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Greetings!
We're just a couple of sleeps away from Santa Claus coming to town, but Christmas came early for the Rouge Valley Health System Foundation. Both the Image is Everything and Buy a Bed campaigns of the Rouge Valley Health System Foundation have had great news in the past week. At Rouge Valley Centenary, special guest entertainers were a gift to visitors of the hospital as the sound of choirs, a steel drum band and even Santa and Mrs. Claus dropped by over the course of four days. Located in the lobby during the lunch hours, the festive entertainment was arranged by the volunteers of the Buy a Bed team. At Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering, the hospital celebrated an early present this week when MPP Joe Dickson came by to announce the exciting news that the Province has committed to provide annual operating funds for an MRI. Although  fundraising for the MRI machine is just past the halfway point of the $5 million goal, it is a great assurance to Image is Everything volunteers to know the cost of operating the machine is confirmed. Please enjoy reading about these news items and more holiday cheer in this final 2010 edition of Community Giving. The next edition will arrive in your e-mail on Jan. 14 with our first edition of 2011. Until then, all of the staff of the RVHS Foundation would like to wish a safe and happy holiday to all of our donors, volunteers and community partners. Chad Hanna, RVHSF President and CEO
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H O S P I T A L S T O R I E S
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 Operating funds for Ajax MRI announced
Yesterday, the west Durham community received an early Christmas gift when the province announced new operational funding for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering. The annual funding means that we are one step closer to having the first in-hospital MRI machine in Ajax. This operational funding is separate from the cost of the actual machine. The RVHS Foundation's Image Is Everything campaign is in full swing to raise funds to purchase it. The announcement was made at RVAP on Tuesday by Ajax-Pickering MPP Joe Dickson. RVHS Board vice-chair Joan Wideman and Sonia Peczeniuk, vice president, medical affairs, clinical support and surgical services, hosted the event thanking Joe Dickson, the Central East Local Health Integration Network (CE LHIN), and the Ministry of Health. Click here to read the release from the office of MPP Joe Dickson: http://www.rougevalley.ca/mri_joe_dickson_release_dec_21_2010.pdf/ Click on the following links to view photos from the event: * http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvhsf/sets/72157625521875979/ * http://www.flickr.com/photos/rougevalley/sets/72157625526949799/
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| D O N O R S T O R I E S |
 Race for an MRI is heating up thanks to Ajax Downs, QROOI gifts
For Lynda Picov, the need for an MRI machine close to home is one she understands personally. Having travelled to Buffalo once for a necessary test herself, she knows how long wait times are in the province and what that can do to a patient looking for results. So, both she and her husband Norm were very happy to get involved and make a major gift to the Image is Everything campaign in support of bringing an MRI machine to Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital. On Dec. 8, the couple brought a cheque for $100,000 for the campaign, the largest donation to-date in the campaign so far. "It has never been a question of whether or not to support this," she says. "We have two sons that live in the area with young families and they may need this someday." Approached earlier this year about the campaign, they turned to the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario, Inc. (QROOI) to help them support the campaign and that lead to the very successful Free Family Day at the Races, held in August. As a result of that event, joining the Picovs on Dec. 8 to make a donation as well was Bob Broadstock, President of QROOI, who presented an amazing cheque for more than $20,000 in addition to the Picovs' gift. To read more about the donations, check out the Ajax News Advertiser report online at http://newsdurhamregion.com/article/168153 and the Foundation blog here: http://foundationchat.blogspot.com/2010/12/ajax-downs-own-picov-family-along-with.html
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RBC grant support children's mental health programs at Shoniker Clinic
RBC has made Rouge Valley Health System one of 78 organizations across the country to receive an RBC Children's Mental Health Project Grant. In a special presentation on Dec. 13 RVHS's Shoniker Clinic received $42,200 to provide funding for its Children and Adolescent Mental Health program.  | | Jim Boyko of the RVHS Foundation, thanks Angela White and Mark Beckles, centre, of RBC. |
"It is unacceptable that many Canadian children who need mental health services never receive them," said Mark Beckles, regional vice president, RBC Royal Bank. "We are proud to support the work of Rouge Valley Health System. By creating and providing parents and health care professionals with access to a network of trusted sources, we are determined to help reduce the stigma of mental illness." The Shoniker Clinic will be using this generous donation to facilitate a series of workshops aimed at providing parents, educators and other community members with vital information on a variety of children's mental health topics. Mr. Beckles introduced Angela White and recognized her as "the champion for the fundraising" and thanked her and all the RBC staff who supported the effort. To read more about the donation and how it will help the Shoniker Clinic, visit the Foundation Blog here: http://foundationchat.blogspot.com/2010/12/rbc-supports-rvhs-childrens-mental.html. To see more images, visit our Flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvhsf/sets/
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| V O L U N T E E R S T O R I E S | |
Exy the Elf brings Christmas cheer to parents and babies at RVAP
Tomorrow night, as St. Nick makes his journey around the world to bring gifts to children, one of Santa's favourite elves will be working on his behalf to take care of any newborns spending Christmas Eve at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital.  | | Exy the Elf, as she appeared in 1993! She says the skirt has changed to black pants, but she still looks every bit like an elf. |
Exy the Elf is returning to make her rounds once again, for an incredible 27th consecutive year. A longtime volunteer for the hospital Auxiliary, Exy explains it all started with red booties she brought to the nursery which were a big hit with the new parents way back in 1984.
