Back in the early 1970s, a then-54-year-old Anne Bordeleau had very good reasons for signing up to become a volunteer with the Sturgeon Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer Association.
“I care for people and I like meeting them,” she began. “And I'm very good at selling. I could sell anything.”
That was the way it was for her then, and it’s still the same way it is for her now. After 46 years, she’s still a smiling face and a welcoming presence in a royal blue vest as she greets people in the gift shop at the Sturgeon Hospital. On Tuesday, she showed up for her regular weekly shift and was greeted herself with a crowded surprise party for her 100th birthday.
“Oh, my goodness, I was just overwhelmed. I never had an inkling that that would happen. They really, really surprised me. Every one of them kept quiet. Never said a boo,” she said.
Among the attendees on hand to celebrate the occasion were hospital administrators, officials with Alberta Health, local politicians and members of the media, including a TV crew. The overwhelming attention and affection led Bordeleau to state, "Do I ever need a glass of wine," much to the crowd's amusement.
The gift shop is SHAVA’s mainstay operation to benefit Sturgeon Hospital. Along with other fundraising efforts over its 50-year existence, the community organization has donated a whopping $3.1 million to help the hospital purchase necessary equipment. It thrives by being able to count on its 225 volunteers. All told, she has accumulated approximately 10,000 volunteer hours for SHAVA alone, a sum that surpasses the number of hours in an entire year.
Bordeleau, who is SHAVA’s longest-serving member, said she hasn’t actually counted her time to verify that math. She does know it has been 46 years. While she has cut her shifts back a bit (it used to be three shifts per week), she has no intention of ever stopping, even when surprise birthday parties interrupt the order of business.
While the party was earlier this week, her birthday is actually today. She said she will be enjoying a small, private celebration with several dozen of her family members and close friends. After the weekend is over, she’ll be back in royal blue for her regular shift on Tuesday.
“I enjoy it thoroughly,” she said. “We get a free coffee and the girls I work with are very, very pleasant.”
