By Sue Tiffin

Published Sept. 3 2019

Tobey Champ was the winner of a much-coveted hockey jersey autographed by Matt Duchene when her raffle ticket was drawn after the Haliburton Powerboat Races by Alan Gordon owner of RPM the main sponsor of the races.
But the Haliburton Hospital Auxiliary was also celebrating when just more than $7000 was raised at the fifth anniversary of the event held on Head Lake on the weekend of Aug. 17 to 18 this year.

Judy Skinner former president of the auxiliary and volunteer said the participants who come from throughout the U.S. and Canada to take part or watch were “absolutely incredible.”
“They give from the heart the most generous people” she said. “They love the hospital they love the community and so many of them commented on the wonderful warm welcome they received from all the shopkeepers and the restaurateurs and they said the whole town just welcomed them so warmly. This is their favourite location for races. I think that’s … what a wonderful tribute that is to Haliburton.”

Skinner said the funds raised through the event which included the raffle and a 50/50 draw in which the winners donated their prize back to the auxiliary in celebration of their 40th wedding anniversary will go toward the auxiliary’s project of replacing hospital beds. Each bed costs almost $12000.
“This is all about cottage country this is what we all grew up with is these little speed boats” said Gordon. “Mind you these are a little bit different than the ones we grew up with but I think it is really representative of Haliburton County. There’s so many lakes and so many cottages. I just think this is a terrific thing to have up here.”

Both Gordon and Skinner credited event organizer Barb Hammond for her work in organizing the event over the past five years.