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Vol. 21, No. 25, Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Lamont Hospital Auxiliary hopes to grow with new facility BY JOHN MATHER The Lamont Hospital Auxiliary is seeking a few good men (and women). And if they are a younger age that would be an asset. The Hospital Auxiliary has been in existence for more than a 100 years and for the first 50 years of its existence it was known as the Lamont Hospital Ladies Auxiliary. The function of the auxiliary was to raise funds and provide support for the patients at the hospital, Beaverhill Pioneer Lodge, and other facilities in the community. Last fall, two new members were elected as the president and the treasurer of the organization and they have embarked on a path to rebuild and strengthen the organization. Gail Hutchings is the new president and Susan Harrison is the new secretary. “In the old times it was called the Ladies Auxiliary but that term no longer exists,” said Hutchings, March 13 during the annual St. Patrick’s Day tea at Beaverhill Pioneer Lodge. “We’re very lucky we have a hospital here in Lamont.” In the very official vernacular the proper name is the Auxiliary to the Lamont Health Care Centre, Harrison adds. “We’ve always offered supplements to what goes on in the hospital. We offer programs for the outpatients, in patients, buy toys for young patients in paediatrics,” adds Hutchings. “Some auxiliaries have raised money for buses and other major projects. We want to get people more involved and we’d love to have more men involved,” said Hutchings. “Every month the group has a monthly meeting and some change is collected," adds Harrison. From that, funds for flowers or cards for special occasions can be purchased. Hutchings, whose background was in
nursing before her retirement, said she had been on other auxiliaries where there were men involved in the operations. She had been working at both Edmonton and the Hinton hospital before her retirement.
Lamont Hospital Auxiliary president elect Gail Hutchings calls out the name of a lucky draw winner during the March 13 St. Patrick’s Day tea at Beaverhill Pioneer Lodge. “My husband's mom was born in the Lamont Hospital and when we were looking for a new community to settle in we decided Lamont was the place for us.” “The current auxiliary has about 21 active members. At Christmas time they host a bake sale. One of their members makes catheter bags which help preserve the dignity for some of the residents, and they are very popular. The auxiliary is also involved in working with the Lamont Light Up committee when it comes to turning on the town wide display of Christmas lights every year. “My grandkids are excited because they can come out and ride on a wagon and have a ride on the fire truck as it circles the town,” said Hutchings. Harrison agrees stating that having the young kids involved helps promote volunteerism in the community. “Volunteerism has gone way down in recent years because people have
other interests,” she states. “But if you bring the children in they learn that it's for the community and further exposure for the auxiliary lets people see what we're about because we will have to do much more fundraising in the future especially with the new lodge coming on stream.” They haven’t started any new planning for the lodge yet, because the St. Patrick’s Day tea represented the first official function for the [air since being elected to their positions on the board. “We’re brand new but we’re looking.” For Harrison this is a new experience because it is her first time volunteering with a volunteer organization. The pair say a blood donor clinic has been suggested as a possible event. Hutchings adds living in a rural community there is more opportunity for men to get involved as they take breaks from their farming responsibilities. The pair came in contact with the auxiliary in very unusual ways. For Harrison it was walking her dog, where she met an auxiliary member who is a compulsive walker in Lamont. “She likes dogs and I got to know her and she liked my dog,” said Harrison. “She eventually asked if I’d like to volunteer.” Harrison and her family had moved to Lamont in 2013 from Edmonton. At first, she said, she was making regular trips into Edmonton but now she says it is rare she drives into the city. She has become totally adjusted to the rural living offered by the community. For Hutchings, she and her husband are motorcycle riders and when they retired they didn’t want to live in the city. As a quilter, she met the people at the local quilt shop who told her about the auxiliary which was exactly the type of volunteer activity she was look-
ing for. The two admit to loving the Lamont area. “It’s everything we were looking for,” said Hutchings. “Everyone is so friendly.” Hutchings said all the events put on by the auxiliary are geared for the full community. “We put posters up around the community to invite everyone,” she said. They also open the canteen weekly so residents can purchase chips and snacks and the public can come in and visit during these hours. “If there’s something special a resident wants,” adds Harrison. “We put it on a list and we endeavour to get it for them.” The canteen operation helps raise funds for the auxiliary. “We really want to see the auxiliary grow,” said Hutchings. “With healthcare budgets so tight this is more important than ever.” She adds the Lamont community is very supportive and points out that the Lamont Hospital is the only hospital in Canada operated under the auspices of the United Church of Canada. “We’ll work on some ideas,” she added. “We want to feel them out for some ideas. But the members of the auxiliary are such a wealth of knowledge for us.” Harrison agrees saying the members are her mentors as she gets accustomed to her duties. “The current members are very dedicated to what they are doing.” The pair will be attending an auxiliary conference in Two Hills later this spring and it’s there they hope to get more ideas on how the auxiliaries operated. After that they will meet with hospital staff and discuss ways to implement some of their ideas to benefit not only the hospital and lodge but the community as a whole.