Residents and guests at the Valley Manor were rockin’ on Friday.
Dozens of people rocked in rocking chairs through the day to raise funds for the Barry’s Bay long-term care home.
Among those at the Rockathon event were Bill Cunliff, who said he felt it was important to come out and support the Manor and the residents, many of whom he knows well.
“I’m having a great time, we have a great crowd and a lot of wonderful people,” he said, over the sound of gentle rock music, as he rocked in a chair plastered with Canadian flags.
He was on one of the 13 teams that signed up for the event. The rockers gathered pledges and rocked in chairs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Late in the day, officials with St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation, which runs the event, said funds raised surpassed the $25,000 goal.
Those funds, they said, could be used for a number of items on the Manor’s wish list, including patient lifts, mattresses and a new van.
Another rocker, Jill Vermaire, said raising money is important. But the event is also great because it allows people in the community to spend a fun day with Manor residents.
“I think it’s so good for the residents to see that,” she said. “It brings them up. They get outside and they see the support and (hear) the music.”
Vermaire adds that the Rockathon’s success shows that people in Madawaska Valley really come out to support local health care.