Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation needs financial support even during COVID-19 pandemic
Despite a deepening ripple effect caused by pandemic protective measures on citizens and business in the Southwest, the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation is still tasked with helping improve healthcare across the region.
In spite of the challenges, the Healthcare Foundation is calling on the public to support their fund-raising efforts for key equipment used in facilities in the Southwest.
“We just want to remind people that we are still here and we have a commitment to healthcare here in the Southwest. We appreciate your support in the past and we want to work with you going forward, and it’s so important that we work together as partners in healthcare,” Carol Andrews, Development Officer for the Foundation, stated during a phone interview this past week.
Over the past few weeks the Healthcare Foundation has been forced to postpone a pair of significant spring fundraisers as they work to complete funding for their Close to the Heart Campaign. The campaign is still in its final push to raise the full $350,000 required to purchase a new digital mammography machine for the Cypress Regional Hospital.
“Several of our pre-scheduled events have now been postponed, and that includes Taste of the Arts that was originally set for March 28 in Shaunavon,” Andrews explained.
She noted that they had pre-sold over 100 tickets and there was growing excitement around the fundraiser organized by Sharon Dickie in Shaunavon. They hope to reschedule the event when social distancing measures are removed.
“People were pretty excited about coming out and taking part in that event because it really brought the entire region together. We had a lot of food vendors from across the region…and it will be a really great event.”
“That was something that we were really looking forward to. That was really going to help us boost our Close to the Heart digital mammography campaign. It was something that we could really look forward to that maybe it just wasn’t a one time event, that we could make it an annual event. Because who doesn’t love food and drink, and especially celebrating the businesses of our Southwest corner.”
Andrews notes that the Foundation’s NHL Black Tie Playoff Hockey Draft, which was being presented by major sponsor Urban Cellars, has also been postponed. This April 6 event was also targeting their fund-raising efforts to the Close to the Heart Campaign.
Their annual general meeting originally set for April 21 has been postponed, and their annual golf tournament set for June has been tentatively rescheduled to September 18.
Despite the postponed events caused by COVID19, they are still keeping a visible profile because of the important work they do.
“We’re really feeling the effects of that. But thankfully despite all of this we have had some donations coming in through the door from local supporters across the Southwest.
Currently, they have only $30,000 to raise in order to complete their $350,000 Close to the Heart campaign.
“At this point in time it’s still a lot for us to raise. But at least we’re almost at our goal,” she said. “It really has been a battle because of the whole local economy, with the downturn in oil and everything else that’s happened over the last several of months, it has taken us a little bit longer to reach that goal.”
Andrews pointed out that despite the pandemic, the daily operations of healthcare facilities and the need for equipment does not take a day off.
“As we know cancer and other diseases they don’t stop during pandemics like we’re a part of right now. Life still goes on and we still need people’s supports. I know these are difficult times for everybody, and we’re facing that at the Foundation as well.”
“Healthcare doesn’t stop. And so we feel we still have that commitment to help out the hospitals and other facilities here in the Southwest that have put in those equipment requests.”
And while the Foundation’s office is closed to allow staff to work from home, donations to the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation are accepted on line through E-transfer/ Credit Card https:// drirwinfoundation.com/ donate/ or by calling 306-778-3314. Staff can also assist with details regarding in memoriam gifts, planned giving donations, and grateful patient contributions.