Stephanie MacKenzie is the co-chair of the 2025 Queens General Hospital Hustle. (Rick Conrad)

A popular fundraiser for Queens General Hospital in Liverpool is back and organizers hope it will be bigger than ever.

People will be able to go to the hospital hustle in person for the first time since before the pandemic.

Stephanie MacKenzie, the co-chair of the 2025 Queens General Hospital Hustle, says the last time the fundraiser was held was an online version in 2021.

“The hospital hustle is just the community getting together to raise funds for extra equipment at our hospital. It was an annual event for 40 years until 2019,” MacKenzie explains.

“This is really important. It’s been a labour of love for us to try to bring it back and we want to make sure everybody knows it’s back, because it’s something that people really look forward to.”

The hustle this year will be held at the Liverpool Curling Club on Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s organized by the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary, which also runs the hospital’s gift shop.

MacKenzie says the popular yard sale-style setup will return, along with food served by local Kiwanis Club members and doctors from the hospital. And nurses will be on hand to perform checkups on the little ones’ dolls or teddy bears.

“And we’ll have baked goods for people to buy and take home as well, and preserves, all the normal tables we have with jewelry, books, the big white elephant table, tools and we’re having a craft table as well.

“It’s hoped to be a family event and a lot of fun for the communtiy but an important fundraising event for the hospital. It’s important to show support for our hospital because it’s so very important to our community.”

Organizers are also planning a silent and live auction on the day of the hustle at the curling club. And for the first time, there will be an online Facebook auction, which will begin on Sept. 2, with items donated by local businesses.

All money raised this year will go toward buying a special cardiac monitor and a linear probe for the hospital’s new echocardiogram machine.

“This is an additional probe that will allow it to do more things. So people won’t have to go to Bridgewater to get these more specialized tests.”

MacKenzie says they hope to raise at least $20,000.

“But we think that we can raise more. In most of the recent years, we’ve raised $20,000 or more.”

They have about 30 volunteers helping out this year. But MacKenzie says they could always use more. 

“Where we really need volunteers is on Sept. 7, we are moving all of the treasures that have been donated and stored at Milton Hall to the curling club. We have rented a moving truck to do that and we’re hoping to have enough people that we can stand there and pass the boxes along and just make it happen fairly quickly.”

Anyone who wants to volunteer at this year’s hospital hustle or donate any auction or sale items can email organizers at queenshospitalhustle@gmail.com.

You’ll also be able to buy raffle tickets to help. Volunteers will be selling them on Saturday at the Sobeys in Liverpool from 10 to 4.

And if you want to participate in the online auction beginning Tuesday, search for the Facebook group at 2025 Queens County Hospital Hustle Online Auction.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Hospital hustle committee members Gary Levy, Linda MacKinnon, Jennifer Hutchins Conrad, and Karen McGee. Photo contributed by Linda MacKinnon

There will be no hustle for Queens General Hospital this year.

The annual hospital hustle event coordinated by members of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary has been put off until 2023.

Auxiliary president Linda MacKinnon says several reason factored into their decision to call off the 2022 edition.

“COVID, we’re just not sure what’s going on with that or what will be in September. We also need a new chairperson. We don’t currently have one to do it,” said MacKinnon. “Really it needs a little more planning than to start in June or July so we felt it would be better to postpone it.”

The hospital hustle traditionally raises between $20,000 and $30,000 which is turned over to the auxiliary to buy equipment for the hospital.

Like many fundraisers, the hustle went online in 2021 bringing in over $20,000 to buy an EKG machine.

The hospital received that equipment earlier this year and it was immediately put into service.

MacKinnon says auxiliary members were glad to be able to hold the hustle online but don’t feel they could go that route again this year.

“Most of our ladies are, we’re older and we’re not as savvy with the online as our younger folks are.”

She also heard concerns from some of their older supporters they weren’t aware the hustle was even happening because they don’t participate on social media and aren’t comfortable moving money online.

MacKinnon says with COVID restrictions lifting the hospital auxiliary is aiming to reopen the gift shop at Queens General in September.

They are looking to attract new members to help raise money for the hospital.

When it comes to the hustle, people can invest as much or as little time as they’d like, but every bit helps.

“There’s a lot of different types of things. You could be involved one day, you could be involved maybe a week or so just before and after or you could be involved in the actually planning, five or six months ahead,” said MacKinnon.

Anyone wishing to join can contact the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary directly.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Two nurses show a new gynaecological cart donated by the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary. Photo contributed by Queens General Hospital Auxiliary

The President of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary is worried without an influx of new members, they may not be able to offer as much support to the hospital.

Linda MacKinnon says coming out of the pandemic the auxiliary is looking to bring in people who want to expand on their work.

“New ideas, new thoughts, and just some fresh energy to help us keep our group going. We’ve been there for so long that we’d hate to see it fold up. Hopefully that won’t happen,” said MacKinnon. “But if we don’t get new members we’ll certainly be curtailed as to the things that we can do.”

MacKinnon says there are currently just shy of 20 members, and she would like to see another five or 10 people sign on.The group has already cancelled plans to host the Hospital Hustle this year after the chairperson stepped down.

The annual event usually raises over $20,000 which the auxiliary uses to buy medical equipment and furniture such as beds, bedside tables and waiting room chairs for Queens General Hospital.

MacKinnon says it didn’t make sense to host the Hustle when faced with dual issues of not having a dedicated chairperson along with lingering concerns about the pandemic.

“An in-person event that’s large, like it is, we have it at the curling club and it’s wall to wall people. So, we’re not sure that this year is the right time to do that,” said MacKinnon. “Certainly, we’re promoting good health and we don’t want to do anything that would endanger anyone’s health.”

McKinnon says along with teas and other smaller events, a major source of revenue for the auxiliary is the gift shop they operate inside the hospital.

Sales from the volunteer run shop bring in another $10,000 each year.

Those doors have remained closed during the pandemic, but MacKinnon is hopeful as foot traffic increases at the hospital they can reopen.

In the meantime, the auxiliary is exploring new ways to support Queens General Hospital and says any new faces with fresh ideas are welcome.

To volunteer with the Auxiliary, please contact Bea Delong at 902-354-4676

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.