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Written by: Brian Lockhart An air of French culture drifted through the ballroom at the annual Headwaters Health Care Foundation Gala held at the Hockley Valley Resort last Saturday (May 4) evening. The theme was Spring Time in Paris and
many guests donned appropriate continental attire, which added a flare of
fashion and frivolity to the event. The Gala is the Foundation's largest
fundraiser of the year. Many people do not realize that capital
equipment for Ontario hospitals is not provided through government funding, but
is supplied through the fundraising efforts of the local hospital foundations
and generous donors. “The Gala is our premier fundraiser in
terms of raising money for priority equipment at the hospital, both new and
replacement equipment,” explained Foundation executive director, Dora
Boylen-Pabst. “We have four events each year. This is our largest by far in
terms of size and revenue. We have a 'field hospital' here tonight. Those are
smaller pieces of equipment usually under $3,500, that are needed across the
hospital. We have a live auction tonight with a goal of $150,000 for larger
scale pieces including five new beds, bassinets, and telemetry systems which
are critical for heart patients. This is part of our annual effort to raise
over $2 million for priority equipment at the hospital.” Around 400 guests attended the gala.
The event was sold out early this year. “The $2 million is the Foundation's
goal for equipment specifically,” Ms. Boylen-Pabst explained. “We also have
other fundraising efforts we are working on. We as a foundation are hoping to
raise over $3,500,000. This year there are a couple of special projects. The
largest is a complete lobby redesign and refresh to introduce a better
registration process for patients and their families and improve the flow of
the hospital.” The Gala takes a year to plan with
committee members putting their efforts into next year's function soon after
this year's event is over. “We've heard several themes over the
years,” explained Sarah Mailhot, Foundation board and Gala Committee member.
“We've had the Kentucky Derby and Hollywood – that was last year. We had the
Roaring 20's because we celebrated 20 years of the Gala. In the end, the job is
to raise money for the hospital. The different departments of the hospital will
submit a list of the most urgent needs that they have. The hospital services a
lot of people and a lot of needs. The Gala raises a lot of money and I love
seeing our community be generous. No one has to give, but this brings out the
best in people.” At the Field Hospital display, nurse
Denise Erskine, who works in the administrative side of nursing at the
hospital, showed visitors some of the equipment the hospital needs to purchase.
The display featured bassinets for babies, and different tables and units that
are specifically designed for hospital use. Because the need is for specialty items
designed to be used in a hospital setting, they are expensive. “They need to hold the equipment
properly. They need to be cleaned properly after use due to blood exposure,”
Ms. Erskine explained. “These are specifically designed for health care.” Ms. Erskine pointed out features that
are specific to a hospital setting and showed how even a bassinet is uniquely
designed for a specific function. “Even something like this bassinet –
the only way babies are allowed to be moved through the hospital is if they are
in one of these. It's a safety precaution. It has to be able to roll properly.
The shape and design are important. The type of plastic has to be able to be
wiped regularly with bleach. A lot of products can't hold up to the level of
sterility and cleanliness that is hospital grade clean.” Ms. Erskine pointed out that hospital's
never use real wood-based products as the porous material would allow germs and
bacteria to collect. The Gala is an opportunity for guests
to help support their local hospital but at the same time it's a fun event that
many people look forward to every year. Chair of the Gala Committee, Jenn
Conroy, said the Committee works hard to make sure people enjoy the evening and
want to come back every year. “We love it because our guests embrace
the theme and they always want to know what we are doing this year,” Ms. Conroy
explained. “This year we decided to do something fun and flirty and we came up
with Spring Time in Paris. We started planning in September. It takes a big
committee. There's 16 of us. At our auction and silent auction everything is
donated. Everyone needs our hospital. It's our community and it's something we
can do to give back to the community.” At the end of the evening the Gala
managed to raise $380,000, net, to be used for equipment at Headwaters Health
Care Centre. This is the largest amount of money the Gala has ever raised.. While a mime deftly worked the crowd
and French berets were the fashion statement of the night, Gala visitors also
had the knowledge they were contributing to keep their local hospital a vibrant
and up-to-date facility.
Post date: 2019-05-16 13:04:36
Post date GMT: 2019-05-16 17:04:36
Post modified date: 2019-05-23 13:18:12
Post modified date GMT: 2019-05-23 17:18:12
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