Photos courtesy of Matthew Phillips except where noted
Huntsville brought smiles to the faces of one southern Ontario family this week.
Three members of Commisso family from Mississuaga – Sonia, Cosimo, and Alessia – were shown hospitality the way only a kind and caring community can.
It all started when family friend Freddy Arcos contacted the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Huntsville to ask about wheelchair-accessible rooms. When Matthew Phillips, the Executive Director of Operations for the hotel’s ownership group Aurora Hotel Group, learned of the family’s challenges, he knew our community would want to help them out.
Sonia is caregiver to both of her children and her husband, Tony. Her son Cosimo, 22, has both a seizure and a learning disorder; Alessia, 13, has a mitochondrial disease; and Tony has Progressive Secondary Multiple Sclerosis and couldn’t make the trip with his family.
Phillips donated their accommodations and the community generosity spiraled from there into a full two-and-a-half days of activities, from August 15-17, including a morning at Shizen Spa for Sonia, a trip to Muskoka Heritage Place for Alessia and Cosimo, and a family cruise on the Wenonah II steamship in Gravenhurst.
Their favourite activity? Fishing.
“I never in a million years thought I would say I loved fishing, but it was just so much fun,” laughed Sonia, who even caught a fish. None of them had been fishing before and both Alessia and Cosimo thought that Sonia’s screaming dance when she thought a worm had landed on her head was a highlight. And Cosimo delighted in being able to pilot the pontoon boat across Fairy Lake.
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- Alessia (left) tries her hand at fishing with the advice of Steve Borden
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- Sonia (left) and Cosimo enjoyed their first time fishing. Family friend Freddy Arcos is at front left.
The rain on Tuesday didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. Cosimo joked that they went swimming on the Portage Flyer and he was fascinated by the turning around of the engine at the end of the line. “It was kind of cool how the train disconnects and turned around. I didn’t realize how they have to physically do that.”
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- Cosimo (left) and Alessia (front) at the Portage Flyer train station
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- Cosimo and Alessia shop for snacks at the Nutty Chocolatier
For Alessia, the entire trip was pretty amazing. “The whole experience we had was cool. It was fun. We got to do different things that I had never done before.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Sonia. “It’s been so beautiful, so overwhelming. I enjoyed every moment of it. The love that has been poured into our lives has been awesome. It’s such a kind and loving community. We will be back.”
Phillips added how proud he was of the Huntsville community. “Good communities take care of their own, but you know you have a special place to live when we take care of others.”
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- (From left) Sonia, Cosimo and Alessia Commisso, Freddy Arcos, and Matthew Phillips, Executive Director of Operations for Aurora Hotel Group
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- (From left) Cosimo Commisso, Freddy Arcos, Alessia and Sonia Commisso, and Matthew Phillips with the Wenonah II steamship in the background
The businesses and individuals who donated to the Commisso’s trip were:
Adam and Victoria Wadel – pontoon boat for fishing and a lake tour
Algonquin Outfitters – tube ride and lifejackets (cancelled due to rain)
Beauview Cottage Resort – a kitchen knife set and a BBQ set for a silent auction
Belly Ice Cream – ice cream
Boston Pizza – dinner
Canadian Tire Gas Bar – $50 in gas cards for the trip to Huntsville
Family Place Restaurant – pizza (who stepped in after the planned lunch at the Taco Stop was rained out)
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Huntsville – accommodations
Hunters Bay Radio – a full tour and a live-to-air interview where Alessia and Cosimo each selected a favourite song and introduced them on air
Jerry and Angela Feltis – campfire on Hunters Bay (cancelled due to rain)
Jessica Gilpin and Christine Thornborrow – crocheted lap blanket for Alessia
MBRP – hoodies for Tony and Cosimo and t-shirts for the entire family, as well as a gift card to Canadian Tire and to Cara Restaurants
The Garage at MBRP – a complete oil lube and filter change for the Commisso family van while they were here, plus t-shirts
Mill on Main – dinner
Muskoka Bear Wear – apparel
Muskoka Heritage Place – museum, village and train ride
Muskoka Steamships – lunch and cruise on the Wenonah II
Nutty Chocolatier – $20 gift card for snacks on the rainy day for their in-room “movie night”
Petro Canada – $50 in gas cards for the trip home
Pride Marine – $50 in gas for the boating trips
Pub on the Docks – lunch
Robinson’s Independent – flowers for Sonia plus flowers for each room and a gift basket of snacks
Sarah Coombs – videography and photography
Shizen Spa – massage & pedicure for Sonia
Steve Borden – fishing excursion
Additional items donated are planned for a silent auction at a later date with the funds to be contributed to the family’s GoFundMe page for therapy, equipment and accessible home renovation costs.
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I could not be prouder of our community. Although the contributors did not expect to be listed, it was terrific to see so many “new” individuals/companies in addition to the “usual suspects”. I have been volunteering for PWD’s (Persons With Disabilities) for the last two decades, and the value of a mini-vacation plus ongoing support through GoFundMe is inestimable for the Commisso family.