Canadian icons Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were centre stage Thursday night, at the Bluewater Health Foundation Gala.
The Olympic gold medalists were the guest speakers for this year's event, in support of renewal and investment at Bluewater Health.
The pair shared their story as skating partners, the challenges they faced and the support they received from each other, from their family and Canadians across the country.
"It's communities like this across Ontario and Canada that really have made a difference in our careers," said Virtue. "So, to be able to come back here in this format and in this capacity, giving back in a meaningful way and seeing the community thrive and come together is really important."
Moir said it was an honour to be invited as the special guest speakers.
"We're just a quick shot up the 402 to our hometown so it's important for Tessa and I to be able to be back in the community and to be able to give back a little bit," said Moir. It's an important matter for people here in Sarnia so we're excited to be asked and excited people still know our names."
Moir said although they've retired from competition, the pair loves to give back any way they can, including involvement with the special Olympics.
"We're community people as Tessa said, we got a lot of support from all over the country so it's a big, important thing for us and now we have young families of our own, so kind of doubling down on that community."
Virtue told Sarnia News Today that they visited Sarnia often throughout their career.
"We trained in Michigan for 10 years and we would cross the border, immediately go to a Tim Hortons and then we could carry on down the 402," she said. "So I feel like it certainly was a big part of our career and our paths as we came up the ranks, and competed here quite a number of times."
Since the foundation gala started in 2013, over $800,000 has been raised in support of local health care.
Funds raised this year will go towards investment in diagnostic imaging, which includes mammography, CT, x-ray and MRIs.
During Thursday's gala, Medical Director, Diagnostic Imaging at Bluewater Health Dr. Youssef Almalki announced the Sarnia hospital would be getting a second MRI machine, with the province providing operational funding.
With files from Natalia Vega
