Ajax Mayor's Gala will be trippy this year

Thestar.com
June 24, 2021

The 2021 version of the Ajax Mayor's Gala is going on a road trip. The Ajax Road Trip is Tuesday, June 29, starting at 7 p.m. Due to the pandemic, the event is being held virtually for the second straight year.

The Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation is the charity of choice for this year's gala. Other charities that will receive funding include Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Durham and Northumberland, Durham Children's Aid Foundation, Durham Youth Services Joanne's House, Luke's Place, the Royal Canadian Legion Ajax Branch 322 and the Salvation Army.

Since the inaugural gala in 2019, $250,000 has been raised for charities in the town and Durham Region, including $125,000 last year, organizing committee co-chair Rose Collier said.

One area the organizing committee is eager to participate in is a garden project at the hospital

"The garden will support patients and staff at the hospital. It also has an aspect of food security to it. It was going to be open to the community. And, it was going to be home to an Indigenous healing space," Collier said.

"We just felt that this entire project spoke to so many elements that the gala wanted to address and support in the community that we decided to put our name attached to it and we are hoping to fund the project completely," she added.

The town had been working with the hospital on a garden project.

Collier noted the virtual road trip has specific destinations and there will also be historical footage shown.

One aim of the event is to showing the diversity and culture in the community, Collier said.

In a statement, hospital foundation CEO Tracy Paterson said, “The Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation is thrilled to receive this honour, acknowledging the important work of the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation to support Lakeridge Health’s mandate to improve the health and wellness of the Ajax community, particularly among vulnerable and underserved populations that need us the most.”

For more information, or to view the gala, visit ajaxmayorsgala.com.