The annual CHEO Construction Community Cares parade took place Saturday morning on the campus grounds of the children’s hospital. Hosted by the National Capital Heavy Construction Association (NCHCA) and the Ottawa Construction Association (OCA), the show-and-tell parade brought numerous heavy equipment vehicles on the grounds of CHEO for the kids to enjoy, either on the curb or from the windows of their hospital rooms. “Our daughter has leukemia and events like this just give our family something to do on the weekends when we can’t go anywhere because of medical issues. It just provides some enjoyment for our family to be together,” said Ashley Letourneau, who was attending the parade. Letourneau and her 3-year-old daughter stay at the Ronald McDonald House while her daughter has been receiving treatment for nearly a year. Her husband Alex Letourneau lives in Timmins, Ont. with their older daughter. They drove 9 hours to be together for this event. “It’s very good to finally get together because you come from a long way from home and we’re finally here all together as a family and enjoying this nice event,” said Alex Letourneau. Families and children were all lined up to watch the big trucks go by. “It’s a lot of work to get these pieces of equipment shiny and ready to go for today, and to bring them up close after the kids. The community is amazing,” said attendee Lindsay Williamson. It’s not just a day of smiles for the children at CHEO, but also a fundraiser. “Behind all those smiles and behind all the work that’s being done to put this parade on are some amazing fundraising that we’ll be able to give to our friends at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice and on behalf of the whole community,” said Steve Read, president and CEO of the CHEO foundation. A cheque was presented to the CHEO foundation for $26,775 by the NCHCA and the OCA at the parade. “The main motivation for this event is really to be able to give back to the community. Construction companies all over and their families have been donating to show in all sorts of different ways. This is another small donation we do but the primary goal of it is to guarantee some fun and some enjoyment for the kids here today,” said Nick Bray, vice-president of the NCHCA. The parade is one of the most anticipated events of the year for CHEO families. “We just love how much CHEO like to involve the community and bring everybody together because it’s not always a lot of events like this. It’s a really special day,” said Williamson.
