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This article first appeared in the July 18, 2012 issue of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Gonna party like it's 1952
By Lucy Scholey
Don't be late for this very important date. The Wakefield Hospital Garden Party is turning 60 on July 21.
That means it's time to don those fancy hats and ready your palate for mini sandwiches like you have been doing for the past six decades. But this time, wear a more silly hat if you want.
The theme for the Wakefield hospital fundraiser is going to be Mad Hatter's Tea Party, inspired by "Alice in Wonderland," complete with a pin-the-smile-onthe- Cheshire-cat game for kids.
"You don't have to wear a fancy hat; you can wear a crazy hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
Last year's event raised $4,735 for the hospital and Davidson said they are hoping to net the same amount of funds through donations this year.
This year, they are moving the celebration from the Wakefield Hospital grounds to Les Trois Erables bed and breakfast, which is nearer the village core. It's also fitting because it's the former home of area pioneer doctors Hans Stevenson and Harold Geggie.
The theme and venue change are a bit of a shakeup from the traditional teas in years past. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
Wakefield resident Norma Geggie has been to every garden party except the first year in 1952 because she did not yet live in the area. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
"It was the social event of the year," she said, adding that the government did not own the hospital; it belonged to the community. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
Hospital auxiliary groups, made up mostly of women, from as far north as Kazabazua and as far south as Chelsea, would sell aprons, used books and baked goods at the makeshift booths built by their husbands. The night before every tea party, a group would meet in someone's home to make sandwiches. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
A big banner flanked the hospital - then named the Gatineau Memorial which is now Le Manior seniors' residence - and hundreds would crowd onto the property. The women wore hats and gloves, and the men wore suit jackets. They each paid a fifty-cent entrance fee. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
The hospital changed hands in 1996, when it moved to the newly built location on Burnside Drive and was renamed the Wakefield Memorial Hospital. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
Now there are other fundraiser events for the Des Collines Health Foundation - like the Arthur Brown Golf Tournament and the Christmas Craft Fair at Ski Vorlage - which Geggie said could detract from the garden party, which is less of a to-do compared to its early years. But, she added, people are still greatly supporting their hospital. hat," said Leslie Davidson, the executive-director of the Des Collines Health Foundation.
So don't be late for the potato sack races and tea at Les Trois Erables, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on July 21.
