Home Honorary Campaign Cabinet, a group that invests in and fundraises for the hospital that serves Mike's community of Halton Hills, Georgetown Hospital in Ontario, Canada. Using the latest and greatest technology to get the job done doesn't just apply to building houses. For Mike, it's a personal cause, as a CT scan was used to detect a potentially deadly brain tumor in his daughter, Sherry, a number of years back.  “Without question the doctors did their jobs well, but as far as I’m concerned it was the CT scan that saved her life,” Mike is quoted in a Georgetown Hospital Foundation news release. Investing in technology, such as CT scanning, is a major focus of the group. (Related to Sherry's brain tumor, I do believe she has a tattoo on her wrist which reads "hope," to signifies her ordeal with a brain tumor. I think I read this on the Official Mike Holmes Fan Forum somewhere, but quote me with extreme caution.)

Here's the GHF news release:

January 18, 2012

Mike Holmes joins Investing in Care – Close to Home Honorary Campaign Cabinet

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 17, 2012
Mike Holmes joins Investing in Care – Close to Home Honorary Campaign Cabinet
________________________________________
HALTON HILLS, ON – The Georgetown Hospital Foundation (GHF) is honoured to announce that Mike Holmes, Canada’s Most Trusted Contractor, best known for his work as creator and host of television shows Holmes on

Mike Holmes and his daughter Sherry

Homes® and Holmes Inspection, has joined the Honorary Campaign Cabinet for Georgetown Hospital Foundation’s Investing in Care – Close to Home campaign.
The Honorary Campaign Cabinet is a small group of leaders who represent the Campaign for Georgetown Hospital to the community. They are ambassadors, donors and spokespeople for the importance of Investing in Care – Close to Home. Or, as Mike puts it, “I am here to help Georgetown Hospital. It’s my local hospital after all, I look forward to helping make this project a reality.” The other members of the Honorary Cabinet are Mayor Rick Bonnette, Josey Bonnette and Fred Helson.
Mike Holmes has been a Halton Hills resident for more than ten years, enjoying private time on his property when he is not busy filming one of his television series or working to promote skills training for youth through the Holmes Foundation.
Mike’s decision to get involved is inspired by his first-hand experience of the importance of CT scanning technology – a key piece of the Campaign. A number of years ago his daughter Sherry had a brain tumour which was discovered through a CT scan. Within a week she underwent life-saving surgery to remove the potentially deadly tumour. Recalls Mike, “without question the doctors did their jobs well, but as far as I’m concerned it was the CT scan that saved her life.”
Late in 2011 Mr. Holmes had a chance to tour the Hospital with Chief Operating Officer Cindy McDonell who gave him an up-close view of the challenges associated with the Hospital’s small size and 50-year-old structure. When asked about the significance of Mike Holmes’ support for the Campaign, McDonell put it this way: “As I toured Mike through the hospital he could immediately see the difficulties we have in our existing space and the need we have to construct a new Emergency Department. He already had very personal reasons to support our goal to acquire a CT scanner, and it is terrific to also have his appreciation of our vision of better healthcare for our community through our Emergency Department construction and Diagnostic Imaging renovation project.”
The Campaign for Georgetown Hospital is GHF’s biggest-ever fundraising drive. The Campaign will assist in funding the construction of a new 14,000 square foot Emergency Department – doubling the size of the existing cramped one. Featured in the expansion will be the acquisition of a CT Scanner that will be the first in Halton Hills, eliminating the need for patients to travel to other area hospitals. In addition, the Diagnostic Imaging Department will be transformed into a larger space – consolidating services that are currently located outside the Department and improving the quality of care that the Hospital provides to its patients.
To date, the Foundation has been fortunate enough to announce $2.2 million in pledged charitable donations to this project. The total cost is anticipated to be $12.2 million. Support from the Town of Halton Hills of $2.6 million has been announced along with up to $2.6 million from the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. In addition, Halton Healthcare Services is contributing $2.5 million from various revenue generating sources.
Georgetown Hospital Foundation continues to provide funding for new medical equipment and other hospital improvements in order to achieve our vision of the best healthcare possible for the people of Halton Hills. For more information please visit www.georgetownhospitalfoundation.ca



To use a very American phrase, bully to Mike for investing in his local community. It's a good thing to do. And much love to Sherry Holmes, so happy that she's healthy, and may her good health continue long into the future!

For Sherry