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BLOOMFIELD – The heartwarming legacy of five sisters and a family in Bloomfield continues to benefit those who live in or visit Prince Edward County.

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The Stark Family Fund, administered through the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, has awarded the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) a grant of $ 50,000 which will be used to purchase an upgrade to the surveillance system. cardiac for use in both the wards and the inpatient unit of Quinte Health Care Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (QHC PECMH).

Without this upgrade to the new cardiac monitoring platform, the emergency department and inpatient unit hospital systems are at significant risk of complete failure of cardiac monitoring capabilities. If the system suddenly stopped working, the whole hospital would be affected. With this upgrade, patients receiving cardiac care at QHC PECMH are fully supported. This vital piece of equipment will be moved to the new hospital once it opens in 2027.

“The PECMHF and the campaign cabinet Back the Build are extremely grateful for the continued support we have received from the Stark Family Fund over the past 15 years. During this period, the foundation received eight grants totaling over $ 135,000 from the Stark Family Fund, ”said Shannon Coull, Executive Director of the PECMH Foundation. “The impact of the absence of this essential equipment means that our medical team will not be able to take care of patients with suspected or diagnosed heart disease, and all of these patients will have to travel to Belleville for treatment. “

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In 2002, the Stark Family Fund was established at the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area with a donation of $ 1.2 million from the last two surviving members of the Stark family: Ival and Ruth. The Stark family included five sisters: Leata, Keitha, Sylvia, Ival and Ruth; who were longtime residents of Bloomfield in Prince Edward County. Without any heirs, the family decided to establish a permanent endowment fund from the accumulated assets of the five sisters and their spouses, to provide for the needs of the local community. Through the Stark Family Fund, the family’s strong sense of civic responsibility will continue to support worthy projects and causes in their beloved community.

Tim and Linda Beatty and their sons, Kyle and Ryan, sit on the Grant Selection Committee to help oversee Stark Family Fund donations. Tim grew up living next to the Stark sisters. The whole family feels blessed to have known them and for their role in administering the grants each year.

To give back, the Beatty family, representing Beatty Seeds, County Farm Center and Greer’s Propane, also decided to support the Back the Build campaign for a new hospital in Prince Edward County with a donation of $ 50,000.

These gifts will be recognized in the new hospital with a room named in honor of the Stark sisters and a second room named in honor of the Beatty family.

“The Stark sisters were kind, calm and generous,” said Tim Beatty. “It was their wish to see the inhabitants of the County benefit from their heritage, especially in the fields of education, health and culture. They would be honored to know that the impact of their donations will benefit the patients of our current hospital as well as continue to provide care in the new hospital, once it opens. Through their hard work, savings and vision for the future, the Stark sisters have left an incredible legacy for our community. “

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“I want to thank the Stark family for their foresight in creating this community fund, which has contributed to such important causes in Prince Edward County. And I would like to thank the Beatty family – Tim, Linda, Kyle, Ryan and Jill – as well as the selection committee, for helping to build on the strengths and capacities of our community hospital and its mission to advance care. of health to all who live in or visit the county, ”said Nancy Parks, Back the Build Campaign Co-Chair. “Thanks to the generosity of the Stark Family Fund, the heart patient follow-up process will be even safer for our patients and thanks to the Beatty family, we are one step closer to realizing our dream of building a new hospital in the county.

“The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area is proud to be the steward of the Stark Family Fund for over 20 years. We are happy to know that their legacy helps community members who need access to hospital care. The whole community has benefited and will continue to benefit from the foresight and generosity that the Stark sisters have left with their funds, ”said Peter Finnegan, Director and Chairman of the Fundraising Committee of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area.

The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area strengthens community by connecting the generosity of donors with the energy and ideas of individuals and charities serving the needs of the local community. They have had a significant and lasting impact in the community since 1995. For more information on the Stark Family Fund and how to apply, visit https://www.cfka.org/the-stark-family-fund/.

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to raise funds to advance health care for hospital patients and the people of Prince Edward County.