Grocery manager supporting fundraisers says hospital saved his life twice
Administrator | Feb 03, 2025 | Comments 1
Grocery store manager Murray Lupenette is proud to be behind fundraisers that support the County’s hospital, reporting his life has been saved not once, but twice.
“When the opportunity came to ‘Back the Build’, I was one hundred per cent in. Our community’s heart, that’s the hospital,” said Lupenette in a new video where he shares his story of receiving lifesaving care.
The video was launched in conjunction with the presentation by Lupenette and staff at the Picton Metro who presented $8,656.79 raised from the cash register round-up promotion held last fall.

Pictured at Picton Metro, from left, are: Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation; Briar Boyce, senior development officer with the PECMH Foundation; Oscar Brugnera, Sr. Director Operations East Division at Metro Inc.; Sally Cowan, Back the Build campaign volunteer; Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign chairperson; Murray Lupenette, Picton Metro store manager; Chris Gillespie, district manager of Metro; Carman Kloet, bookkeeper for Metro and Trevor Smith, Picton Metro assistant store manager.
That brings the five-year total raised in support of Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation’s (PECMHF) Back the Build campaign to $74,182.63.
“This wonderful contribution to our new hospital campaign demonstrates this store’s dedication to our community,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECHM Foundation. “Thank you to Metro, store manager Murray Lupenette, and his entire team for working incredibly hard to raise these funds for a fifth year.”
“Metro has been an enthusiastic host for this in-store fundraiser that engages residents and visitors to Prince Edward County,” said Lupenette. “I credit the store employees and our generous and loyal customers. Together, they raised the money at the registers, and those contributions will stay with their community. We also want to thank the Picton Firefighters Association for volunteering their time to staff the barbecue again this year.”
Lupenette and his family have relied on Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital for medical care when they have needed it most.
“Ten months ago I had a heart attack. It was terrifying,” said Lupenette in the video. “And that’s not the first time the Prince Edward Memorial has saved me.” Watch the video below, for details.
Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign chairperson, said Metro’s leadership is another excellent example of the collaborative effort under way across Prince Edward County to help build our new hospital.
“We could not achieve this goal without support from the community and corporate partners like Metro.”
PECMHF’s Back the Build campaign is raising $30M to help build and equip a new hospital to serve residents and visitors in Prince Edward County. For more information and to lend your support, visit www.pecmhf.ca/back-the-build
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Thank you! What a wonderful thing to do for us all.