Hospice Breakfast Hosts Largest Group In 22 Years

By Nancy K. Crevier

Nearly 600 people started off their day, Wednesday, June 15, in support of the 22nd Annual Newtown Chapter Regional Hospice Thank You Breakfast and Fundraiser, held at the Waterview in Monroe, just over the Newtown line.

According to Newtown chapter Co-chairs Marg Studley and Marie Sturdevant, and Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut Director Cynthia Roy-Squitieri, it was the largest crowd yet to the annual fundraiser.

“Isn’t it great?” exclaimed Ms Sturdevant as she bustled from table to table before the 8 am start of the breakfast, greeting old friends and welcoming newcomers seated at each of the 44 tables that filled the ballroom.

Table hosts, who sponsored tables at a cost of $100 per seven guests, were identified by the white Regional Hospice and Home Care aprons they donned to serve juice and coffee to their tablemates. Guests were encouraged to “tip” the server, by placing cash donations for Hospice into envelopes provided on each table.

Many of those present were there to honor the memory of friends or family who had benefited from the care of Regional Hospice, including Peg Ellis and Kathy Dillon, Hospice volunteers with the Brookfield chapter, who were happy to experience the Newtown breakfast fundraiser.

“We are the co-chairs of the Brookfield Hospice Shamrock Breakfast, held every year, around St Patrick’s Day,” said Ms Ellis. “It’s an honor to be doing what we do,” she said.

The Brookfield fundraiser originated under the organization of Ms Dillon’s mother, Arlene Coyle, who passed away one year ago. “In her lifetime,” said Ms Dillon, “she raised over half a million dollars for Hospice through the Shamrock breakfasts. We have big shoes to fill.”

Promptly at 8 am, in order that attendees could be on their ways to work by 9 am, the program began, with an invocation offered by the Reverend Matt Crebbin of Newtown Congregational Church. Rev Crebbin shared a story of religious leader Henri Nouwen’s, in which a trapeze artist describes the confidence needed between himself, a “flier,” and his catcher. The flier does nothing but launch himself, and hope that the catcher will be there, he told Mr Nouwen. “A flier must trust that the catcher will be there for him,” he was told. Dying was similar, Mr Nouwen thought, in that it is trusting in the catcher.

“God will be there when you make the long jump — trust, trust, trust,” he said.

“We are here to support a ministry of trust that helps families and individuals to reach out and trust,” said Rev Crebbin, and thanked all who provide the ministries and services to those “in the midst of life’s greatest transition. Help us to find ways to encourage and support the ministries of Hospice,” he urged, “and to know that God is there to catch us in this life and beyond.”

Ms Roy-Squitieri followed Rev Crebbin, speaking as diners enjoyed the elegant presentation of an omelet-like soufflé atop bacon and a waffle, accompanied by a fresh fruit medley. Thanking John Royce, owner of Waterview, who along with partner Thomas Montague had provided the breakfast feast at no cost, as well as the completely volunteer staff of Waterview, Ms Roy-Squitieri went on to note that this breakfast fundraiser has raised more than $300,000 for Hospice over the course of the past two decades. “Without your support and being present,” she told the crowd, “Hospice couldn’t do what we do.”

Paul Sirois, board of directors for Regional Hospice, addressed the crowd, as well, thanking all for their continued generosity. He also shared special news with those present. “I’m excited this morning to unveil an evolution in Hospice service,” he said of the future standalone residence hospice facility to be built in western Connecticut. The facility will serve those patients who can no longer be cared for in their homes, but wish to remain near friends and family. The 30,000-square-foot building will be only the second such facility in Connecticut.

The other residence hospice facility is in Branford, a distance too far for many who live in this part of the state, said Mr Sirois. “The funds raised from this breakfast will help make this a reality,” Mr Sirois added.

According to Ms Roy-Squitieri, the building will be erected in Danbury, and hopes are that the groundbreaking can take place the fall of 2012.

This year’s keynote speaker was Newtown resident, and former Newtown Chapter Regional Hospice Breakfast co-chairperson Marilyn Alexander, who dedicated her talk to the late B.J. Greer, with whom she co-chaired the first nine years of the event.

“B.J. dragged me to a start-up meeting of Hospice. We had no ideas what we were doing, just fundraising,” Ms Alexander said. Initially, they tried collecting foreign currency from travelers returning from vacations, and then they tried selling stationery. “Finally, we went to a breakfast fundraiser for another Hospice group, and decided we wanted to host one in Newtown,” Ms Alexander said. The first fundraiser, held at the Fireside Inn in Newtown, had 31 tables and raised $6,000 for Hospice, she said.

She had no idea at the time she became involved in raising money to support Hospice that one day she would be on the receiving end of the Hospice experience, she said. Sharing her story of her late husband Paul’s final two days, under Hospice care, four years ago, Ms Alexander said she truly came to see the “loving, caring, and totally understanding” care provided by the organization.

“That’s why we are all here, today,” Ms Alexander said. And reminding the group that many fundraisers are require a highly athletic output, she encouraged them to “dig deep in your pockets and support Hospice. And you don’t even have to break a sweat.”

The hourlong breakfast concluded with the awarding of raffle prizes, donated by several area merchants, and then breakfast diners were on their ways, hearts and appetites satisfied.