As those of you who have been to the School know, our grounds are meticulously kept and maintained. There’s one woman we have to thank for that – Sherry Bell. Sherry has worked at the university for 40 years as a groundskeeper and 18 years have been spent taking care of the Optometry grounds.
Sherry takes great pride in her work. There are several special events at the School such as Continuing Education (where optometrist from Ontario come for lectures), the White Coat ceremony (first year optometry students and their parents from all across Canada, attend a formal ceremony that welcomes them into the optometry profession) and of course convocation. Sherry knows when these events occur and if possible, works even harder to make sure the grounds are impeccable.
When there’s snow, Sherry ensures that all the walkways are always shovelled and salt/sand put down well before most of the staff and patients arrive for the day around 8 a.m. She understands that Optometry is a health care facility and takes special care to ensure the clinic entrances are clear. We have many low vision and elderly patients and she makes sure the walkways are cleared and as safe as possible and even assists patients to the clinic door.
When I returned from nine months of breast cancer treatment, the garden was in full bloom and was beautiful. It had flowers, small trees and hundreds of tulips. Sherry spent her own money buying plants for the garden. Sherry told me she had worked on the garden for me. I was unbelievably moved by her kindness. We call it the Survivor’s Garden.
In Sherry’s own words, “When I first came to Optometry, I cleaned out the weeds from the pine beds on the berm in between the main entrance and the loading dock. I started to plant some bulbs and some perennials, then I found out that Marie was fighting breast cancer. We all donate to the cause but I wanted to do something more tangible. Something that would make those people who had serious illness, and who were coming to Optometry, smile. That's when the garden grew by leaps and bounds. I purchased more bulbs and plants and when some people found out what I was doing they started to give me plants from their own gardens at home. My supervisor gave me some white tulip bulbs and some wild onions ("purple puff balls") that were a big hit this spring. I will be planting more bulbs this fall, I like how they lift everyone's spirits when the snow melts. Marie and I call the garden the "Survivors Garden" but it is dedicated to everyone in optometry who has or is, fighting a serious disease. I will continue to enlarge the garden until I retire, for my hero Marie, and the people in Optometry who have always been good to me.”
Marie Amodeo (left) and Sherry Bell (right) in a recent photo.
Every time I enter or leave the building, I admire the garden and smile. We’re still in winter in mid-April, but I can’t wait to begin to see the flowers and tulips growing. We are so very fortunate to have someone like Sherry caring so much and making the grounds of Optometry a beautiful place. Thank you Sherry. Your efforts are truly appreciated!
