Five Counties Children’s Centre is asking clients, family members and volunteers to “Gimme 5” in honour of its upcoming 50th anniversary.
The regional children’s treatment centre is looking for those who have received or provided services at Five Counties to share their memories and experiences by taking five minutes to document their thoughts.
“We really hope to hear from anyone with a neat memory or recollection of an interaction or experience they had at Five Counties — whether as a client, parent or caregiver, volunteer, or supporter,” Bill Eekhof, spokesperson for Five Counties, told kawarthaNOW.
“We’ve been fortunate in the past to have families share their stories of how their child has benefited from the services they received at Five Counties. It’s these kinds of magical moments that happen within the walls of our Centre that we really hope to share with our communities as part of our 50th anniversary festivities in 2025.”
The centre, which supports kids and families with physical, communication, and developmental needs in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton, first opened its doors in 1975. To mark its golden anniversary, Five Counties is planning to host a year-long celebration in 2025.
The “Gimme 5: Your Story is Our Story” appeal is essentially to encourage current and former clients, families, staff, volunteers, board members, donors and community supporters to share any recollections they have of the centre.
“Five Counties is made up of much more than bricks and mortar,” said Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties Children’s Centre, in a media release.
“The centre was truly built on the magical memories and moments of the thousands of children and youth and their families we’ve been able to assist over the years. The Five Counties story would be totally incomplete if we are unable to tell and share the many stories from members of our extended Five Counties family.”
Five Counties is reaching out to key individuals and groups who helped establish or had a long relationship with the centre. Five Counties also wants to seek out memories, mementos and artifacts from other people who may have a story to tell.
The organization asks those who wish to participate in the anniversary project to download and complete the Gimme 5 story package that includes several questions to help prompt discussion and sharing.
In addition, anyone with a story or memento to share can email 50@fivecounties.on.ca or call 1-888-779-9916 ext. 200. With approval, some stories that are collected will be shared publicly by Five Counties during its 50th anniversary celebrations, the centre noted in the release.
The origin of Five Counties dates back to 1970, when the Rotary Club of Peterborough was looking for a suitable initiative to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. Local Rotarians settled on the idea to establish a “children’s care centre” to provide care closer to home.
According to a history of the local Rotary Club, this “centre was designed for the treatment, educational, social and physical needs of handicapped children within the ‘five counties’ region” — including Peterborough City-County, Northumberland County, City of Kawartha Lakes (then Victoria County), Haliburton County and North Hastings County. This prevented the need for families to have to drive to Oshawa or Toronto for help.
In the early 1970s, Rotary clubs across the region got behind the centre idea, committing funds and convincing the Ontario Ministry of Health and what was then known as the Ontario Society for Crippled Children to support the initiative.
In the fall of 1975, Five Counties opened its doors to a new treatment centre on Dutton Road in Peterborough. Over the years, the centre added sites in Lindsay, Minden/Haliburton, Campbellford, and Cobourg, and has continued to serve families across its entire region.
