P.E.I. Mussel King staff giving to help stroke care at QEH

If you love mussels, or if you are trying them for the first time, join the staff of P.E.I. Mussel King of Morell as they distribute a truckload of mussels in return for a donation this Saturday, Dec. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Charlottetown Canadian Tire parking lot.
They are raising funds for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to help purchase medical equipment for stroke care.
P.E.I. Mussel King operates a 21,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art processing facility and owns the largest mussel farming operation in Canada.
It is run by the Dockendorff family of Morell, which was started by Russell Dockendorff Sr. in 1978.
He was known across the Island as the 'mussel king' and he died at the QEH this past August after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage at home.
His daughter, Esther Dockendorff, says it will be a melancholy first holiday without their dad so her family and the employees decided to do something tangible to share in the Christmas spirit.
They decided to give mussels to the public in return for a donation to honour their father and help their hospital at the same time.
"My father had strong Christian values and was always generous to others and he delighted in doing so," says Dockendorff.
"I think this event will help remind all of us of our blessings, especially our health, and of the needs of others. For our family, we see this event as a pleasant distraction so we can get through our first Christmas without him. We always believed this time of year brings out the best in people."
Dockendorff said if people haven't already, most will have times in their lives when they will depend on the services of the QEH.
"Mussels are at peak quality right now, so I encourage everyone to come see us this weekend and get some mussels for Christmas, and at the same time, make a donation to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital," says Dockendorff.
The QEH Foundation says it is pleased the Dockendorff family decided to remember their father this way and help stroke care at the QEH, and what a great way to give back to the community at this time of giving.
"I don't think there is anything we could do in his memory that could better capsulate his life than to give," said Dockendorff.