Craig Gilbert | [email protected]
It will be a surprise to no-one who knows her that, cornered days after receiving a Mayor’s Recognition Award, Avice Heckley wanted to talk about very nearly nothing but the next Seton Healthcare Centre Ladies Auxiliary fundraiser.
It’s a cash-only shopping event called Boots, Booze & Bags (BBB) and runs from 7-9 p.m. on May 16 at the Legion.
Donations of new or gently used shoes, boots and bags can be dropped off at the Legion, the hospital or SnowDome on May 9 or 10, or you can email [email protected] to have them fetched.
Now.
Site and seniors manager for Seton, Lorna Chisholm has known Heckley for 20 years.
“I would describe her as gentle, kind, community-spirited and a true advocate for seniors in our community,” she said on Tuesday. “It absolutely is an impressive body of work. Rain or shine, winter or summer, these ladies are out at the farmer’s market, fall fairs, christmas fairs, selling the work they diligently produce throughout the year.”
In her letter to the nomination committee Chisholm noted Heckley, a member of the auxiliary since 1980-ish and the president for the last 12, has always had a common sense approach evidenced in particular by her hawkish stewardship of the “hard-earned funds” raised at those events, like BBB at the Legion on May 16. Drop-offs at the Leeg, Big H and the ‘Dome on the nine-10.
“There’s a lot of effort on their behalf to fundraise and she is very diligent that ensuring what they’re spending that money on is going to impact very positively the maximum number of people,” Chisholm said.
Heckley came to Jasper in 1959. She trained as a pediatric nurse in England and spent almost three years in bush hospitals across southeastern Australia right after school but did “all sorts of things” like working the desk at the Athabasca Hotel to stay in Jasper before joining Parks Canada in 1981. She worked in human resources until she retired in 1991.
“And I loved it,” she said. “I like people and I really enjoyed working for Parks.”
Like the rest of the dozen or so members of the auxiliary, she’s in her 80s. The group has dwindled to as few as six over the years but recently got an influx of new blood in the form of four new members in their 50s she calls “the kids.
“We meet once a month,” she said. “We’re still very busy with it. These days we’re really focused on the designated assisted living unit. We all go in and visit different people at different times and have done lots of other (coordinated) things. We tend to have afternoon tea with them every month.”
Heckley was more comfortable with the award bringing attention to the work of the auxiliary than featuring herself, but was “thrilled” at the reception at the activity centre. She’s been congratulated by friends a couple of times since.
Chisholm concurs with the diagnosis.
“She’s very modest and she’d be first to admit everything they do is a team effort,” she said. “It’s nice when someone with that demeanor is recognized. We’re thrilled for her and appreciative of the auxiliary as a whole. They’ve been consistently so generous in giving their time, which translates into us being able to give comfort measures and treats to residents and patients that are hugely appreciated also by the staff at the hospital.”
