Greater Victorians continue to give in a big way to charity.
On Saturday, the Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s annual Visions gala at the Fairmont Empress Hotel raised an all-time high of $698,000, money that will help secure 34 pieces of leading-edge cardiac care equipment for use at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
“Every year Visions makes a substantial contribution to health care on Vancouver Island and it’s heartwarming to see so many generous people come together for a great cause,” said Darlene Hollstein, who chaired the steering committee for the event.
Fundraising activities on the night ranged from a live auction that brought in $73,000 – items up for bid included a nature expedition around Newfoundland, a luxury Hawaiian getaway, Arizona golf vacation and groceries for a year – to a silent auction with even more travel, dining, artwork and spa packages that raised $61,000.
A pledge drive attracted 45 donations for another $75,000, of which $21,000 came from one anonymous donor, and a bear raffle collected $16,000 for the cause.
With the 2017 gala in the books, the total amount raised through Visions over the past 27 years to approximately $7.8 million.
The foundation’s Campaign for Cardiac Care, this year entitled In a Heartbeat: Everyday Miracles, runs through February 2018. The goal is to raise $3.2 million to purchase state-of-the-art equipment in seven areas: electro diagnostics, echocardiography, the heart catheterization laboratory, the cardiac short stay unit, cardiac surgery and the pacemaker clinic.
Dr. Manjeet Mann, heart health executive medical director with Island Health, said the new equipment will allow cardiac teams to better care for patients from “prevention to diagnosis, then from treatment to recovery.”
“Our team works every day for breakthroughs that continually elevate the standards of care in our community,” he said. “Throughout all areas of care our goal is to provide our medical teams with the best equipment possible. This campaign and our generous community will help make that a reality.”
To donate, visit victoriahf.ca, call 250-519-1750 or mail a donation to Wilson Block, 1952 Bay St., Victoria BC, V8R 1J8. To learn more about the campaign and read stories from former patients visit victoriahf.ca/inaheartbeat.
