The group fighting the location of a proposed new acute care hospital for Windsor-Essex is looking to raise $100,000 to finance its legal challenge.
Citizens for an Accountable Mega-Hospital Planning Process, or CAMPP, has started a GoFundMe page.
CAMPP is opposed to the hospital being located at County Rd. 42 and the Ninth Concession and is appealing city council's decision to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
The group has also hired Toronto lawyer Eric Gillespie to file its appeal and also has the backing of internationally-renowned planner Jennifer Keesmaat.
Spokesperson Melinda Munro says they hope to hit $50,000 by March.
"If the Case Management Conference results in a date being set for the actual appeal hearing to take place, then we'll be setting some additional milestones to raise money to support legal fees and fees for people like Jennifer Keesmaat to appear at the actual hearing when it takes place," she says.
The group has raised over $15,000 since February 2.
Munro says 95 donations have been made, ranging from $5 to $1,500.
"We're really thrilled with the response, that that many people have been willing to put their own money in the game, if you will, to support this thing," she says.
CAMPP also hopes the page will double as an information source to set the record straight on what they're fighting for.
"Nobody in CAMPP is against a new hospital or against improving the quality of the hospitals we have, the issue is that this is not the right site for that hospital to go," says Munro.
The organization launched a challenge against the Windsor City Council`s proposed location for a new regional acute care centre for Essex County back in January — the city decided on the location in August of 2018.