Ostomy Halifax Celebrates 50 Years of Celebrating Life to the Fullest!
Written by Niki Power
On a lovely Sunday in June at the picturesque Ashburn golf course, nearly 80 members and friends of the Ostomy Halifax Society gathered for a very special celebration. Just what were we celebrating? Mike Veres said it best on the cover of the beautiful brochure he created:
A celebration of 50 years remembering our past achievements and those who led the way. Most of all, a simple story based on ostomates helping ostomates by sharing knowledge, offering friendship and a ‘Yes We Can’ outlook.
Catching Up & Special Guest!
The event began with a meet and greet which for many was the first chance to connect with other OHS members in person since prior to the 2020 pandemic. The room quickly filled with the joyful noise of chatter and laughter and expres- sions of greeting between friends who had been apart for far too long.
As folks settled into their seats, past President Bill Power and his trusty sidekick made their way through the room selling 50/50 tickets...a true bargain at just $20 for a very lengthy arms length!
The formal program began with President Stephen Likely welcoming everyone and greetings from Ann Durkee-MacIsaac, Chair of Ostomy Canada. This was followed by a fascinating presentation on the latest advances in robotic surgery taking place right here in Halifax by Dr. Ross Mason, Urologic Oncologist. Dr. Mason spoke about how robotic surgery has improved the outcomes for urology cancer patients and expressed that with these advances, the future looks bright for many other types of surgeries, bowel and bladder included.
A Toast to 50 Years, Door Prizes & Awards!
Next on the agenda was a celebratory toast to 50 years of ostomates living life to the fullest, followed by a delicious meal, and we can’t forget the door prize draws! The newly formed Social Media and Communications Committee arranged for plush or gans (yes, you read that correctly) to be offered up as door prizes. Anyone who needed a colon, rectum or bladder and was fortunate enough to have their name drawn was in luck!
Then it was time for Awards. Stephen presented Presi- dent’s Awards to the very deserving members of the Social Media and Communications Committee led by Bill Power as well as to Elaine Jeffery, Theresa Mason and Irene Stagg for their unwavering dedication and support of many and varied Ostomy Halifax activities. And finally, Cathy Kilcup made a beautifully heartwarming presentation to the shocked but delighted newest recipient of the Burleigh Wile Award, Niki Power (yours truly). I was and will remain humbled and honoured by this recognition and am in awe of the company I keep as the recipient of this award.
But wait, there’s more! Perhaps the highlight of the day’s events was the awarding of the prize from the 50/50 raffle to (drumroll please) Irene Stagg and Donna Christopher! The squeals of delight from our winners (not to mention their happy dance) were indeed a sight and sound to behold. Many thanks to our generous members for purchasing tickets to the tune of $700!
Thank you for Joining Us!
A heartfelt thanks goes out to the organizing committee led by Elaine Jeffery and Mike Veres and to everyone who joined in the celebration. What a perfect testament to how ostomates are, and have always been, some of the most resilient, gracious, sociable, life-loving people you will ever have the good fortune to meet.
