Written By Olena Riznyk
GRANTON – For Joscelyne Phillips, organizing Pasta in the Park was a way to support a cause that had shaped much of her own life. On June 6, that personal experience brought together families, volunteers and local businesses to help others living with kidney disease.
Held June 6 at the Granton Centennial Park Pavilion, Pasta in the Park welcomed more than 100 guests for an evening of food, community and fundraising in support of Better Dialysis at Lion’s Camp Dorset.
“I’m a two-time kidney transplant recipient myself,” she said. “I have been on dialysis twice.”
Phillips received her first kidney transplant as a child from her father. Years later, when that transplant failed, she spent another two years on dialysis before receiving a second transplant.
During that time, she had the opportunity to attend Lion’s Camp Dorset, a specialized Ontario camp that allows dialysis patients to enjoy a vacation while continuing to receive treatment.
“Dialysis patients are on a machine three days a week, for four hours at a time. That makes it really hard to travel somewhere when you have to be basically tethered, and you need those services. This camp allows you to do that right on site,” Phillips said.
Founded by the Lions organization in 1972, the camp serves patients from across Ontario. Phillips said fundraising efforts are underway to replace the aging facility with one that meets modern healthcare standards. “Their goal is three million dollars,” she said. “They’re just over a million, so we’re hoping we can raise a few thousand to make a bit of an impact.”
Planning for the fundraiser began in January and quickly became a family effort. Friends, relatives and volunteers stepped in to help organize the event, prepare food, collect donations and welcome guests throughout the evening.
Community support extended well beyond the organizing team. Local businesses donated gift certificates, family passes, gift baskets and other prizes for the raffle, helping make the fundraiser possible. “We’ve had a great response from the community,” Phillips said.
While organizers have not yet decided whether Pasta in the Park will become an annual event, Phillips said the response from the community was encouraging.
For Phillips, the evening was about giving others the same opportunity she once had–a chance to step away from the routine of treatment, spend time with family and simply enjoy being somewhere different.
