Commitment complete
Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation Ararat branch has completed its $150,000 commitment to the redevelopment of a perioperative unit at East Grampians Health Service.
In 2015, the branch made a pledge it would fund the refurbishment of the perioperative area in the hospital under the banner of the Jason Bond Perioperative Unit.
The unit was officially opened in October 2016 in honour of police cadet Jason Bond, who died in a car crash in 2011.
Members of the Ararat branch handed over their final cheque towards the project following this year’s ‘Gala Night of Nights’.
Ararat branch president Terry Weeks said the branch was honoured to have contributed towards the upgrade of the health service’s perioperative unit, in memory of Mr Bond.
“When we were looking for a new project to support, the perioperative unit was a perfect fit with our mission of partnering with the health service to provide state-of-the-art facilities,” he said.
“It was also fitting that the project was named in honour of Jason Bond, a young Ararat man who had just embarked on his career with Victoria Police, but tragically was never able to fulfil his dream.
“The newly redeveloped perioperative unit will ensure that Jason’s name lives on in Ararat, and in particular, at East Grampians Health Service.” The perioperative unit comprises two operating theatres, a day procedure unit, sterilising service, pre-admission department and dialysis unit.
East Grampians Health Service chief executive Nick Bush paid tribute to the dedication of the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation Ararat branch.
“It is incredible that this small committee has managed to raise $150,000 in just two short years, through events such as the annual Gala Night of Nights and Grampians Ride to Remember,” he said. “We are extremely grateful to the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation Ararat branch for its support of the health service over the past 15 years, contributing in excess of $850,000 to various departments in that time.
“Through this latest project, we are now able to complete more than 2000 elective and emergency surgical procedures, and more than 1700 dialysis treatments each year.”