After a two-year delay due to COVID-19, Oasis Centre for Bereavement and Healing is holding its second, biennial Empty Chair fundraising auction May 14 at Market Brewing in Newmarket.
Bidders will have the opportunity to acquire a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted Muskoka chair while also supporting the non-profit, charitable organization.
Of the 12 chairs, 11 have been painted by a York Region artist and each includes information detailing the artist's inspiration for its design and the personal meaning behind why the artist chose to support the fundraiser.
"Loss is a universal human feeling," said one artist on why she chose to participate."We have all lost someone who is important to us and will remain in our hearts forever."
The remaining chair will be left unpainted allowing the winning bidder to commission one of the artists to custom paint it.
It was Oasis founder Michelle Nye and her family who came up with the idea of auctioning one-of-a-kind artist-painted chairs and it was "so well received" at the inaugural auction in 2018, said Oasis director Juliet Irish.
This year's auction will be hybrid and bids can be made online or in person. Oasis is hoping to raise at least $5,000, said Irish.
The grassroots charity was formed in 2017 as a result of Newmarket founder Nye's personal experience dealing with the death of her child during delivery.
Oasis is an online hub providing resources from partner agencies across the region that deal with various aspects of bereavement enabling individuals or families to get the support they need in one place.
Because the last thing bereaved families or caregivers want is to call around looking for specialized support, said Irish.
"People will say things like 'Why didn't I know these services were out there?' It's because when (caregivers) are dealing with (this) they don't have the time and energy to be researching whets out there and what they need. Sometimes people don't know what they need."
Much of life has been lived online during the pandemic, Irish said, and there have been individuals from other parts of the region and even the province who have contacted Oasis looking for support. Even if they can't access the local resources it can give them an idea of what's out there for them.
"I think because people have had more time to be home. . . people are spending more time online, checking into what else is being offered, which is great."
If someone from outside the Region discovers Oasis but can't take advantage of its local resources maybe it will give them an idea of the type of services available so they can research in their own community, said Irish.
The aim of the auction is to raise funds for the volunteer-led charity, said Irish, but it's also about raising awareness "that Oasis Centre for Bereavement and Healing is out there."
The auction runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and a link for online bidders can be found on the Oasis website on auction day. All potential bidders can get a sneak peek of the painted chairs on the website.
