Purse Bingo Bags Big Funds for Mental Health and Addictions Care

February 28, 2024

Purse Bingo Bags Big Funds for Mental Health and Addictions Care

On Saturday, February 17, a sold-out crowd of 450 people came together for the second annual Purse Bingo event supporting mental health and addictions care at St. Joe’s.

Excitement filled the room as participants eagerly awaited their chance to win one of the fabulous purses up for grabs. There were 11 lucky guests who took home designer bags from brands like Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Coach and more. But the real winner that night was our Hospital. Thanks to the generous support of purse sponsors, booth vendors, donors and friends, this fashionable fundraiser organized by longtime St. Joe’s supporter, Maria Dorego, raised a remarkable tally of $17,000 for our Mental Health and Addictions Program.

Maria (pictured above) is a cosmetics manager at Shoppers Drug Mart as well as an esthetics professor at Mohawk College. She knows firsthand the devastating impact that mental illness can have. In 2017, a friend and student she was mentoring died by suicide. Unaware that her student was struggling, Maria felt so much guilt and sadness. It was after this experience, that Maria began taking courses on suicide prevention and made a conscious effort to do whatever she could to help others in our community living with mental illness and thoughts of suicide.

All of us at St. Joe’s are so very grateful to Maria, and her friend and Bingo Caller, Greg Williams (pictured above left) of Team Williams Real Estate, for their commitment to making this second annual Purse Bingo event such a resounding success. Our Hospital is honoured to have been selected as the beneficiary of funds raised once again this year. Event proceeds will help to make sure people can find timely access to the care they need close to home. If you or someone you know needs help, please visit the resources on our Hospital’s website.