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Town rental fee waiver allows Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation to invest fundraising donations in patient care .
Published May 12, 2026 • Last updated 4 days ago • 2 minute read
Waived rental fees for two Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation fundraisers at the Southampton Coliseum this summer means more money to spend on local healthcare improvements. Saugeen Shores Council waived $2,200 in fees for the Foundation’s use of the Coliseum for the June 27 Bruce County Bash and August 12 Grand Fondo Lake Huron at its May 11 meeting. Article content
The more funds raised means more are investment in local healthcare so a Town Council decision to waive $2,200 in facility rental fees for two Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation fundraising events this summer at the Southampton Coliseum will result in more donor dollars going directly to local healthcare needs.
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Foundation executive director Tracy Murray “respectfully” asked Council to waive the fees at its May 11 meeting as she detailed plans to use the Southampton Coliseum for the June 27 Bruce County Bash, and August 12 Grand Fondo Lake Huron, which is expected to draw 1,000 riders of all ages and abilities to Southampton.
“We feature our waterfront, our scenic countryside, our volunteers and our big, bold Bruce County spirit…” Murray said adding this year’s Gran Fondo goal is $500,000.
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She said post-ride surveys show more participants are coming and staying for four or five days, supporting local hotels, restaurants and shops.
“Beyond tourism and economic impact, the heart of the Gran Fondo is of course healthcare,” Murray said, noting in eight years the event has raised over $2 million for local healthcare including funding for critical tomography and mammography equipment.
“Every rider who takes part (is) helping to strengthen healthcare close to home and 100 percent of rider-raised funds goes directly to supporting equipment needs,” Murray said, adding the event is powered by an “incredible” group of donors, sponsors and partners like the Town with a shared goal of improving local healthcare.
Murray said waiving the rental fees would “allow even more fundraising to stay focused on what matters most – supporting local health care – and also demonstrate the Town’s continued partnership to sustain and grown the event that reflects positively on Saugeen Shores.”
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At this point mayor Luke Charbonneau delivered the good news that Town staff had already considered and approved the fee waiver request.
Vice Deputy Mayor Mike Myette supported the waiver and asked what percentage of funds raised by the Foundation’s events benefit Saugeen Memorial Hospital in Southampton.
Murray said giving a percentage is difficult, but they have “openly each year determined where the funds will go and have had riders fundraise for specific things like the CT scanner…” she said, adding that funding is based on what and where the need is each year.
Deputy Mayor Diane Huber said she was “glad” to hear the Foundation waiver was covered as there is approximately $2,500 in a Town donation fund, including fee waivers, and asked if the Town process should encourage organizations to make requests to be part of the council budgeting process.
Jim Bundschuh, the director of Corporate Services, said the community donation policy includes a mailout in June to community organizations to remind them to make submissions to the Town by September.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau thanked the Foundation for its work to raise a “whole lot” of money for the hospital in a way that’s “tons of fun and makes the community a better place.”
Thanks to a fee waiver from the Town, the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation will not have to pay a $1,100 to rent the Southampton Coliseum for its Bruce County Bash fundraiser June 27.
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