Stratford Rotary Club
MEDIA RELEASE
Official Opening of the Rotary Respite House
May 27, 2004 at 11 a.m.
at 35 McManus Road, Stratford
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A long-cherished dream will come true for the Rotary Club of Stratford and Family Services Perth/Huron with the official opening of the Rotary Respite House on May 27, 2004 at 11 a.m. The Opening Ceremony (Representatives from the media should take note of the following opportunities for interviews and photographs.) * Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Community and Social Services, will speak from 11:15 - 11: 25 a.m., followed by greetings from Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson, and Perth County Warden Ian Forrest. * The official ribbon cutting at 11:35 a.m. will be performed by the Minister, the Mayor and the Warden, along with John Wilkinson MPP; Al MacIntyre, Executive Director of Family Services; Tony Carter, President of the Rotary Club of Stratford; and Nick Aroutzidis, Past President. * From 11:40-11:50 a.m., there will be an opportunity for the Press to meet with the Minister. Following the ceremony, the Minister and official guests will join Rotarians at the regular luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Stratford, at which time Sandra Pupatello will address the Club. The Rotary Respite House, a residence for short-term visits by children with complex medical needs, is the most ambitious project in Rotary's 80-year history of supporting disabled children in the Stratford community. The Rotary Club purchased and renovated the House to accommodate children with disabilities; Family Services is responsible for operating and staffing the House, as well as working with the families. Located in a residential neighbourhood at 35 McManus Road, Stratford, the Rotary Respite House provides a comfortable "home-away-from-home" environment, where children can have fun as they enjoy books, crafts, and other activities. The House has been extensively renovated to accommodate up to three children with multiple disabilities at a time. The House will provide regular periods of relief for the families of approximately 144 children in Perth County with such disabilities as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Down's syndrome, autism, and developmental handicaps. These high-needs children require constant supervision and assistance, an unrelenting routine of exhausting and stressful tasks for their parents and even their siblings. Having the child stay, even for a weekend, at the Rotary Respite House gives these families opportunities for rest, relaxation, and renewal of their physical and emotional energies. Parents can be comfortable in the knowledge that their children will be cared for by qualified, experienced support workers while away from home. Alan MacIntyre, Executive Director of Family Services, is very pleased: "It's been a long but pleasant journey to this point. The opening is very important to me personally, and even more to the families of the children we serve. I deeply appreciate the partnership we have with Rotary. It's been a committed and caring effort for all involved." He has been hoping for a facility like this for almost 13 years. Since the operating license was acquired in January 2004, 26 children have already spent weekends at the House. Nancy Farr, a supervisor at Family Services Perth/Huron, said: "The response from children and parents has been better than expected. These families, at the brink of exhaustion from caring for high-needs children 24/7, didn't realize how tired they were. They have used their weekend breaks for trips out-of-town, time with siblings, and much-needed sleep." Families were amazed at how bright, open and homey the House is, she added. And best of all was the reaction of the children. "We had very few tears or problems, even though for most, this was their first overnight stay away from home." At present the House is open for children only every third weekend. Additional funding from the provincial government would enable more children to use the Rotary Respite House for more days, and more families to receive much-needed relief from the demands of 24/7 care-giving. Malcolm Gordon, Chair of the Rotary Respite committee, would like to see the House used every day. "We met a major goal in January when Al and his team got the license. That allowed them to test-drive the set-up of the House with children there. The official opening brings it into focus for us. The project will now take on a life of its own." For Nick Aroutzidis, past president of the Rotary Club (2002-3), and the driving force behind the extensive renovations required to modify the House, "It's a relief! I'm happy and excited and very proud. Everybody helped with this project which was completed in a relatively short period of time." As owner of N.A. Engineering Associates, and project manager for the Rotary Respite House, he was particularly impressed by the numerous donations- both financial and material - from local businesses and organizations that made the project possible. These donors are recognized on a large plaque ( designed by Rotarian Tony Carter) inside the House. The Rotary Clubs of Festival City, St. Marys, Mitchell, and Listowel, as well as the Interact Club of Stratford Central and Rotary International, also made significant contributions. Including funds from the Rotary Club of Stratford ( which also holds the mortgage), these Rotary organizations have donated $132 000. Although there was no formal fund-raising campaign, the Stratford community took the project to heart, contributing $118 000 to the Rotary Respite House. The purchase and renovation of the residence were the first two stages of the Rotary project. The third stage, under consideration for the future, is the addition of two more rooms, equipped with tracking and other necessities to accommodate children needing very specialized medical care. That would allow five children at a time to utilize the facility. The cost of that potential addition is approximately $250 000. -30- For further information, contact
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