The East Kootenay Foundation for Health’s “Clear View” goal was to raise $1 million to purchase a new digital stereotactic mammography unit for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital. The goal was to do it in two years but thanks to some outstanding leadership gifts prior to the public launch (October 2011), many public donations and fundraising events throughout the past year and a final gift of $100,000 from the Lake Windermere District Lions Club; history has been made one year ahead of schedule and the campaign has met its goal.
Some highlights from the Columbia Valley are:
• Lake Windermere District Lions Club: $100,000
• Invermere Health Care Auxiliary: $50,000
• Clearly… a Breast Friends Bash: $17,193
• Kootenay Savings Credit Union & Windermere Health Care Auxiliary (Cancelled Tourney but 2nd Clearly… A Breast Friends Bash): $15,000
• Edgewater/Radium Health Care Auxiliary: $500
• Fairmont & District Lions Club: $7,260
• Kinsmen Club of Windermere Valley: $1,000
• Tembec Canal Flats Operations Employees: $7,550
• Sheila and Stuart Tutty, the faces of the campaign for Invermere
“It is with great pleasure that East Kootenay Foundation for Health can announce that thanks to a gift of $100,000 from the Lake Windermere District Lions Club and the outpouring of support and financial donations from people, organizations, businesses, corporations and service clubs from throughout the East Kootenay; the A Clear View campaign has officially met its goal,” declares EKFH Past-Chair Linda Berukoff.
Lions President Harold Hazelaar shares, “The Lake Windermere District Lions Club is proud to support both the Invermere and East Kootenay Regional Hospitals. When the A Clear View campaign was first announced, our members made a decision to be part of the picture. We have been working closely with Donna Grainger at the foundation since March of this year to ensure that our club would help take the campaign to completion.”
To celebrate the magnitude of the fundraising effort the Lake Windermere District Lions Club recently invited representatives from some of the key pre-campaign leadership organizations to a dinner to share and rejoice in the momentous occasion. President Hazelaar, Past-President Al Larratt and many members of the Lake Windermere District Lions Club welcomed:
• Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary ($250,000 leading gift): President Sandy Zeznik & Rachel Christie, 1st Vice President
• Invermere Health Care Auxiliary ($50,000 gift): President Kerry Jopp, Joanne Myers, Secretary
• Windermere Health Care Auxiliary ($18,000 part of KSCU gift): Past-President Sharryn Schmidt , Dorothy Anders & Raylene Oram, members
• Edgewater Radium Health Care Auxiliary ($500): President Barb Neraasen
• East Kootenay Foundation for Health (public campaign): Past-Chair Linda Berukoff, Chair Brian Clifford, Donna Grainger, Executive Director and Sheila Tutty , Invermere’s Face of the Campaign (Unable to attend were members of the Kimberley Health Care Auxiliary – $10,000 gift)
The evening featured a speech from EKFH’s Linda Berukoff who highlighted the significance and importance of the Health Care Auxiliaries in leading the push to make the campaign a reality, to organizations such as the Lions Club who showed faith by committing to take the campaign to its goal, to the faces of the campaign that literally brought life to the purpose and benefits of the equipment and to all those donors, big and small, that made a charitable gift along the way.
“I was really overcome by emotion when the reality hit that we all made something beautiful happen. For me the campaign was not just about the financial outcome but about the wonderful array of moments that remind you how precious life is. A Clear View has impacted my life so wonderfully,” explains Donna Grainger, Executive Director.
The real story is that the combined effort of every donor accomplished this goal one year earlier than the proposed two year campaign plan. Every person who made a gift, took part in an event, shared a story and showed support for someone with breast cancer, chose to be part of the picture. Because of that generosity these gifts will change the lives of individuals who may receive a breast cancer diagnosis and for that we can all be grateful because from start to finish that is who the “Clear View” is truly focused on.
Should any donations be received by EKFH over and above the campaign goal these funds will be held in trust for the Diagnostic Imaging – Mammography fund as some additional equipment pieces may be required after the digital stereotactic equipment arrives at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital.
EKFH will be releasing an additional update as to arrival time on the equipment as well as a presenting a story on a year in review to celebrate you the donors and supporters of the campaign. A public open house celebration is planned after the equipment is in operation. There are only two words that can sum up a historical moment such as this, those being “Thank you.”
—Submitted by Donna Grainger, East Kootenay Foundation for Health Executive Director