The Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation declared the start of their Business Appreciation Days recently.
The occasion was the Foundation’s annual Caring Company Dinner held at the Hume Hotel last month. The program, now in its 12th year, is an opportunity for the Foundation to thank local businesses and organizations for their past contributions as well as to share plans for the coming year.
Foundation director Brian May told the crowd that last year they saw “retailers along Baker Street joining forces, realtors sharing commissions, contractors pitching in to build a house, and local managers lobbying for head office grants. Group support ranged from the Balfour Anglican Church Guild to the Road Kings and communities from Meadow Creek to Nelson.”
Caring companies and clubs receive awards based on donation levels and unlike previous years the greatest number received gold awards which indicated that core supporters dug deeper to make the ambitious CT scanner program a success. At the same time, since the number of direct donors only increased by 400, it was clear that many people donated indirectly through community groups.
“Clubs, societies, teams, leagues, congregations, and neighbourhoods all found creative ways to raise funds and bring fun to the campaign,” explained May.
Overall the groups combined to donate $635,000 in 2010.
Presentations throughout the evening by Thalia Vesterback, local IHA health services director for diagnostic imaging, and local maternity ward nurse Andrea McKenzie focused on expectations in their respective departments.
After explaining software capabilities and operational plans for the CT scanner, Vesterback announced that the Foundation has committed to further strengthen the hospital’s diagnostic program by purchasing new bone scanning equipment to aid in diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.
Kootenay Lake Hospital is the only facility in the region offering the program. Foundation directors added that they have also agreed to other immediate purchases and the creation of a diagnostic contingency fund to help with future fundraisers.
McKenzie discussed a plan to buy a third external fetal monitor during the Foundations Breath of Spring campaign. The capacity of the maternity program has grown by 50 per cent since it was renovated in 2002. The $38,000 monitor is essential to gauge vital signs during labour. Since the beginning of the year the Foundation, in partnership with other parties, has now committed to buy six pieces of equipment for the ward at a cost of $114,000.
Throughout the evening Foundation directors handed out close to 75 certificates and will mail another 80 to recipients who couldn’t attend.
Their next big event will be the Legacy Golf event at Granite Pointe on July 10.