Taste of Guelph to raise money to help hospital staff and patients

The initiative is looking to raise money to buy a new fleet of medication carts to help patients facing significant health challenges. Taste of Guelph generated $250,000 in 2023.

The Taste of Guelph returns this fall.

The 27th annual event is in support of St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation, where money is needed to purchase a new fleet of medication carts.

Katie Burnett, communications officer for the foundation, said the medication carts help patients with cancer and ALS, among other health challenges.

“This will help our team to precisely, accurately and quickly be able to give out medications to these patients and residents,” Burnett said.

She said a patient in the hospital’s complex care unit takes about an average of 30 medications per day, so the carts are a really important piece of equipment for teams to use.

Burnett said the government funding the hospital receives doesn’t cover the patient care equipment. This year, the foundation did not announce a fundraising goal, although the initiative in 2023 generated $250,000, the highest amount in the event’s history.

The garden party fundraiser is returning with an array of foods and live entertainment as attendees enjoy the grounds of the health centre.

She said there will be more than 50 chefs from around the city, as well as bakeries and food trucks as people try unlimited samples of exquisite food and drinks. In addition, there will be a lively auction and the ever-popular Prohibition Pantry.