A partnership between Bobby’s Hospice and a west Saint John redemption centre continues to be a huge success.
The Golden Mile Redemption Centre presented a cheque for $48,530.35 to Bobby’s Hospice on Wednesday.
“It’s an incredible donation that spans really the entirety of the city,” said Brad Adams, executive director of Bobby’s Hospice.
“It takes participants from across our community to bring forward their refundables and really drive the revenue of this program.”
Golden Mile Redemption has three bins set up throughout the Saint John region: one at its Linton Road location, another at the Grand Bay-Westfield Redemption Centre, and one at Kennebecasis Park in Rothesay.
The money collected from recyclables dropped off at the three bins, which are donated by Fero, goes directly to Bobby’s Hospice.
Officials say between 800,000 and one million bottles and cans make up this year’s donation.
“People can come at midnight, they can come at 1 a.m., whatever works best for them, they can come drop off those cans and bottles and we’ll get them counted,” said Mike Hamilton, owner/operator of the Golden Mile Redemption Centre.
The partnership started before Adams and Hamilton took on their respective roles but has only continued to grow.
The two had set a target of collecting between $30,000 and $40,000 this year, but the community stepped up even more than expected.
Adams said the contribution is huge for Bobby’s Hospice, which relies heavily on donations and partnerships to keep its doors open.
“It helps pay our utilities, feed our patients by doing our grocery runs, ensuring that our quality of care remains top-level for all of our patients and families,” he said.
Bobby’s Hospice has an annual operating budget of around $2.5 million, said Adams. The organization received $800,000 from the provincial government, which primarily goes toward staffing.
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