WINNIPEG, MB. – “Manitoba’s Baby Boomers are all entering their senior years, and the demands they place on the healthcare system are rising steadily. As their needs grow, so do ours. Deer Lodge Centre can rise to the challenge only if we act now,” says Gordon Fardoe, the Deer Lodge Centre Foundation’s executive director. His comments were made in relation to the Deer Lodge Lottery Calendar fund raiser that has been launched in time for Christmas.

“We’re giving away $15,975 total in cash prizes in 2018, including two big $1,500 prizes on Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. There will be a draw for $25 each day, Monday through Saturday, and a $100 Weekly prizes every Sunday. Only 2,500 calendars are being printed.”

Funds raised by the lottery calendar will help purchase state-of-the-art equipment and enhance facilities. The money will also support innovative research, educational and training programs that help keep Deer Lodge at the forefront of geriatric care.

Apart from a nice windfall, winning offers another benefit: proceeds from the sale of each calendar, which costs $20, go straight to supporting Deer Lodge patients and residents.

“You are enhancing quality of life — tangibly improving those days, weeks and months — for the thousands of Manitobans who require our services each year,” explains Fardoe.

The need, he adds, is urgent.

Adds Fardoe, “It will strengthen our ability to provide the highest quality of life for you and your family when you need us most.”

If those aren’t enough reasons to purchase a calendar, this year’s edition features the spectacular photography of Bryan Scott, which captures the timeless moods of Winnipeg through the changing seasons. Scott has been shooting Winnipeg’s buildings and streets for over a decade. His work can be seen at Winnipeglovehate.com, as well as in his book Stuck in the Middle: Dissenting Views of Winnipeg, a collaboration with journalist Bartley Kives.

“We’ve created a real work of art this year,” says Fardoe, who says the calendar would make the perfect gift or stocking-stuffer.

Fardoe has worked at Deer Lodge Centre Foundation for 12 years – a fraction of Deer Lodge Centre’s 101-year history, but more than enough time to see first-hand the enormous impact the generosity of Winnipeggers has on the people who call Deer Lodge Centre home.

“These people are happy and thriving, in part because they are more than just patients or residents. They are family. Everyone here – from our staff to our patients to our residents – truly knows and cares about one another. I’ve seen nothing like it anywhere else. Family is what makes Deer Lodge Centre such a special place – which is why it’s so important that we do what we can to strengthen it for the next 100 years.”

To purchase your Deer Lodge Centre Foundation lottery calendar, call 204-831-2113 or visit deerlodgefoundation.ca for details.