PETERBOROUGH, ON (Se[t. 4, 2024) – Five Counties Children’s Centre is asking area residents to share their memories and moments of the Centre in the leadup to its 50th anniversary in 2025.
The Centre, which supports kids and families with physical, communication and developmental needs in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton-Minden, first opened its doors in 1975. To mark its golden anniversary, a year-long celebration is being planned in 2025. Ahead of its 50th festivities, Five Counties is launching its ‘Gimme 5: Your Story is Our Story’ appeal to encourage current and former clients, families, staff, volunteers, board members, donors and community supporters to share any recollections they may of the Centre.
“Five Counties is made up of much more than bricks and mortar. The Centre was truly built on the magical memories and moments of the thousands of children and youth and their families we’ve been able to assist over the years,” says Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties. “The Five Counties story would be totally incomplete if we are unable to tell and share the many stories from members of our extended Five Counties family.”
Five Counties is reaching out to key individuals and groups who helped establish or had a long relationship with the Centre. In launching its Gimme 5: Your Story is Our Story appeal, the Centre also wants to seek out memories, mementos and artifacts from other people who may have a story to tell.
To make sharing easy, people can download and complete the Gimme 5 Story Package that includes several questions to help prompt discussion and sharing. Anyone who has a story or memento to share can email 50@fivecounties.on.ca or call 1-888-779-9916, ext. 200. With approval, some stories that are collected will be shared publicly by Five Counties during its 50th anniversary celebrations.
The origin of Five Counties dates back to 1970, when the Rotary Club of Peterborough was looking for a suitable initiative to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. Local Rotarians settled on the idea to establish a “children’s care centre” to provide care closer to home. According to a history of the local Rotary Club, this “centre was designed for the treatment, educational, social and physical needs of handicapped children within the ‘five counties’ region” – including Peterborough City-County, Northumberland County, City of Kawartha Lakes (then Victoria County), Haliburton County and North Hastings County.” This prevented the need for families to have to drive to Oshawa or Toronto for help.
In the early 1970s, Rotary clubs across the region got behind the centre idea, committing funds and convincing the Ontario Ministry of Health and what was then known as the Ontario Society for Crippled Children to support the initiative. In Fall 1975, Five Counties opened its doors to a new treatment centre on Dutton Road in Peterborough. Over the years, the Centre added sites in Lindsay, Minden/Haliburton, Campbellford and Cobourg, even as it continued to serve families across its entire region.
Category: General News