Sault retirement home fundraiser exceeds expectations, more than doubles number of beds

Almost 70 people put on their walking shoes for the Ontario Finnish Resthome Association's (OFRA) Grand Parade in Sault Ste. Marie, more than double the usual number in previous walks, organizers say.

The 2.5 kilometre trek is serving as a fundraiser to build a new long-term care home on site.

Tarja Loewen, the Ontario Finnish Resthome Foundation chair, was blown away by the support from donors.

"We thought, well, a $25,000 goal would be something, would be really great if we could achieve it. In August, we raised it to $30,000 and we just checked the numbers, and we’re at $45,000."

The new build more than doubles the current number of nursing home beds, to 128.Mauno Kaihla Koti (MKK), a 63-bed nursing home in Sault Ste. Marie operated by Ontario Finnish Resthome Association. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)But, the retirement home's CEO, Paul Belair, said there was a delay in construction and the work is still on hold.

"When the pandemic started slowing down, we started ramping up that project again. Only to find out that the cost of everything had gone up substantially. For our project, that cost went up about 48 per cent."

Andy Manttari's mother lives in the long-term care home run by the OFRA and wanted to walk to show support for a new long-term care home.

"We see it first hand. Most people involved here have some connection with the Ontario Finnish Resthome," Manttari said.

The foundation has been holding smaller fundraising walks for years now.

Barb Rickard said she has been staying in an OFRA apartment for four years.

She took part in the walk and said she was surprised at the turnout.

"I didn’t realize that there were going to be that many walkers until I came over here this morning. That’s very good to see," Rickard said.