KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
The community came out to support the second annual fundraising barbeque to help those living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) experience better lives. B&B Market hosted the barbeque providing their own prepared tasty burgers and hotdogs, cooked on the grill by Raymond Deschamps, along with all the condiments and fresh cut tomatoes, onions & pickles. Drinks, chips and even cups of poutine were supplied at the free-will barbeque.
Due to another upcoming weekend of expected rain, the team decided to switch from a Saturday to a Friday lunch event, but this opened opportunity for work crews and others going through Alexandria to stop in for a tasty lunch. Burgers and hot dogs are always better than a cold sandwich.
Carole Brunet and her husband Denis, owners of B&B Market, began the initiative to raise funds for cystic fibrosis because one of their employees has a child who suffers from the disease. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a mutation in the normal functioning of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR), which aids in balancing salt and water on many body surfaces. CF leads to a buildup of mucus in the lungs that obstructs airways and makes breathing difficult. As well, CF can lead to increasing risk of infections and can affect organs such as the pancreas and liver.
Carole Brunet said that Alexandria is a wonderful community with residents who always find a way to help, and this year’s barbeque proved the same. Lorna Massia was making sure all hot dogs and hamburgers were matched with their respective buns. Runners were bringing additional hamburgers to Raymond for cooking, and Carole made sure the condiment table was kept full. Neighbour Pierre Lauzon lent tables and chairs for people to sit down to enjoy their food and Christine Borris was accepting the free-will donations. Christine’s daughter Aspen, who is six years old, also has CF, making this event very meaningful to Christine and her family.
In 2024, at the first barbeque, over $1800 was raised, with the B&B team serving about 300 people in a three-hour span. This year, there were many people stopping by to enjoy lunch and offering donations, and Carole said that people continued to drop in at B&B Market on the weekend to make donations, even though they were unable to attend the barbeque. The fundraiser proved to be another successful event, with the most recent total at $2420.
