Waubuno Shrine Club Donates $20,000 for Patient Transport Stretcher at West Parry Sound Health Centre
From left to right: Noble Roger Burden, Noble Laurence Green, Noble Ron Lillie, Deborah Loosemore (CEO, WPSHC Foundation), Noble Dave Garagan, and Noble Ken Jackson.
The Waubuno Shrine Club presented a $20,000 donation to the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation in support of a new transport stretcher to enhance patient care.
The West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation is honoured to announce a generous $20,000 donation from the Waubuno Shrine Club. The funds will support the purchase of a specialized transport stretcher for the West Parry Sound Health Centre, enhancing patient comfort and safety during medical transfers.
This impactful gift was made possible through the Waubuno Shrine Club Memorial Golf Tournament’s Hole Sponsorship Program, with vital support from Oviinbyrd Golf Club and a host of local businesses whose loyal contributions year after year continue to make this initiative a success. The 2025 tournament marks the 9th year of this beloved local fundraiser.
“The Waubuno Shrine Club has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to local health care, and this latest gift brings their total donations to the Foundation to over $112,000 since 1997,” says Deborah Loosemore, CEO of the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for their steadfast partnership in helping equip our hospital and strengthen care for everyone in our community.”
The club’s name, Waubuno, pays homage to the legendary steamship that sailed Georgian Bay in the late 1800s. In 1879, the Waubuno tragically capsized near Haystack Reefs and Moose Point, claiming the lives of all aboard. Though no bodies were ever recovered, all life preservers were mysteriously found — a story that lives on in local lore.
“The Waubuno Shrine Club has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to local health care, and this latest gift brings their total donations to the Foundation to over $112,000 since 1997,” says Deborah Loosemore, CEO of the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for their steadfast partnership in helping equip our hospital and strengthen care for everyone in our community.”
The club’s name, Waubuno, pays homage to the legendary steamship that sailed Georgian Bay in the late 1800s. In 1879, the Waubuno tragically capsized near Haystack Reefs and Moose Point, claiming the lives of all aboard. Though no bodies were ever recovered, all life preservers were mysteriously found — a story that lives on in local lore.
Shriners are Freemasons who come together to foster fellowship, fun, and most notably, immense charitable outreach. The Noble Shriners, as they are respectfully called, are part of a global network that represents one of the world’s greatest philanthropic efforts. Here in Parry Sound, the Waubuno Shrine Club is known for raising tens of thousands of dollars annually for both local and international causes — and for their unwavering dedication to improving lives.
“Their spirit of generosity is felt not only through the equipment they help us purchase but in the hearts of every patient and family who benefits from better care, close to home,” adds Loosemore.
