Barrie mayor hands out Boots and Hearts Barn Burner tickets to NICU families at RVH

Mom Ruth Bott stands inside the NICU next to her baby and Mayor Alex Nuttall at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ont.

The Boots and Hearts Barn Burner Charity Hockey Game is fast approaching, and Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall made a special stop on Thursday at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The mayor handed out tickets to families for this year’s fundraiser, with all proceeds going right back to support the NICU that serves families across Simcoe County.

“We want to do everything we can to make sure that we’re able to expand, the neonatal services and the prenatal services here to support families in Barrie and right through Simcoe Muskoka,” said Nuttall.

Ruth Bott and her family have relied on the NICU and said its been absolutely invaluable.

“I don’t want to miss any milestones and we want to watch her grow,” said Bott. “So being here is just what we wanted at the end.”

Her baby was originally born in Mount Sinai in Toronto and Bott said the unit in Barrie is valuable because they live 15 minutes from the hospital.

She added the nurses and doctors have provided the upmost care.

“If one is busy, the other will come and alarm bells but mostly just the feeding ones if those are going on,” said Bott. “You can hear them communicating with one another.”

Natalie Sherrit, manager of the NICU, said the nurses are the backbone of the unit on a day-to-day basis.

“Our nurses we couldn’t do that job without them they’re highly trained, specialized nurses to support our neonatal population and without them, it wouldn’t be possible,” said Sherrit

With help from the funds raised at the charity hockey game event, the small space will finally be able to undergo a well-needed renovation.

“The unit is long overdue for a renovation and having this community fundraiser is a huge support to us,” said Sherrit

“The reality is our health care is only as strong as the people who provide it,” said Nuttall. “We are an incredibly strong health care community here at the RVH in Barrie and we hope that there will be, continued investment when it comes to prenatal care and postnatal care.”

With less than 1,000 tickets left, fans hoping to catch the action at this year’s Boots and Hearts Barn Burner will need to move fast.

The puck drops August 6, and features a star-studded roster, including Toronto Maple Leafs alternate captain John Tavares, PWHL star and Barrie native Jessie Eldridge, Isaak Phillips, and LA Kings forward Quinton Byfield.