Progress on Meaford’s new health clinic, the Don Bumstead & Family Medical Centre, continues apace.

Earlier this month, the clinic, which is located next to Meaford Haven, was named in honour of local businessman, Don Bumstead, who donated both cash and the land for the medical centre – amounting to about 50 percent of the projected construction costs. Bumstead, whose Don Bumstead Ford dealership was a Meaford fixture for decades, passed away this March at the age of 92. The donation was one of the last in Bumstead’s long history of contribution to the community, including many years service with the local Rotary Club.

The Municipality of Meaford has pledged $25,000 a year toward the project for 10 years.

And earlier today, organizers raised almost $11,000 in donations at the kick-off to the Centre’s “Buy a Brick” campaign.

With plans to start construction next April and open the clinic by August, organizers have an ambitious fundraising goal of roughly $500,000, and the new campaign hopes to raise a big chunk of that. For $20, you can donate a single brick, or for $50, you contribute three; if you didn’t have a chance to get downtown for the event today, you’ll have opportunities throughout the coming months to purchase bricks at community events. North East Grey Health Clinics is hoping to sell 8,000 before construction starts.

Organizers say the new centre will help Meaford attract younger family doctors, who “prefer to work in a co-operative environment, technologically up-to-date, with shared overhead and other health disciplines available.”

NEGHC and a community recruiting board is already working at finding physicians to set up practices in the medical centre. Visit www.greyhealthclinics.ca.