Making spirits bright

The candles flickered, the music soared and Jim Gill’s heart swelled.

Gill, a resident in the Veterans Care Program at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute, was watching a special candlelight concert held just for residents thanks to generous donor support. He really enjoyed the experience – just like so many of the donor-funded festive activities he has taken part in, from performances at the Stratford Festival to a drive through the Magic of Lights.  

“It was a beautiful show,” says Gill about the concert.

The concert transformed the Veterans’ auditorium into an intimate theatre. Surrounded by thousands of softly glowing candles, musicians took the stage to perform Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons for a crowd of spellbound residents.

The piece was the ideal selection to mark the coming of winter and the holiday season. It is based on four sonnets written by Vivaldi, one for each season.

This experience was made possible through funds raised by Finch Auto Group during 50/50 sales at recent London Knights games. Finch is committed to honouring and recognizing Canada’s Veterans through their tireless philanthropy. Their generosity supports care and comfort needs and experiences for the people who call the Veterans Care Program home.

Gill has lived in the Veterans Care Program for the past two and a half years. This former military member, realtor and foreign service officer enjoyed an exciting career that frequently brought him overseas. When he started to have issues with his balance and suffered some bad falls, he decided to make the move to St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute for more safety and stability.

“What is there here I don’t like?” Gill says about his time at Parkwood so far. “The service and care is excellent, and I’m really happy here.”

A love for music runs in the family for Gill: his mother was a singer and he sang from a young age in the United Church choir. He’s now part of the Veteran’s Choir and loves performing for visitors. For him and the other residents in attendance at the concert, seeing the performance right in their home stirred up joyful memories.

The Veterans who reside at Parkwood Institute have a variety of care needs that make it challenging to transport a large group of them to a venue like a concert hall. This on-site experience ensured that every attendee felt safe and comfortable and could really immerse themselves in the music.

“We were delighted when given the opportunity to hold this remarkable multi-sensory musical experience in an environment that allows residents to easily move around as needed,” shares Jennifer Field, Administrative Assistant in the Veterans Care Program.

With the holidays fast approaching, Gill is grateful for the support of donors like Finch who make life brighter and more festive for him and his neighbours across the care unit.

As Vivaldi writes in The Four Seasons, “This is winter, but it brings joy.”