Freemasons donate $2,000 towards hospital fund

By Bill Kilpatrick

Members of the Masonic Lodge number 482 who hold a Friday morning coffee club have donated $2,000 to the North Hastings Hospital Fund Development Committee. According to Lodge member Barry Brenham, the Friday morning coffee club, which has been running for over 20 years, donates money once a year to a local community group and this year they decided to donate to the Fund Development Committee.

All the money has been donated throughout the year at the Friday coffee club which is held every Friday at the Lodge beginning at 10 a.m. While all the members who host the club are lodge members they wanted to make it clear that the funds are coming from the coffee club and not the Lodge itself. Over the years the coffee club has made donations to Maggie's Resource Centre, Bancroft and Area Kids in Need, among many other local organizations.

According to the chair of the Fund Development Committee, Kim Bishop, the money will be going towards the purchase of a new x-ray machine and the subsequent renovations to install the new machine. The Fund Development committee is looking to raise $1.25 million for the installation of the new equipment.