FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (VICTORIA – June 9, 2020) Victoria Hospice celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, they aim to raise $40,000 for this year’s Teeny Tiny Garden Tour Virtual Edition, launching on Sunday, June 14th. Thanks to a generous donation from a kind and garden-loving community member, Joyce Butler, they are already halfway toward its fundraising goal.
“You get to see so many interesting gardens,” Joyce says of the Teeny Tiny Garden Tour. “People do such amazing things with small spaces. It’s fun, and it’s for a good cause.”
That’s not the only reason Joyce decided to lend her support. “I have had several friends who have been at Hospice,” she says. “I know the good work they do.” One of those friends was Michael Gregson, an avid gardener who frequently looked after Joyce’s garden in North Saanich. “He even built me some wonderful trellises,” she says.
“Michael got that terrible cancer,” Joyce reflects. “He managed to be at home almost until the end and then went into Hospice.” In 2015, a year after Michael died, his partner Linda-Mae invited tour-goers into the stunning garden they had created together to honour his memory. This was the first Teeny Tiny Garden Tour Joyce attended and she has supported Victoria Hospice ever since. Linda-Mae has been an active member of the volunteer Teeny Tiny Garden Tour organizing committee since 2016.
Joyce had another good friend, Phyllis Pollard, who died at Victoria Hospice in 2017 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. She says that honouring the memory of Michael and Phyllis is why she supports Victoria Hospice. “I know it’s a very special place for people who need care at that time in their lives.”
Event details: This year’s Teeny Tiny Garden Tour will be a virtual affair, hosted by local journalist, Brittany King, morning radio host on 107.3 Virgin Radio, and Weather Host on CTV Vancouver Island. Tour-goers can enjoy a variety of gardens – rain or shine – from the comfort and safety of their own home. It’s a self-guided tour you can watch and re-watch at your leisure starting June 14, in any order you choose! www.victoriahospice.org/events/teenytinygardentour
NEW Victoria Hospice Calendar: Also on June 14th, the first-ever Teeny Tiny Garden Tour Calendar will be made available! This beautiful compilation featuring exquisite photos of gardens featured on previous tours is sure to delight and inspire all year long. Tour-goers can buy a 2021 Teeny Tiny Garden Tour Calendar in lieu of buying a ticket or can make a donation towards this important fundraiser for Victoria Hospice.
Did you know? Donations fund almost half of Victoria Hospice’s annual operating costs and are critical for the ongoing operation of programs for patients and families and for education and research. Last year, Victoria Hospice has raised over $7 million dollars. This remarkable accomplishment was made possible by generous donors and community events. To learn more about any of these events or how you can support end-of-life care in our community visit www.victoriahospice.org. -30 –
Media Contact: Jen Cooper, Manager, Communications & Marketing, Victoria Hospice
Tel: 250-217-8779 | Email: jennifer.cooper@victoriahospice.org | Web: www.victoriahospice.org
