Photo by Natalie Miller

Resident Grace Patterson sits next to the wooden wishing well at Pleasant Meadow Manor. Grace was the guest of honour yesterday at a barbecue in support of her wish to meet Oprah Winfrey.

OMNI Administrative Assistant Marie Murphy has sent emails to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times notifying them of a Pleasant Meadow Manor resident’s wish to meet Oprah Winfrey. Grace Patterson, 80, who lives at the long-term care home in Norwood, dropped a special request into the home’s wooden wishing well to meet the incredibly-famous talk-show host. The story of Grace’s Wish has already splashed the pages of local newspapers in the Norwood and Peterborough areas.

Marie says it’s time to take the campaign to a national and international level. OMNI’s home office is backing the wish by distributing posters and form letters for people to sign. Chris Charlebois, life enrichment supervisor at Pleasant Meadow, was behind the Make-a-Wish program and sent an initial email to the Oprah show. She received confirmation the correspondence had been received.

“It’s really starting to snowball,” says Chris.

She notes Pleasant Meadow has received about 500 letters in support of Grace’s Wish. Home office has approximately 200; including one from a senior living in Keene who offered to pay for expenses should Grace get the opportunity to go to Chicago where the show is taped.

Marie has also contacted the CBC and sent stories about the campaign to OMNI’s 15 other homes. She has received seven letters from staff at Almonte Country Haven near Ottawa.

Pleasant Meadow held a community barbecue yesterday and Grace was the resident of honour. About 150 showed up for the corn roast, ice cream and live entertainment and signed letters of support.

The intent is to send the entire package of letters to Oprah in approximately two weeks when the campaign comes to an end.