By: Tracey Coveart / The Scugog Standard

When Mr. Sub owners Spiros and Dimos Vovos wanted to give back to their community, no one -not even the brothers – knew that their Subs for Seniors day would become an annual event that raises thousands of dollars for seniors at the local nursing home. In two years, thanks to the generosity of their sponsors and the support of their customers, the brothers have raised $7,800 for the residents’ Fund at Community Nursing Home Port Perry and the Vovos boys are hoping Wednesday, June 1, will be their best event yet.

“It just keeps getting bigger!” said Spiros, who now has 13 sponsors and more clamouring to get in on the fun. “We’re hoping to raise $5,000 this year.”

The Vovos brothers will donate one dollar for every 12-inch sub and fifty cents for every six-inch sub sold that day to the local nursing home to enrich the lives of seniors living there. The Vovos brothers will also hold a donation draw on June 10. A minimum $5 donation will get customers in on the draw for some fabulous prizes: a pair of Blue Jays tickets donated by Port Perry resident Steven Fox; a pair of Jays tickets for the June 12 game against Boston donated by Mr. Sub Port Perry, a Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Machine donated by Krups, a Broadstone six-man dome tent donated by Canadian Tire Port Perry and a Sony Blue Ray Player donated by Mr. Sub Port Perry.

Just some of the events that residents were able to enjoy last year thanks to the Subs for Seniors donation include visits from Zoo to You and the Super Dogs, a trip to WindReach Farm, a spin with the Blue Nights Motorcycle Derby, a carnival fun fair with Bellybutton the Clown and an outdoor movie night in the parking lot featuring The Sound of Music.

According to program aid Brenda Carberry, monies raised through Subs for Seniors this year will pay for a field trip in August for 25 lucky residents to Eaglewood, wheelchair accessible lodge in Pefferlaw, complete with horses and pigs, fishing pond, campfire and an accessible tractor ride through the bush.

Residents journeyed to the lodge last year with some staying for the day and others bunking out for two nights.

“The residents wanted to go out for dinner so we took them to a fancy restaurant in Pefferlaw,” said Brenda and they loved sitting outdoors around the campfire roasting marshmallows and dipping them in Bailey’s Irish Cream! We even made the wish of one who has since passed away come true. He wanted get on a horse again and we got him riding.”

The money from Subs for Seniors allows the nursing home to offer more “community based programs,” said Program Director Leisa Saunders. “Sometimes our budgets don’t allow us to do what we really want to do with our residents and this fundraising helps to offset the costs so we can develop more programs for more people. We’ve had a big turnout to many of the events, with residents, families, staff and volunteers all coming out to enjoy the entertainment. Because it’s affordable we can take a much broader approach to our activity programming.”

And for Spiros, that’s what it’s all about.

“We’re helping to bring entertainment to seniors who can’t get out on their own to enjoy things anymore,” said Spiros, who was invited to the home for the Zoo to You event in July. “The sunroom was packed with residents and family members and children. It was priceless to see how excited and happy people were. The buzz in the building was electric.”

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