Save the date for the Take a Ride for MacKids charity event coming on June 18!
By Lucas on May 18, 2016
The Take a Ride for MacKids charity event, hosted by Reid’s Heritage Homes, is taking place on Saturday, June 18, 2016 from 10 am to 3 pm at Reid’s Heritage Homes’ head office in Cambridge.
The event will feature heavy trucks and construction equipment to which you will have access, carnival midway rides, face painting, delicious treats from local food trucks, a magic show by magician Bob Cates, and much more! There will also be a silent auction with plenty of attractive items to bid on!
The event is an effort to raise funds to build a new, much-needed Children’s Nephrology (kidneys and dialysis) Clinic for children in the community. All the proceeds are going towards the Caring for Little Kidneys Campaign, spearheaded by Tim Blevins, President of Reid’s Heritage Homes, and his wife Charlotte. The new Nephrology Clinic will cost approximately $650,000 to build, so donations of any size are welcome and appreciated.
When the Blevins’ daughter, Kayla, was nine years old, she suffered from a serious E. coli infection that led to kidney failure. Her life was saved at the McMaster Children’s Hospital. This hospital is the only place in the region that can offer pediatric dialysis services, and the Blevins are aware that more space and equipment are needed to treat many other children in the area that are suffering from kidney related issues.
Via the Caring for Little Kidneys Facebook page
The Nephrology Clinic will serve as a new stand-alone, high quality, modern facility located within the McMaster Children’s Hospital. Using state-of-the-art medical equipment and amenities, the nephrology team will provide life-saving care to children who are born with kidney disease or develop acute kidney issues. The clinic will also feature the latest technology in electronics for education and entertainment for children to use while undergoing treatment.
The existing pediatric dialysis room has been made as functional as possible, but the reality still remains that it is simply a former patient room that has been converted to house two dialysis machines. It does not provide the space, amenities and positive environment so essential to the many children who require this specialized treatment.
In Kayla Blevins’ case, because of her E-Coli, she needed to be in isolation. This meant that while Kayla was being dialyzed, no other patient could be in the room with her. So the one and only other machine was unavailable to be used.
“Children are not small adults” and this new state-of-the-art clinic takes into consideration the social and emotional needs of the children and their families who will use it. It will be a cheerful and reassuring environment for these critically sick children and their concerned families. It will offer comfort and dignity to patients who undergo treatment for hours at a time, several times a week, often for years.
Whether you have kids or are a kid at heart, this event will be fun filled with lots of action. It’s also the perfect way to spend a Saturday right before Father’s Day.
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2016
Time: 10 am to 3 pm
Location: Reid’s Heritage Homes Head Office, 6783 Wellington Road 34, Cambridge, ON
Info: http://www.reidsheritagehomes.com/events or RSVP on the Facebook event page
Admission: $20 per person (free for children under 5).
Tickets can be purchased from the Reid’s Heritage Homes head office at 6783 Wellington Road 34 R.R. #22 in Cambridge, or at the Hy-Mark Head office at 5068 Whitelaw Road, Unit #4, RR6 in Guelph. Tickets will also be available at the door.
If you can’t make it to the event but would still like to donate to the Caring for Little Kidneys Campaign, you can do so here.
