As temperatures climbed to a record-breaking 40.8 C on the Sunshine Coast on June 28, a long-term care facility in Gibsons was on the hunt for help to beat the heat.
For those living at the Good Samaritan Society’s Christenson Village, a Facebook post tipping locals off to a supply of fans at Suncoast Hydroponics ended up being a saving grace.
Health care aid Anne-Marie Fallis, who works at Christenson Village, told Coast Reporter the main building is equipped with a central forced air system that cools and circulates air, but it could not keep up with the extreme circumstances.
“A few residents own their own portable air-conditioning units, and many have fans – but in the common areas and hallways it can become very uncomfortable,” she said in an email. While the company was looking to purchase fans, they found everything was sold out.
Through social media and word of mouth, Suncoast Hydroponics found out that the residents were in need of additional cooling systems, and donated six wall-mounted fans.
“A friend of mine saw my comment, contacted the owner who is her friend and explained our situation at Christenson Village,” Fallis wrote. “Within minutes, six wall mount fans were being picked up and donated to our facility!
“I’ve lived on the Coast for almost 52 years now and this is why I love our community,” Fallis said. “I know it sounds cliché, but we truly are Suncoast Hydroponics’ biggest fans.”
Since receiving the six fans from Suncoast Hydroponics, Christenson Village received another donation of 12 fans from an anonymous donor. The site manager was also able to purchase an additional 12 fans for complex care.
