From left to right, Children’s Treatment Centre president Don Fairweather accepting a $10,000 donation for the second year in a row from Darlene and Bill McGimpsey, owner and operator of Co-Operators Insurance Inc on Tuesday November 30, 2021 in Cornwall, Ont. Shawna O’Neill/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network PHOTO BY SHAWNA O’NEILL /Shawna O’Neill/Standard-Freeholder

Bill McGimpsey, owner and agent at the Co-Operators Insurance Inc. in Cornwall, along with his wife Darlene, have donated $10,000 to the Children’s Treatment Centre (CTC) for a second year in a row.

“The donation is a result of Darlene and I, my office, and also the Co-Operators Advisor Community Fund,” said Bill. “The Children’s Treatment Centre is one of those organizations you wish you didn’t have to have but we are lucky that they are here. We just know that helping these children is helping the foundation of our community. It’s true: if you can get the (CTC clients) off to a good start after some bad things have happened to them, it can help them for the rest of their lives. So we believe in it.”

The McGimpseys have been involved in CTC events and fundraising for about five years now. They really admire the organization and believe it is an asset to our community. While their efforts were different in previous years, including smaller donations and attending CTC events, they saw the need to assist in a greater capacity due to pandemic related challenges.

“Of course with our organization, being like all others in the second year of COVID-19, many of our annual fundraising events continue to be on hold or not executed. So, having a generous gift like this really helps us bridge the gap,” said CTC president Dan Fairweather. “We have been very blessed in the last two years that despite the cancellation of many of our fundraising events, people have continued to donate to the centre and our services continue to be offered.”

According to Fairweather, the CTC relies solely on local fundraising, and strives to raise about $600,000 a year to cover operating costs. Apart from a six-week period during the spring of 2020, the CTC has remained open to service the children of our community throughout the pandemic.

“It felt good last year to do it so we wanted to do it again, knowing the money is going to a good cause,” said Bill.

Bill and Darlene have been involved with local youth initiatives for years, having participated in church and sporting events when their own children were younger. They believe they are just a small organization trying to do their part to support local children. They have encouraged many friends to support the CTC too, and hope the organization’s regular events, like the Celebrity Walk and Breakfast, can return to their normal format next year.

“The CTC is widely known and appreciated in the community, throughout the year, including at Christmas time when people are thinking of others,” said Fairweather. “People have been very, very generous with the CTC and for that we are very grateful. What Bill and Darlene have done here, for the second year in a row, is a huge, huge help, particularly at this point in time.”

To learn more about the CTC and the programs they offer to children and adolescents who are victims of sexual or physical violence, visit www.childrenstreatmentcentre.ca