Plans are already underway for a special fundraiser that supports speech and occupational therapy programs for children and families in Northumberland County.
The Backyard Summer Social is a fundraiser for Five Counties including Northumberland County.
In its first year, 2022, the event raised more than $45,000.
The director of Fund Development with Five Counties Lyn Giles says nothing says season’s greetings more than the gift of the summer season for loved ones on your list.
The event is a celebration of the start of summer for guests to enjoy an afternoon of fun-filled activity that lets you be a kid again.
In this past year the event included lawn games and a hockey shoot-out with the Peterborough Petes.
Giles says speech and occupational therapies make up 90% of the wait list at Five Counties.
She points out that the more children they can get off the wait list and into therapy services the more opportunities they have to gain independence.
Currently there is a waiting list of 2,516 children for therapy at Five Counties, with an average wait time of 18 to 24 months.
The Backyard Summer Social will be held at the Five Counties Children’s Centre in Peterborough, on June 24, 2023.
