After a one-year hiatus, the Boyle Healthcare Centre Auxiliary has completed their eighth annual Tree of Hope campaign.
“As always, the public has been very generous and supportive of our efforts,” said Lois Bourret of the auxiliary. “To all who donated and participated, we wish to extend our thanks.”
Tree of Hope is a fundraising initiative put on by the healthcare auxiliary that has been extremely successful in the past.
Festivities included the decorating of a Christmas tree in the hospital where those who donated $50 or more to the campaign had an ornament placed on the tree in their name. The ornaments were later given to the donors following the holiday season.
Those who donated $250 or more were entered into a draw to perform the tree-lighting ceremony. This year, the Keep family won the raffle and lit the tree in honour of the late Daniel Keep.
Bourret said that donations to this past year’s campaign were quite low, falling somewhat short of their $21,000 goal.
Nevertheless, coupled with the revenue the auxiliary earned working at the Gold Dust Casino in St. Albert, the $8,000 raised through Tree of Hope has enabled the healthcare centre to purchase several items for the hospital, one being the much needed Lifepak 15.
The Lifepak 15 is an updated version of an outdated apparatus the hospital employed previously. It is used as a defibrillator and cardiac monitor and had a price tag of $21,000.
The auxiliary was also able to make several planned refurbishments to the patient’s sitting/TV room, adding new blinds, chairs, tables, a wall-mounted television and a fresh paint job.
Old chairs have also been replaced in the hospital’s waiting room and hallways.
Total costs of the furnishings and painting were approximately $30,000.
Bourret, along with the entire auxiliary, sends many thanks to Veronica Dribnenki and her committee, which included two auxiliary members and two hospital staff, for their hard work and efforts in completing the Tree of Hope project.
The other three members of Dribnenki’s committee were Tannis Purcha, Emily Kempinsky and Mariette Nayowski.