It was the start of an Auxiliary tradition called 'The Christmas Babies Project', something she looks forward to and prepares for extensively every year.
"I want to keep doing it as long as I can," she says. "I don't do it for the recognition, I do it for the smile on the father, and the smile on the mother." She'll be joined by fellow auxiliary member Judy Fowler this year in handing out the gifts. The babies, depending on how many are in the hospital over Christmas Eve, receive either a sewn, knitted or crocheted item, that Exy makes herself. Over the years she's changed from booties to nightgowns and in recent years brings receiving blankets, sleepers or even little toques.
"The feeling is so great, so fantastic," she says. "When I started this, I never thought it would be the feeling, the experience it's been."
And she always looks the part for her Christmas Eve task. "I always dress up as an elf in black pants, a white shirt, red toque and a vest. If it puts a smile on your face, I've done my job."
The RVHS Foundation would like to wish Exy the Elf a wonderful Christmas herself and congratulations for bringing so many smiles to the parents of newborns at Ajax and Pickering over the past three decades.
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 Toronto Community News has another Merry Beary Christmas
On Dec. 21, The Toronto Community News generously donated more than 55 teddy bears to RVC. The bears were given to the children in the Paediatrics, Emergency, NICU, and Birthing and Newborn departments bringing smiles and making the holiday season brighter for our youngest patients.
Advertisers that purchased advertising on designated days in December had a teddy bear donated in their name. TCN is comprised of Scarborough Mirror, North York Mirror, Etobicoke Guardian, York Guardian, Bloor West Villager, Parkdale Liberty Villager, City Centre Mirror, East York Mirror, and Beach Mirror. Thank you for your generosity from nursing staff in paediatrics and the emergency department,as well as the BNC and NICU. To see all of the pictures from the e TCN visit, go to the Foundation Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvhsf/sets/72157625534780531/
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Hansraj family continue tradition of giving at Rouge Valley Centenary
 | | The Hansraj family, Filomena and Bharat, with their children Nicholas, Deven, and Arjun Hansraj and one of the paediatric patients who received a game. |
The Hansraj family returned for what is now their annual visit to the Paediatric Department of Rouge Valley Centenary to bring donations of new board games and books to the children being cared for in the department during the holidays. Bharat and Filomena also brought news that their family has decided to commit to buying a bed for the Buy a Bed campaign
See all of the images from the visit at the Foundation Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvhsf/sets/72157625659379306/
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Pickering firefighters visit to bring holiday joy to children in hospital
 | Jim, a Pickering firefighter, presents a Barbie doll
to 4-year-old Cassandra to brighten her stay. |
Three members of the Pickering Professional Firefighters Assoc. visited the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital to bring some of the toys they collected in their drives in the past month. Jim, Bruce and Neil presented five different children between the paediatrics department and fracture clinic with toys to brighten their stay and left many other gifts for other kids who will be in hospital over the coming days.
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| P A T I E N T S T O R I E S |
 | | Jerry Jerome of Jerry Jerome and the Cardells plays with help from Dr. James Chiarotto, the oncologist who helped him recover from his battle with cancer earlier this year. |
Sound of music fills the lobby
of Rouge Valley Centenary
The sound of a steel drum band playing holiday tunes in the lobby of Rouge Valley Centenary was sweet music to the ears of Dr. James Chiarotto last week. More than you could suspect, actually.
The reason for the big smile he wore came from the fact the oncologist's former patient, Jerry, was leading the band and looking as healthy as ever, despite several months in hospital fighting cancer earlier this year.
"It's such a pleasure to see someone return to health and enjoying himself, doing what he loves to do," Dr. Chiarotto said. "It gives me chills to see this. We're all a part of this. The whole Rouge Valley team can take pride in that."
After visiting for a few minutes and playing along on one of Jerry's wooden instruments, Dr. Chiarotto was back to his duties, but Jerry's band played on. The lunch hour performance lasted nearly two hours and Jerry was all smiles performing for the hospital visitors who clearly appreciated the show as they came and went.
The show was a gift from the grateful former patient, he explains. "I was so pleased at what happened, I wanted to give back," Jerry explains. "A lot of people missed me, playing, teaching or making drums while I was gone."
Santa and music a gift from Centenary's Buy a Bed campaign
The fun and music at Rouge Valley Centenary also included a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus and the East York Concert Band on Tuesday, while on Thursday and Friday last week choirs from St. Lawrence Catholic School Choir and St. Victor's Catholic School Choir performed.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were popular guests and he heard about everyone's Christmas wish list while enjoying the comfort of one of the Buy a Bed campaign's official bed race beds.
The Toronto District Catholic School Board partnered with the Buy a Bed volunteers to bring the two large choirs in for the lunch hour lobby performances. Both choirs featured more than 50 students singing for the staff and visitors to the hospital for amazing performances that earned great reviews from the crowds they attracted.
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