- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor
Some of the things Bruce Hall does for the community here in Owen Sound are as big and colourful as he is.
The “puffies” on the lawn and roof of ReNewed computers that change with the seasons have just become all Christmas-y, mere 
weeks after the giant dahlias and brugmanias were dug from the garden for their long winter's nap.
Other gifts this family brings to our community are quiet and invisible to all but the grateful recipients.
Bruce received a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma just days after his wedding on his 60th birthday on July 1 this year. He has not been able to work, and the family's cash has been used to meet ongoing business expenses.
In the meantime, in week 13 of chemotherapy, Bruce is leaving prescriptions unfilled and alternative therapies unused.
In Bruce's words, “Although alternative treatments offer varying results, I think attempting these options gives a better chance of extending the quality and sustainability of my life.”
Bruce has tried, he says, “to come up with a clever approach for paying for the next few months of life and treatments. I have not found one.”
So he is finally looking to his friends and neighbours – through a GoFundMe page.
We at the Owen Sound Hub have rarely publicized GoFundMe requests – and indeed as a family we prefer to skip such on-line campaigns with their associated fees and deductions and give needed money directly to people we trust. We'll be doing that in this situation. This one is personal for us.
So we are breaking with our usual policy and asking those who have enjoyed the fruits of Bruce and Alexa's generosity over the past decades to return the favour now in any way you can. Remember the scene at the end of “It's a Wonderful Life” with the bushel basket? Let's fill it.
