All were welcome to the Chateau Gardens Auxiliary annual strawberry social on June 22 at the Chartwell Elmira Retirement Residence activities room.
The strawberry social was followed by a tearoom, bake sale, white elephant table, a draw for quilt, painting and one-night stay in Toronto during the Harvest Tea and entertainment by country-and-western duo Dianne and Elaine from 7-9 p.m.
Roughly 200 people passed through over the course of the day. This is the largest fundraiser for the auxiliary.
Yvonne Gingrich, who has been with the auxiliary for 34 years, has looked after the strawberry social fundraising event for the past 26 of those years.
“It has been quite a success story,” she said. “The residents are the ones that benefit.”
The annual fundraiser raises money that goes towards enhancing residents at Chartwell’s way of life.
In the past, proceeds have allowed the group to build a pergola for residents to sit under, transform the courtyard pond into a bubbling fountain, install benches out front and provide music for residents.
