The Castlegar & District Hospital Foundation held a pledge day for its 2016 Light Up campaign at the Element on Friday.
The goal for this year’s Light Up campaign is to raise $25,000, which will be used to cover the balance of the foundation’s commitment toward the medication room renovations in the emergency department at the Castlegar Health Centre.
“And then the balance of it [will be] for equipment that [Interior Health] has requested of us,” Stefanie Zaytsoff, office manager for the foundation, explained this morning.
An hour and a half or so after the event began, Zaytsoff was already able to report that the foundation had met 40 per cent of its goal.
“We just opened up at 10 o’clock and we’ve had a few of the people coming in [from] the community, and also our valued donors — we’re very thankful for them,” Nettie Stupnikoff, president of the Castlegar & District Hospital Auxiliary Society, said Friday morning.
Donors included the Castlegar Quilters’ Guild, who raised $3,400 for the foundation by raffling off a quilt earlier in the year, and Chris and Kathy Sykes, owners of Tim Hortons, who raised $2,100 for the foundation through the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign. Kootenay Savings Credit Union also donated $4,000 from the Kootenay Savings Community Foundation, and Andy Davidoff, director of Area I, presented a $1,000 donation on behalf of Area I. Local MLA Katrine Conroy made a personal donation to the foundation and thanked the foundation, the auxiliary and everyone who donated.
The auxiliary also made a donation of $18,000.
The day included entertainers, such as Johnny P. Johnson, a folk-roots musician, and Netta Zeberoff and Toinya Fominoff, who performed traditional Russian songs.
The foundation also gave away four door prizes. Cynthia Baker, one of the foundation’s directors, made a Christmas wreath and another of the directors, Joan Snyder, made an abalone pendant. The other two door prizes were a tea gift basket and a poinsettia.
On Monday, Zaytsoff said that the foundation had already exceeded its goal. The additional funds will be used for the areas of greatest need at the Castlegar and District Community Health Centre and Talarico Place.
“We really appreciate the support from various groups,” said Zaytsoff.
For those who were unable to make it out to the Element, donations can be made at castlegarhospitalfoundation.org/donate-now.