Phil Panellas gets to the meat of the matter at the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation’s 30th BBQ Thursday.( Photo: Quinte News.)
Sunshine and good food topped off a celebration in honour of a longtime volunteer and community leader in Quinte West.
The Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation held a special 30th anniversary celebration BBQ today (Thursday) in the hospital
courtyard for Phil Panellas.
Actually the celebration was to mark this event as being the 30th consecutive Foundation BBQ hosted and organized by Phil Panellas himself.
Mr. Panellas, now 84, has served with the Trenton Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and with the Foundation for 50 years.
He has been a member of the Trenton Rotary Club for 54 years.
In an interview, Phil Panellas said he loves volunteer work and he chose healthcare as his lifetime focus because of its importance to everyone in the community, rich or poor.
When asked about the turmoil surrounding the future of Trenton Memorial Hospital, he became visibly upset.
“You don’t know how sad I am now. When I started we had a good hospital, never in the red. Now with all the changes we
are losing and not doing anything. My goal is to have the hospital working the way it used to, and I don’t care if I die
the next day.”
Phil Panellas will continue to serve with the Foundation, and with Rotary.
By the way, Phil still makes the best rice pudding around! Your intrepid reporter gobbled up two bowls.
