The Rotary Club of Wallaceburg is ending its 75 years in the community the way it has always operated -- with a gesture of goodwill.
With one final act of kindness, the group has donated $143,420.71 to help the Wallaceburg hospital buy a portable x-ray machine. The Wallaceburg Rotary Club disbanded at the end of 2020 due to declining membership and the donation was the last money from its trust fund -- raised through the sale of the Rotary Club Happy Craft Building in Wallaceburg
"Wallaceburg Rotarians have spent the last 75 years supporting patients when they needed it the most, and this recent donation is no different," said Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation's President and CEO Mary Lou Crowley. "Their generosity has helped to ensure the municipality has the highest quality health care possible."
President and CEO of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and fellow Rotarian in Chatham Lori Marshall said the current x-ray machine at the Wallaceburg hospital is outdated and a new one is very much needed.
"It is bittersweet to accept such a tremendous donation and, at the same time, to say goodbye to the Wallaceburg Rotary Club, which has been active in the community for so many years," said Marshall. "The group’s contributions have had a lasting impact on the entire Chatham-Kent community and they will be missed."
The portable x-ray machine will allow physicians to view scans immediately through a digital screen, rather than having to send the image to the Diagnostic Imaging department for processing. The portability of the unit will also allow it to be used on patients who are unable to go to the Diagnostic Imaging department due to an unstable condition or risk of an infection.
The generosity of the Wallaceburg Rotary Club over the years will certainly be missed in the future. The club has made several donations to many initiatives and campaigns at Chatham-Kent’s two hospitals, including the Physician Recruitment Campaign in the 1990s, the MRI Campaign in 2008, and the Diagnostic Imaging Fund for the Wallaceburg site in 2012.
"We wanted to end things on a high note," said Mike Zell, Chair of the Charitable Trust for the Rotary Club of Wallaceburg. "The Wallaceburg site of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is such an important part of our town and there was no better way to close out our 75th anniversary."
