WoHeLo clothing sale to support Charlottetown hospital

The fall clothing sale hosted by the WoHeLo and QEH Auxiliary takes place this week at 144 Dorchester St. in Charlottetown.

This year, the proceeds from the fall sale will support the neonatal intensive care unit’s top priority at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown — a transport isolette. The total cost for the equipment is $167,250, and some funds have already been raised towards it. The sale will help raise the remaining $70,000.

“A replacement for the current one has become an urgent priority and through the sale we will do our best to help see the transport isolette gets fully funded,” said sale co-chair Shelly Lea-Lantz  in a news release.

She added, “The transport isolette will be used to safely move fragile newborns within the hospital and during air and ambulance transfers out of province for specialized care. This is a very critical time in a newborn’s life and we want to help in whatever way we can …”

The sale has extended hours this time around, and will take place 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 22-23, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The sale includes men’s and women’s clothing, including winter coats, footwear, active wear and more. This year there will not be any children’s clothing for sale. Also this year, due to renovations to the space, there will be no dressing rooms available for trying on the merchandise.

Shoppers should also bring along their own reusable shopping bags and be aware all sales are cash only, though there is an ATM machine on site.

The spring clothing sale raised more than $35,000 to purchase new breastfeeding chairs and biliblanket for neonatal intensive care unit at the QEH. Jennifer MacDonald, co-chair of the sale, said the organizers hope for a similar success this fall.

“Because of the extreme generosity of free warehouse space leading up to and during the sale, it allows our volunteers to work in the space early and be better prepared. We are very fortunate that all money raised from the sale of the clothing goes directly to medical equipment for our youngest and most fragile patients,” she said in the release.

“This inspires us every day to know how important this project is for our neonatal babies and their families. We never lose sight of that.”

MacDonald said the prices at the sale are aimed at raising money for the hospital while still giving shoppers value for their purchases.

“We know that families are challenged everyday with making ends meet and our ‘new to you’ clothes can help refresh winter wardrobe wear,” she said.