Proudly serving PrinCe edward CounTy sinCe 1830
The Picton Gazette THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012
VOLUME 1 8 2 , N O . 3 3
inside
Cardiac recovery centre closer to reality
thiS week
Cattlemen bring in $20,000 at gala event
HERITAGE
auto club holds large classical car show in ameliasburgh Page 3
Jason Parks
Staff writer
Brenda’s Brigade Picton’s Main Street was filled with noise and emotion last Wednesday night as more than 175 people marched to show their support for Brenda McQuaid who is battling lung cancer in both lungs. The gathering brought donations and greetings to McQuaid at the Picton fairgrounds. (Adam Bramburger/Gazette staff)
Cancer fighter has many to lean on HONOURS
Volunteers share spotlight with soccer finalists Page 26
HUSTLE
Pirates hopefuls look to impress as training camp opens Page 26
seCTions
Looking back.......6 Weather.............6 Editorials.............7 Letters....................8 Puzzles.................25 Sports....................26 Classifieds.............30 CaNaDa’S OLDeSt COMMUNitY NewSPaPer
Community rallies a surprise parade to lift woman’s spirits adam BramBurger
Staff writer
Brenda McQuaid was having a hard time preparing to play ball last Wednesday at the Picton fairgrounds. After going to the park with her cousin Tasha Foote, McQuaid heard a lot of commotion coming from Main Street and she couldn’t help but think the worst at the time. “I just heard a lot of sirens,” she recalled. “I thought maybe there’s a fire or an accident. I was just thinking something was wrong.” It turns out something was right. More than 175 people, including some McQuaid had never met rallied to walk through downtown Picton just to brighten her day. A single mother of two, McQuaid was diagnosed with stage four adino carcenoma cancer in both of her lungs last year. Intense chemotherapy started last fall to maintain the cancer had not been successful in limiting it, leaving McQuaid only limited and costly options for treatment. Recently, a few friends saw a blog McQuaid posted online looking for donations and help to go through the process, which has also prevented her from Carol Brough
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work. Longtime friend Brandylee Bradley-Wilkes recalled getting a message from her friend Carrie Philip about the blog. Both agreed at the time they wanted to help somehow. The friends decided they’d make a hope box to bring donations and cards to McQuaid and they also thought to put an event on Facebook and invite as many people as they could
PULL-OUT
Sales Representative
Lanthorn Real Estate Ltd. Brokerage
surPrise Brenda McQuaid, left, wipes away a tear from her eye while being greeted by her mom TerryLee Davidson ahead of a surprise parade of well-wishers last Wednesday evening. (Adam Bramburger/Gazette staff)
REAL
to participate in it. “It turned out huge, much more quickly than we thought it would,” she said. “The first day we had 60 people, the second day 100, and then more than 150 the third.” Wednesday night, those people gathered at the Mary Street parking lot. The were young and old, some from town and some not. One woman, also a cancer survivor, came from
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the Belleville area just to be part of the event. Many wore purple — McQuaid’s favourite colour, and carried balloons or inspirational signs for the walk. Bradley-Wilkes said likely most were drawn by McQuaid’s own positive attitude in the face of her situation. “Absolutely, she has been so positive,” she said. “You never see that girl without a smile on her face.” She said that a few years ago, even before she was diagnosed McQuaid joined a Relay For Life team she helped organize even without knowing who the team was walking for and she and her boys were right at the centre of the activities. Behind the escort of two police cars and in front of a bus donated for the event, the mob wound its way down Elizabeth Street and across Main chanting Brenda’s name and getting louder as they reached the home stretch past Shire Hall to the fairgrounds complex. Once the group entered into the park, McQuaid’s mom TerryLee Davidson raced ahead and embraced her as she wiped away the tears forming in her daughter’s eyes. Many more tears flowed from a wide range of faces as the entire parade entered into choruses of Stand By Me and Lean on Me as they took turns embracing McQuaid and dropping messages into the hope box until it was jammed full.
See PARADE, page 2
SECTION
About a decade ago and their industry in shambles due to the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), The cattlemen of Prince Edward County were in need of a helping hand. They got that hand thanks to a caring community who understood that this County was founded on the principles of doing a good turn for your neighbour when he or she is in need. In recent years, it's been the Prince Edward Cattlemen’s Association’s (PECA ) turn to give back and while they've supported agricultural youth groups like the local 4-H beef club and sponsored an agriculture scholarship through proceeds of their annual steer show and sale, the association has taken on a much broader task in supporting the Prince Edward Family Health Team (PEFHT) and their plan to establish a local and fully functioning cardiac rehab program. This past weekend, the PECA organized and hosted a wonderful gala dinner and live auction at Casa Dea Estates Winery, raising over $20,000 for the program's exercise equipment fund. The fund will offset the costs of treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines, gym mats and other needs for when the program is fully ramped up at its new location at the Picton Clinic. The cost of this equipment, like other medical equipment, is not covered through the Ministry of Health and Longterm Care. According to PEFHT executive director Duff Sprague, the program has been running since April but has been scattered, using facilities at the Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre and other locations. The fact the program is now up and running is great news for Prince Edward County residents that have undergone a coronary episode.
See GALA, page 12
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