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38 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 27, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Helping hospital feels good By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Protect yourself, and those around you. FLU SHOT CLINIC Tues Oct 30th & Thurs Nov 1st 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. Complimentary Initial Consultation *back pain*orthotics*acupuncture* It's likely most local residents have made a trip to the OakvilleTrafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) in their lives. Paul and Brenda Barrington, Murray and Gaye Farncombe, and Ron and Gail Southwick certainly remember doing so. They recall some of those hospital visits ­ when their children were born, when their kids had to go to Emergency or when a family member had surgery. For these reasons the business owners are once again sponsoring the OTMH Foundation's Candlelight Ball, Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Burlington Convention Centre. The ball's theme this year is Dancing to the Stars. "Hospitals touch us all. It helps every charity, ailment or disease and doesn't discriminate for needs," said Paul Barrington. He and his co-sponsors believe that while every resident should give back to the community, business owners should even moreso. Barrington owns Barrington's Fine Outerwear on Lakeshore Road East and 25-year business partners Murray Farncombe and Ron Southwick are neighbours just doors down at Murron's Cabinetree, a reclaimed barnboard furniture store. "So many of us have such a real connection to our local hospital, so if there's anything we can do to help support it, we will," said Farncombe. All of these sponsors are longtime attendees of the OTMH ball. The sponsorship role came about for Barrington after he had a hip replacement surgery at OTMH in July 2005. "My wife and I were very happy with the care I got there during such a painful time," said Barrington. Ron Southwick One year, when one of his clients was chairing the candlelight ball and it still needed a sponsor, the Barringtons saw their opportunity to say `thanks.' "It's well worth the price of admission. It's so well organized and elegant," said Barrington. Murray Farncombe Hockey Experience with former NHLers Adam Graves, Rob Zamuner and Nathan Lafayette; a 16-foot lit Christmas tree; a catered chef's dinner at home; dinner for eight in the RBC Private Dining Room; box tickets for two Raptors' games; and, a sailboat cruise followed by a classic maritime lobster boil. This year's raffle prize is a 42inch plasma screen television. The Candlelight Ball's fundraising purpose especially appeals to Farncombe because the money generated from the gala goes directly to purchasing hospital equipment that isn't covered by government funding. "We get a good feeling from it to know exactly where it is going to," said Farncombe. The Candlelight Ball began in 1992. The fundraising goal for this year's 16th annual event is $500,000 and proceeds will go toward the more than $2 million needed to purchase medical equipment this year. The hospital performs more than 12,000 surgical procedures, among hundreds of thousands of medical procedures, annually. Candlelight Ball tickets are available by visiting www.otmhcandlelightball.com, or call Oakville Hospital Foundation special events co-coordinator Aleta Mayer at 905-845-2571, ext. 4351. Paul Barrington This is the Barringtons' third year as a presenting sponsor. This is the second year Murron's Cabinetree has been a presenting sponsor of the event. The joint sponsorship is fitting as the Farncombes, Southwicks and Barringtons are good friends. Tickets cost $400 and include a cocktail reception, with martini and oyster bars, dinner with wine, dancing to the band Manhattan, an adagio dance performance and live auction with Don Stewart, Senior Development Officer at Appleby College. Among this year's live auction items are: the Ultimate Pond CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC Tues Oct 30th & Thurs Nov 1st Reduce Reuse Recycle 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. 2983 West Oak Trails Blvd at Bronte Rd, Oakville 905-901-1217