Nearly $1M raised for KGH
Photo: Contributed
The numbers are in for the KGH Day of Giving.
The eighth annual charity event raised $927,707.07 in a one day call to action.
“Every gift helps,” KGH Foundation CEO Allison Young said in a press release. “And every gift is a building block supporting better cancer care here at KGH and in our community.”
Many people whose lives have been touched by cancer turned out to donate and share their stories.
“A cancer diagnosis is unnerving,” said Debbie Robert, who lost her husband Leo to cancer last year. “It just pulls the rug out from underneath you. But as we continue to advance cancer care here at KGH and in our community through initiatives like the KGH Day of Giving, we can have the peace of mind in knowing that if this disease touches you or someone you love, you will be under the best care, close to home.”
Robert, along with hundreds of community members in the Central Okanagan, showed their support for advancements in cancer care at KGH in the areas of medical imaging, pathology, surgical oncology and innovation. Thanks to six generous, local families, all gifts were matched up until midnight.
“The generosity and support of this community never ceases to amaze me,” Young said. “It is so heartwarming to put out the call for support and to have so many people and local businesses answer with a resounding, ‘Yes, we’ll help,’ whether that’s through a monetary gift, a gift of time or a gift of story. We are so grateful for the support and so are our health care staff at KGH.”
This year, the Sprott-Shaw Change Bandits brought their mascot, Sprotty the Bear, to the party. Other familiar faces dropped by in support of the KGH Day of Giving including KGH Foundation vice-chairwoman Janine Karlsen, KGH Foundation board director Manik Dhir and Kelowna city councillor Maxine DeHart.
Lindsay Taberner, executive director of clinical operations for KGH said, “What the KGH Foundation and the community is supporting here makes me so excited for the future. It supports our ability to come together and bring forward new ideas and plans to facilitate real change that has an impact for cancer care patients now and into the future. It is both incredibly touching and exciting.”
Since its inception eight years ago, and including today’s total, KGH Day of Giving has raised more than $5.4 million in support of Kelowna General Hospital and community health care initiatives such as Foundry Kelowna, JoeAnna’s House and the acquisition of a 3T MRI for KGH.
The ongoing success of the annual fundraiser is a testament to the care, enthusiasm and generosity of the community, businesses and frontline caregivers to come together in support of a shared goal.
The KGH Foundation thanks its hourly KGH Day of Giving corporate sponsors Sandrine, Sprott Shaw College, ReMax Kelowna’s Darcy Nyrose, Kelowna Pita Pit locations, Save-On-Foods and Urban Fare, Tim Hortons and the Rotary Club of Kelowna Okanagan Mission for their support.
The KGH Foundation is also grateful for the continued support and partnership of the local Bell Media radio stations—Virgin 99.9, MOVE 101.5 and AM 1150—the on-air personalities, producers and promotions teams for their critical role in the success of the Day of Giving fundraising effort.
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