A Cut Above: Four Years of Giving Back

November 2, 2026

For Ginny Nigro, owner of the Festival School of Hairstyling, supporting breast cancer awareness is personal.

A breast cancer survivor herself, Ginny went through her own experience with the disease in 2021–2022. That experience inspired her to launch the school's annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser in 2023, bringing students, staff and clients together in support of local healthcare.

Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser has become an annual tradition, featuring raffle games, prizes donated by local supporters and suppliers, and hairstyling services, all in support of a meaningful cause.

This October, the Festival School of Hairstyling raised another $1,800 for the Cancer and Medical Care Clinic and Mammography program at Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) – Stratford General Hospital.

With this year's contribution, the school has now raised an incredible $7,413.20 over four years, helping support cancer care and breast health services close to home.

Ginny is grateful for the continued enthusiasm of her staff and students, who understand the importance of the cause and come together each year to help make the fundraiser a success.

Thank you to Ginny, the Festival School of Hairstyling team, students, clients and everyone who has supported this annual tradition. Your generosity is making a meaningful difference for patients and families in our community.

A Century of Service. A Continued Commitment to Care.

October 22, 2026

As the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 celebrates 100 years of service to veterans and the Stratford community, its commitment to supporting others continues to make a meaningful difference.

Through its Poppy Fund, Branch 8 has generously donated $7,000 to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation to help purchase a new Blood Gas Analyzer for the HPHA – Stratford General Hospital.

In medical emergencies, having the right information quickly can make all the difference. A Blood Gas Analyzer provides healthcare teams with critical results in minutes, measuring oxygen levels and other important indicators that help guide diagnosis and treatment.

This technology plays an important role in urgent and critical care situations, helping healthcare professionals respond to conditions such as respiratory distress, sepsis, cardiac events and metabolic imbalances. For older adults, including many veterans, timely access to this information can be especially important.

For a century, Branch 8 has been dedicated to honouring veterans, supporting their families and giving back to the community. This latest contribution carries that tradition forward, helping ensure veterans and all patients at Stratford General Hospital have access to the equipment and technology needed to support exceptional care close to home.

Congratulations to the members of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 on their centennial, and thank you for your continued generosity and commitment to local healthcare!

Optimism in Action 

October 16, 2026

When it comes to welcoming a new baby, comfort and choice matter. A recent $10,000 gift from the Optimist Club of Stratford is helping bring greater flexibility to pain management during labour and delivery at Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) – Stratford General Hospital.

The donation was celebrated at the Club's October meeting, where members welcomed representatives from the Stratford General Hospital Foundation, along with Lynanne Mason, Vice President, Partnerships, Transformation & Chief Nursing Executive at the HPHA. Lynanne spoke to members about how this investment will benefit both patients and the environment.

Commonly known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide offers a fast-acting pain management option during labour. While already available at Stratford General Hospital, the addition of portable units will give care teams greater flexibility to provide pain relief wherever it is needed within the Maternal Child Unit.

The new units will also help reduce the hospital's environmental footprint. By replacing an aging centralized system with portable equipment that delivers nitrous oxide directly where it is needed, the hospital can significantly reduce gas waste and greenhouse gas emissions associated with leaks in traditional piping systems.

With a need for four portable units, the Club’s contribution is helping bring the hospital closer to meeting this important equipment priority.

Since 2018, the Optimist Club of Stratford has contributed more than $80,000 toward medical equipment for the Maternal Child Unit, reflecting an ongoing commitment to supporting children and families in our community.

Thank you to the Optimist Club of Stratford and its members for their continued generosity and for helping make exceptional care possible, close to home.

A Little Bear, A Lot of Comfort

October 15, 2026

Sometimes, the smallest gestures can bring the greatest comfort.

For more than five years, Tradition Mutual Insurance Company has helped bring comfort to patients and families at the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance – Stratford General Hospital through its ongoing support of teddy bears. Their latest donation of$1,846.49 will help continue this thoughtful tradition.

These teddy bears find their way into the arms of patients and families in several meaningful ways.

Through the Foundation's Teddy Bears and Friends program, every $100 donated in support of the Special Care Nursery provides a teddy bear to a little one receiving care in the unit.

The bears also play a special role in the hospital's Infant Loss program. Some are transformed into weighted bears and given to families who have experienced the loss of a baby, offering something tangible to hold during an incredibly difficult time.

Others find their way to young patients visiting hospital clinics, including the Orthopedic Clinic, where a cuddly companion can provide reassurance during an unfamiliar or sometimes frightening experience, such as having a cast removed.

While each bear may have a different destination, they all share the same purpose: to offer a little extra care and comfort when it's needed most.

Thank you to Tradition Mutual for more than five years of thoughtful generosity and for helping make these small but meaningful moments of comfort possible for patients and families at the HPHA - Stratford General Hospital.

Turning a Milestone into Meaningful Support

September 23, 2026

D&S Downham Equipment marked an incredible 65 years in business by celebrating the people who have been part of their story and giving back to the communities that have supported them along the way.

Through ticket sales, auction bids and donations at their 65th Anniversary Party, D&S Downham Equipment & Karcher Professional Wash Systems raised funds in support of local healthcare. From the proceeds, $9,000 has been donated to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation's Greatest Needs Fund, with an additional $9,000 being donated to Woodstock Hospital Foundation.

