Eager to support the community's most vulnerable members, a group of young professionals recently mobilized to raise funds in support of the Suroît Hospital Foundation's flagship mental health project, Suivi Adapté.

By organizing the Autumn Party, a fundraising event attended by over 447 people, they succeeded in donating over $30,500 to the Suroît Hospital Foundation.

Alexandre Deschamps, Dan Lajeunesse, Olivia Guilbault, Vincent Éthier, Daphnée Legault, Mélissa Dufour and Chloé Montpetit make up the Autumn Party organizing committee. This fund-raising event took place on October 8, bringing together 447 people in a barn decorated with a Prohibition theme. From 2 p.m. to midnight, Fall Party guests danced, networked, drank and ate in a festive atmosphere of open camaraderie.

"Despite a cool, rainy day, we're delighted to report that the Autumn Party brought people together on an unprecedented scale! Our partners, volunteers and guests were all extremely generous! Olivia Guibault, organizer

An ambitious goal successfully achieved

Their goal was clear: to raise $20,000 to support a brand-new second-line care program for the most vulnerable. The evening wasn't just an event. It was a rallying cry and a call to action. Thanks to their dedication, 100% of the proceeds went to the Suroît Hospital Foundation to support the Suivi Adapté project. The organizing committee is pleased to announce that this objective was greatly exceeded, with over $30,500 raised.

"We wanted to do something in our community and have a concrete impact. We saw this as a new way of getting young people involved. We wanted to democratize philanthropy. In all humility, we are proud to donate $30,500 to the Suroît Hospital Foundation. Alexandre Deschamps, organizer

An important project for the community

With over 2,820 people considered vulnerable in its population, the City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is considered a hub of homelessness in Quebec. Faced with this situation, a team of healthcare professionals have mobilized to set up a pilot project for adapted mental health follow-up. If vulnerable customers don't come to the existing network, then it's up to the healthcare network to reach out to them.

The Suivi Adapté mental health program team is made up of health professionals dedicated to providing mental health care to vulnerable people in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. With the only criteria for admission to their services being to be 18 years of age or over and voluntary, the mental health care offered ranges from psychosocial support to psychiatric follow-up with medication.

"The Suroît Hospital Foundation is deeply touched by the commitment and talent of these young professionals committed to such an important cause. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this unforgettable evening. The funds donated to the Suroît Hospital Foundation will be used to provide adapted treatment facilities, an examination room to offer dignified care, and a mobile intervention unit to enable healthcare professionals to reach out to vulnerable people." Michèle Cyr-Lemieux, Executive Director of the Suroît Hospital Foundation.

Valuable partners

The success of this event was made possible by the involvement of invaluable partners including Distillerie 3 Lacs, Gypse Pilon, Cinthia-Sue Claude Remax Courtier, Pro Color Valleyfield and Tim Hortons of Les Coteaux, Coteau-du-Lac and Saint-Lazare. The organizing committee also thanks Voyages Tourbec Lapointe and Ivoire Médico-Esthétique. Surplus food from the evening was donated to the Accueil pour elle organization.

The Suroît Hospital Foundation would like to extend special thanks to Jean-Pierre Deschamps for his support and involvement, and to all the volunteers who contributed to the event's success.