The indomitable fundraiser for Ed’s House — Selena Forsyth — is back in the news
Article/image by Ted Amsden
A local fundraising hero, Selena has raised many thousands of dollars drinking and sliding.
In the first instance, imbibing scotch and wine, and in the second, riding wooden bannisters. Then “sharing” with the world her in-house adventures. All in the cause of raising funds for Community Care Northumberland’s Hospice.
Really hard fundraising work when you get right down to it. But rewarding. Many people have parted with their hard-earned cash because of her steadfast commitment.
If you are a bit mystified what I am talking about, then, in her own words, the tale of her fundraising prowess that always involves booze and banisters. And too, getting in shape in advance of the event she has been promoting for years, the annual Hike, Bike & Bark for Hospice.
“It has to do with the intimate details of my exercise regimen that gets me ready for the Community Care Northumberland annual Ed’s House fundraiser. The details have involved, among other things, sliding down bannisters and they span over many, many years …
I started the first year by briskly walking from the kitchen to the living room to watch the news with scotch in hand, then another brisk walk to get a glass of wine to go with dinner. Note that it was a brisk walk both ways. The next year I added another scotch and the year after that a second glass of wine making four brisk walks each way.
The following year I came up with what turned into the splinter fiasco. I bought a small fridge and put it upstairs in the bathroom. Put the wine inside the fridge and the scotch bottle on top of it along with glasses. This necessitated going up and down stairs four times. Going up with an empty glass was fine. It was the coming down that was the problem: most of the damned booze jumped out of the glass as I walked down the stairs. So. I decided to slide down the bannister. Some sage Irish person said: “As you slide down the bannister of life may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.”
You can guess what happened. I spent large sums of money having the bannister sanded and highly polished.”
“Regardless of how many Ks I do, it requires me to get in shape. So the climbing of the stairs to the fridge in the bathroom and the sliding down the bannister glass of wine in hand started some time ago. (I quit drinking scotch thinking it would cut down on the calories and switched to two glasses of white before dinner and two red with. Three ounces each instead of six. Still made for four trips up and down stairs.)
But I gotta tell you the giant upswing in the price of wine this year has……..not made a bit of difference to my consumption so no worries about that.”
Whatta gal, eh? Hard to match that kind of commitment. And at her age! No ageism here, I am just sayin’.
Looking at Hike, Bike & Bark for Hospice. You can do a 1K or 5K. You can walk it, bike it or swim it, and take your dog!
This year it’s a one day event on October 1, 2023, starting at 9am at Victoria Park in Cobourg in support of Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre Foundation.
Here’s the kicker: You go to this link https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E362347QE&id=4 and figure out how much you can possibly afford, add $10 and donate it to Selena’s campaign. You will not regret your generosity!
And if you would prefer to pay by cheque then please make it payable to Ed’s House Foundation and on the memo line write: Ed’s House Hike, Bike & Bark. Call Selena with details: 905-269-5017. She will be happy to pick it up or you can drop it off at a Community Care Northumberland office.