The anniversary celebration brought together former and current staff, customers and friends to recognize D&S Downham Equipment's history and, most importantly, the customers whose support has helped the business reach this milestone.

At Stratford General Hospital, the Greatest Needs Fund gives the Foundation the flexibility to respond to priority medical equipment and technology needs identified by the hospital. This year's needs include equipment supporting departments throughout the hospital, from a System 9 which is an advanced, cordless aseptic power tool platform designed for a wide range of orthopedic, trauma, and sports medicine surgical procedures to defibrillators used for cardiac resuscitation.

By turning their anniversary celebration into an opportunity to give back, D&S Downham Equipment and everyone who took part are helping ensure our hospital teams have access to the tools they need to provide exceptional care close to home.

Congratulations to D&S Downham Equipment on 65 years, and thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket, placed an auction bid or made a donation to help make this generous gift possible.

A Place at the Table for Local Healthcare

September 22, 2026

A community production at Shakespeare Presbyterian Church has turned an evening at the theatre into meaningful support for local healthcare.

Through proceeds from its production of The Table: Bread. Wine. Betrayal., Shakespeare Presbyterian Church has donated $4,200.80 to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation’s Greatest Needs Fund.

Written and directed by Rev. Gail Fricker, The Table explored the stories surrounding the final days of Jesus through themes of faith, friendship and betrayal. The production grew from an idea shared by Richard and Jean Smelski and quickly became a true community effort, bringing together members of Shakespeare Presbyterian Church, neighbouring churches and the wider community. Performances were held March 27 and 28, 2026 with all seats spoken for weeks in advance.

Behind the scenes, members of the congregation contributed their time and talents in countless ways, from building the stage and providing props to performing, rehearsing and helping bring the production to life.

That spirit of community has now extended beyond the stage.

Thank you to Shakespeare Presbyterian Church, everyone involved in The Table, and all those who attended and supported the production. Your creativity, generosity and community spirit are helping ensure our hospital teams have the equipment they need to provide exceptional care close to home.

A Breath of Comfort for Labour and Delivery

September 8, 2026

Lange Bros. Tree Service has made a generous $12,500 pledge to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation to help bring a new Portable Nitrous Oxide Unit to the Maternal Child Unit at the HPHA – Stratford General Hospital.

The pledge is being supported through proceeds from the company’s annual summer BBQ, a tradition that brings together employees, family, friends and community members in support of local healthcare.

To date, $6,025 has been received toward their commitment.

Commonly known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide provides a safe, fast-acting pain management option during labour. Self-administered as needed, it offers patients greater comfort while allowing them to remain alert, mobile and in control throughout their experience. For many, it can provide a reassuring alternative or complement to other pain management options.

The portability of the new unit will also make an important difference. Rather than being limited to a specific room, it can be moved wherever it is needed within the Maternal Child Unit, giving nurses, physicians and midwives greater flexibility to provide personalized care at the bedside.

Through their annual BBQ and generous pledge, Lange Bros. Tree Service is helping ensure families have access to comfort, dignity and choice during some of life’s most meaningful moments.

The Stratford General Hospital Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to Lange Bros. Tree Service and everyone who has supported their annual BBQ. Their generosity will help equip the Maternal Child Unit with another important tool to support patient-centred care close to home.

Helping Brighten Hospital Stays for Young Patients

July 22, 2026

Thanks to the generosity of MD Financial Management, Scotiabank, their team members and community supporters, children receiving care at the HPHA – Stratford General Hospital will have access to more toys, games and creative activities during their hospital stay.

Throughout the month of June, MD Financial Management and Scotiabank invited staff, clients and community members to donate new toys and arts and crafts supplies in support of children receiving care at local hospitals. Together, the initiative collected more than 1,200 items across the region, including more than 200 for our Maternal Child Unit.

The donations include colouring books, crayons, markers, craft kits and a variety of toys that will be shared with children receiving care throughout the year. These thoughtful gifts provide opportunities for play, creativity and distraction throughout a child's hospital stay. For children who are feeling better but not yet ready to go home, they can also help pass the time and ease boredom as they continue to recover.

The Stratford General Hospital Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to MD Financial Management and Scotiabank for leading this meaningful initiative, and to the staff, clients and community members whose donations made it possible. Their kindness will help create brighter moments for children and families throughout the year.

A Personal Experience Inspires a Practical Gift

July 21, 2026

A late-night visit to the HPHA – Stratford General Hospital Emergency Department inspired Michael Welsh to help improve care for future patients.

Last year, after losing his wife, June, to pancreatic cancer, Michael put on a ring he had given her fifty years earlier. Not long afterward, the ring became so tightly lodged on his finger that it could not be removed. Despite numerous attempts to remove it at home, he turned to the hospital for help.

A dedicated nurse spent more than two hours carefully removing the ring, ensuring Michael suffered no injury in the process. He remains grateful for the skill, patience and compassion shown throughout his care.

Months later, Michael read a Globe and Mail article about the Canadian-made Ring Rescue device, designed to safely remove rings quickly and with less discomfort for patients. The story immediately brought him back to his own experience.

Inspired to help, Michael made a gift to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation to purchase a Ring Rescue device.

Today, this specialized equipment is available in the Emergency Department, helping care teams safely remove rings more quickly and comfortably while improving the patient experience.

Through his thoughtful gift, Michael has transformed a difficult personal experience into an opportunity to benefit patients and care teams for years to come.