Schultz brothers donate over $2 million to local hospital foundations
BY DENNY SCOTT
The legacy of Cliff and Don Schultz will be one of caring for their neighbours after the brothers’ estate donated over $2 million to local hospital foundations.
On Wednesday, April 28, the executors of the estate, Les Caldwell and Jack Vincent, presented four cheques of $544,312.10 each to representatives of the Wingham, Clinton, Seaforth and Alexandra Marine and General Hospital Foundations, totalling $2,177,248. The funds came from the brothers’ savings, as well as the sale of their extensive collection of agricultural equipment, tools and toys.
The Schultz brothers lived and farmed in East Wawanosh all their lives and had no immediate family. Neither married and they had no other siblings, but they worked together on their 600-acre farm, managing it, alongside doing custom farm work. The two also collected toy tractors, farming memorabilia and functioning farm equipment, eventually amassing a collection of approximately 80 tractors and 3,000 collectables.
Cliff passed away in 2013 at the age of 75 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Don passed away at the age of 83 in 2019, leaving their sizable estate to Caldwell and Vincent to handle.
Both Don and Cliff and their late parents, Reg and Irene Schultz, used local healthcare systems, according to Caldwell and Vincent, so it made sense to donate to the hospitals.
“They were grateful to have healthcare available close to home,” a press release that was issued by Vincent, Caldwell and Nicole Duquette-Jutzi, Wingham Hospital Foundation Co-ordinator, said following the presentation of the cheques. “The brothers felt strongly that the community of Blyth and the surrounding area was a wonderful place to live and work.”
In an interview with The Citizen, Caldwell said the brothers felt that, since they made their money in the community, it should stay in the community. Caldwell said that Don felt the hospitals were a logical recipient because, at some point, everyone will benefit from them.
After Cliff passed, Don felt it was time to sell the brothers’ collected tractors, which was a big job, Caldwell said. Vincent helped with the sale and, of the 80 tractors that the brothers had collected, only two weren’t able to be driven out of the barns on their own power. Don spent $11,000 on batteries for the collection alone to get it ready for sale.
Following that, Don went into an assisted living facility in Seaforth before moving to Huronlea Home for the Aged in Brussels. During that period, Caldwell and Vincent helped Don start to sell off the rest of the collection, including the toys and significant workshop assets. Caldwell said that many people in East Wawanosh would know to go to the Schultz brothers if the hardware store didn’t have what they needed.
Caldwell said that Don was able to be there for the sales, and was sad to see the collection go, but was able to bid farewell to a lifetime of memories.
Don passed away on Jan. 10 of 2019, and delays tied to the COVID-19 pandemic led to the funds being delivered last week, Caldwell said.
As for how the funds will be spent, each foundation had plans, with some earmarking it for future projects, while others had ongoing initiatives that would either be completed or helped by the funding.
In Clinton, according to Darren Stevenson, Chair of the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation, the funds will go towards capital equipment projects that are ongoing this year.
The Seaforth Public Hospital Foundation, according to Seaforth Hospital Foundation Director Ron LaVoie, will be using the funds through the hospital’s capital refreshment plan.
Nicole Duquette-Jutzi of the WIngham and District Hospital Foundation said the funds will go towards the replacement of the hospital’s fleet of I.V. machines, which provide pain control and medication control for patients. She said that the newer units feature better technology and more effective delivery mechanisms.
The Goderich hospital foundation, represented by Kimberley Payne, will be deciding on exactly where to channel the funds later this year as the hospital is undertaking its first master plan in 10 years. She said there are many projects, such as the purchase of cardiac telemetry equipment with a price tag of $850,000, so determining the most appropriate allocation for the funds represents an important decision.