A penny here, a penny there, makes for better hospital care: M.P. Bev Shipley is “harvesting” a penny crop for the benefit of local hospitals and as a final salute to the one-cent piece we know so well.

Senator Pamela Wallin helped local M.P. Bev Shipley kick off a fundraising drive which will benefit local hospitals. Following the announcement in the Federal Budget that penny production will end this fall, Shipley and his staff will be freeing pennies from jars across Lambton-Kent-Middlesex; collecting them at various events in the coming weeks and months. We’re also teaming up with businesses across the region for a fun way to benefit from the demise of the penny. Our goal is 100,000 pennies per hospital. All proceeds will go to the hospital auxiliaries in Strathroy, Newbury and Wallaceburg for better patient care.

Shipley announced the new initiative at his fundraising Gala in Ailsa Craig, attended by close to 250 people.

Here’s Bev meeting with Hospital Auxiliary members in Wallaceburg (left) Strathroy and Newbury.