A new community walk supporting the redevelopment of Lakeridge Health Bowmanville Hospital has already raised more than $20,000 in peer-to-peer fundraising, according to a report released one month before the event.
Steps for Care, presented by Ontario Power Generation, will take place Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Darlington Waterfront Trail in Courtice. The Bowmanville Hospital Foundation describes the event as a family-friendly 5K walk and celebration supporting the redevelopment of a purpose-built Bowmanville Hospital.
The inaugural event comes as the Foundation marks 50 years of community fundraising and continues its We Care, We Can campaign, which is raising the community share of construction costs and funding for equipment connected to the hospital redevelopment.
Steps for Care set for Sept. 27
The walk is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Darlington Waterfront Trail, 81 Crago Road in Courtice.
Participants can register individually, create a team or join an existing team. People who are unable to participate in the walk can also donate directly to an individual participant, a team or the overall campaign.
According to the Aug. 27 report, peer-to-peer fundraising for Steps for Care has already surpassed $20,000.
The event is expected to bring together residents, local businesses, health-care teams and community organizations in support of the hospital project.
Redevelopment to expand Bowmanville Hospital
The Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment is currently in procurement and is expected to more than double the size of the existing hospital.
Infrastructure Ontario says the project will expand critical-care capacity and introduce modern patient-centred facilities, including private and bariatric rooms, an ambulatory care centre and a haemodialysis centre.
Plans also include Level 3 Critical Care capacity and a rooftop helipad designed to support rapid access to emergency services.
The Request for Proposals stage closed on June 23 after two shortlisted teams submitted bids. Infrastructure Ontario and Lakeridge Health are evaluating the proposals, with a successful proponent expected to be announced in fall 2026, subject to final approvals.
Community fundraising supports the project
The Bowmanville Hospital Foundation says its We Care, We Can campaign is the largest fundraising initiative in its history. The campaign is responsible for raising 100 per cent of equipment needs as well as the community’s share of construction costs for the redevelopment.
Steps for Care is one of several community initiatives supporting that effort.
The Foundation says the redevelopment is intended to improve access to care for residents across Bowmanville, Clarington and the wider Durham Region as the population continues to grow.
The hospital is the easternmost site in the Lakeridge Health system and has served the community for more than a century.
A new community event for Clarington
The Sept. 27 walk will also serve as a celebration of the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation’s 50th anniversary.
Along with the 5K walk, organizers are promoting the event as a family-oriented community gathering. Registration and fundraising are continuing ahead of the event.
For residents who want to support the redevelopment, the Bowmanville fundraiser provides a direct way to participate while the hospital project moves toward selection of its design-build-finance partner later this year.
With the redevelopment procurement advancing and community fundraising continuing, Steps for Care will put another spotlight on the long-term effort to expand health-care capacity in Clarington and Durham Region.
