Nearly $40,000 was raised in the West Parry Sound Health Centre’s first-ever 50/50 Love Our Hospital Lottery.
That’s according to Christine McKernan, Executive Director at the WPSHC Foundation.
“We’re so excited to announce that our winning pot was $19,791… we’re just thrilled that the way the community continues to support our hospital to ensure that we have tomorrow’s Health Care today with new technologies and new equipment so that we’re always there when you need us,” she says.
As a result, McKernan says “a member of our community, Donna Badger, won $19,791 and the foundation was able to put $19,791 toward the highest priority needs of our hospital, to enhance Health Care right here in our community,”.
McKernan says the foundation currently has three major projects they are working on. “We’re raising money to upgrade the technology on the equipment in our diagnostic labs, and of course, the diagnostic lab is the engine of the hospital. Not too many people visit our facility without needing the services of our diagnostic labs. The other key priority for us is part of our pharmacy program and upgrading the drug dispensing units in our pharmacy program, [which] also oversees our chemo program for the region,” she says.
McKernan says that the fun doesn’t end here, adding that the foundation has decided to bring back the 50/50 draw every month now.
“We thought that [turning it onto a monthly draw] would be a fun way for everybody in our community to get involved. Our hospital is there for our whole community as we are the hospital here in Parry Sound plus our six regional nurse practitioner-led clinics. So we have a pretty broad reach and we wanted everybody in our area to join In loving our hospital and helping us raise money while having fun and participating in a lottery,” she says.
Mckernan says the portal is now open to buy your tickets for the March draw, adding “pricing will stay exactly the same, and you can purchase tickets at loveourhospital.com, it’s easy and it’s fun,”.
She carried a heartful “thank you,” to the community, adding that she’s been at the foundation for a year, “and the amazing thing I’ve learned about this community is that when we need their help, they’re always there to help us,” McKernan says.
She calls our community a “generous, kind community that cares about each other and loves [its] hospital,”.
The 50/50 Love Our Hospital Lottery kicked off in January as a way for the foundation to offer a fun opportunity for community members to continue supporting the health centre. Officials say all lottery proceeds stay in the region and are used to enhance healthcare here in our own community.