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Alliston
Potato Festival
SIMCOE COUNTY NEWS  |
   Photo Coutesy Banting Legacy
Foundation
Banting homestead fundraiser 'a very collaborative project'Posted October 24, 2012A multi-partnered coalition has launched its latest fundraising project to help finance the next phase of the "two-fold mission of the Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation (BLF) to fight diabetes and preserve a legacy." But first, the annual Banting Day/World Diabetes Day event scheduled for Nov. 10 at the Town owned 107-acre Banting Homestead Heritage Park on Sir Frederick Banting Road, will celebrate and officially open the newly restored historic farmhouse from 2 pm to 5 pm. In addition to information displays about diabetes and a chance to take the "Big Blue Test" for diabetes risk administered by the Diabetes Outreach team partners, a small selection of the over 1,200 paintings, artifacts, and memorabilia, created by or relating to Sir Frederick Banting, will be on exhibit. The other feature of the Banting Day events will be the official launch of the fundraising campaign whose centre piece is a framed collage containing a photo of Banting, a brass plaque with his signature facsimile, a picture of the hen house and actual piece of cedar shake strip preserved after the building was dismantled in 2010 because of its state of disrepair. The framed collage sells for $1,000 and the buyer receives a charitable tax receipt from the SFBLF for $835 (the difference being the deemed 'advantage' to the donor which is not eligible for a tax receipt). "This piece is seen to be a 'collector's item' and, as such, the pieces are numbered in sequence as produced just as would be done for say, a limited edition print of an original painting," explained David Sadlier, President of the SFBLF in an email to Free Press Online. "In our case, the numbered series is limited to 750 and each of those comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Bob Banting, (then VP and Past President of SFBLF), Mayor MacEachern, and Hart Holmstrom (in his role as Chair of the Lions Standing Committee on Banting). The accompanying 'description' is signed by me. These materials are mounted in a secure envelope on the back of the piece and each piece has its number displayed on the front corner." The remaining pieces are unnumbered and "used for special occasions as a 'recognition' award for say, outstanding volunteers or, perhaps a particularly courageous diabetic or a very notable 'diabetes champion'. These will be used very selectively and each use will be determined on a one-at-a-time basis by the SFBLF Board of Directors. Because of this related but different use, it is also necessary for us to identify specifically to potential donors/collectors "how many" are in the unnumbered set so they can properly evaluate the relationship to the limited edition numbered set. We established the number 250 as the absolute upper limit for these award pieces. All of that information is included on the Certificate of Authenticity." Mr. Sadlier noted the design was rendered by Heidi MacKenzie of Papermoon Gallery in Alliston, who will construct the piece on a "when ordered" basis. The Hen House photo was provided courtesy of Charles Bryant. The Legacy Tribute piece is the result of a very collaborative project that also involves the Alliston Lions Club, and the Town. On Monday night, Lions members Hart Holmstrom, who's credited with coming up with the fundraiser idea, and Mike Jerry, presented the first one sold to Town accepted by mayor Mike MacEachern. "We began construction of the new Heritage Exhibit building last week and we have so far secured about half of the total funds required for that Phase 2 project," added Mr. Sadlier. "Phase 3 will see a further expansion of that building and Phase 4 will comprise construction of a new 'integrated' Diabetes Outreach Clinic and Learning Centre. Some of our SMH/SRHC Diabetes Outreach team partners will re-locate to that building." |
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