The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation has received a significant donation to kick off one of its most important fundraisers of the year.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) recently presented the foundation with a cheque for $10,000. It will serve as a kickoff to the foundation’s Radiothon for Life, which will take place on May 1 at the hospital.
Breanne Van De Woestyne, the executive director for the hospital foundation, said CNRL offered to make a donation to jump-start the campaign.
A number of other fundraisers are also underway in the city.
“We’re very impressed with the support we have so far, and it’s still a month-and-a-half out, so it’s very exciting,” said Van De Woestyne.
The schools are really getting involved, which she said is great to see.
“Just to see the youth support that we have in this community is very special to us, in that they see the importance of our hospital, and our hospital foundation, which should be very exciting for our entire community,” she said.
The Spruce Ridge We Day Club held a steak night at Mr. Mikes Steakhouse Casual on March 5, and raised about $1,000. St. Mary’s School held a pancake breakfast that same day for kids, staff, parents and community members, and will announce the amount they raised during the Radiothon.
The hospital is finalizing where the money will be directed.
“The hospital and the foundation really work together for this event, just to make sure that we’re working together to support a certain area of the hospital, and that will definitely come through,” said Van De Woestyne.
Van De Woestyne said the fundraiser is a very important one for the foundation, as it raises funds and creates awareness of the hospital.
“There is so much that goes on here that people don’t know, and the hospital connects us all in some way. And so it’s really easy to see different ways of how the hospital has a connection to the people of the community.”
It’s great for the foundation to feel the support from the community, and it also gets the staff involved.
Van De Woestyne noted the fundraiser is taking place a couple of weeks later than normal. But one thing that will remain the same from previous years is the barbecue lunch that will be served that day. There is a $5 donation for the lunch, and a donation of $25 earns the donor a lunch ticket.
The Radiothon for Life will on Golden West Radio’s stations in Estevan.
