The sunflowers at Brian Schoonjans’ farm in rural Lambton County are ready for their close up.
Schoonjans and his family have planted a field of sunflowers each summer since 2019 for a project known as Miracle Max’s Minions, created in memory of Max Rombouts, who died in June of that year at the age of two after battling leukemia.
Since then, others have planted sunflowers and joined the project, which had raised more than $250,000 as of the beginning of this year to support childhood cancer charities and other children’s health-care initiatives selected by the Rombouts family.
Schoonjans said “an acre and a half” of sunflowers he planted opened to the public on Aug. 26 at his farm on Douglas Line near Aberarder – about 35 kilometers northeast of Sarnia – and should remain in bloom for a couple of weeks.
Visitors are encouraged to leave donations in a bucket set out at the farm when they drop by to take photos with the sunflowers and pick a few to take home with them. Visitors should bring their own cutting tools, Schoonjans said
Visitors are asked to park on the grass on both sides of the farm laneway.
The sunflower field has moved to the east side of the laneway at 5023 Douglas Line this year to give the original field a rest.
Other locations with sunflower fields earlier this year connected to the project included Sipkins Nurseries, the Rogers farm on Rawlings Road, the VanLoon farm on Confederation Line and Stonepicker Brewing Company on Forest Road.
“Stonepickers is just coming off of its full bloom,” Schoonjans said.
As well as collecting donations at the sites, the project accepts them by e-transfer to [email protected].
Schoonjans said a charity hockey tournament in March in Lucan raised more than $21,000 for the project this year and a golf tournament organized by Mike and Sandra Rombouts raised close to $19,000.
“So, we had $40,000 basically before we put a seed in the ground this year,” he said.
“We’ll definitely be north of $300,000” raised in total by the end of this year, Schoonjans estimated.
“It’s simply amazing.
One cause the project supports is a Childcan parking pass program at Southwestern Ontario hospitals for families with terminally ill children
It’s known as “Max’s Pass,” Schoonjans said.
“We’re very proud to be able to do that for families.”
The project has also joined with other groups to support research into treating childhood illnesses.
“It’s definitely worth it when we can help kids who are fighting cancer and other terminal illnesses,” Schoonjans said.
“We feel very blessed to be part of this very positive energy.”