Weekend car rally hopes to raise $200,000 for Foothills Country Hospice Society

CALGARY -

It's a chance for many 'gear heads' to show off their vehicles, but also a way of having fun to raise money for a good cause.

Eighty drivers have signed up for the fourth Rally 4 Hospice that's a little different than other rallies, according to organizer and the hospice development and communications officer Stephanie Barnes.

That's because you're not given a map to follow for the entire route.

"You start off at the hospice, we launch all of the cars down our hospice lane and you're given a set of clues," said Barnes. "You have to answer the trivia and follow the clues to get to the next check point, if you're successful then you get another set of clues and so on, so you really have to have a sharp navigator with you."

In its four year history,  the event has raised $800,000. Foothills Country Hospice Society's eight bed facility is near Okotoks.

"We have seven hospices in the Calgary zone," said executive director Dawn Elliott. "We are one of them and these are places where people can come to die and it's surprising for people, because they don't realize there's no cost to stay here."

Elliott says the hospice receives 57 per cent of its funding from Alberta Health Services and it's tasked with making up a remaining $1.3 million every year.

The Rally 4 Hospice is its biggest annual fundraising event.

"This is a place of joy and happiness," said Elliott. "It's not doom and gloom and we celebrate everyone who comes through our doors.

"We support our residents, (and) their families," she added.  "We celebrate birthdays, we celebrate anniversaries, (and) we've had weddings on site.

"It's a magical, wonderful place."

Sue Archibald knows first-hand about the care offered at the hospice. Her husband Garth Pritchard arrived at the facility in early 2020.

"I was absolutely blown away by the whole environment, the atmosphere is not a hospital," said Archibald. "It's like you're in someone's country home, the professional staff are compassionate."

Garth's stay was only two weeks at the facility.

"When he passed away I knew I wanted to support this place," said Archibald. "When I found out about the rally that was the planets just coming into alignment right then and there."

Archibald says that's because her husband was a bit of a 'gear head' and enjoyed cars. Before he died, he bought his dream car, a Mini Cooper. Archibald entered the Mini in the 2020 rally and invited Garth's friends to join in.

"We had an entourage of 11 cars in here," said Archibald. "I couldn't have a funeral for Garth because of the pandemic, so this is my way of having a celebration of Garth's life with his friends, with his Mini, having a nice time."

Learn more about the Rally 4 Hospice here: www.countryhospice.org