Supporting local causes is at the heart of what Parkland at the Gardens resident Maureen Banyard does. When an opportunity came up to fundraise for a tree to be featured in the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia’s Festival of Trees, she jumped at the chance.

“It can’t be hit or miss, it’s got to be superb – I don’t care what it costs,” said Maureen with a determined smile. “I knew we had to do it!” 

The theme of the Parkland at the Gardens tree was an Old-Fashioned Christmas Tree – decorated with silver, white, and crystal ornaments and topped with a silver star. 

The trees were on display in The Doyle rotunda until November 28 and were auctioned off. The proceeds went to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia to support its programs and services throughout the province. 

$20,000 Raised for Mental Health

This isn’t the first time Maureen has rolled up her sleeves to champion a fundraising initiative for the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. Earlier this year, she took part in the Music for Mental Health campaign, a day-long event full of activities, presentations and music focused on promoting positive mental health at Parkland at the Gardens.

She set out to fundraise $10,000. When she hit her goal, it was matched by Shannex. In total, she raised $20,000.

Importance of Seniors’ Mental Health

Maureen is a strong advocate for the importance of mental health awareness and education, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to help make the community a better place. 

 “As seniors, we sometimes lose loved ones and friends in a short period. It’s easy to dismiss feelings of sadness as depression when, in reality, it’s never ‘just’ depression. It all comes back to mental health.”

Read more about life at Parkland on our blog!

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