Donations totalled about $30,000 in the foundation’s first time participating in CKNX’s annual fundraiser.
The CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon is expected to have raised around $30,000 for the St. Marys Memorial Hospital.
“We were a hair short of $25,000 in pledges,” says Hospital Foundation fundraising chair Doug Holliday in reference to the donations phoned into radio station CKNX AM920 on Oct. 15.
On top of that amount, the hospital also collected more than $900 from the Home Hardware barbecue and raffle, $1,100 from donations given during the stretcher relay and $725 worth of donations made at the St. Marys Museum. Holliday says pledges will continue to come in throughout the week.
“For our first time (participating in the event) it was a very, very good start,” says Holliday. “I’m happy. How could you not be?”
Despite a cold wind and even colder drizzle throughout the day, the staff of the hospital still managed to put on an entertaining show to bystanders huddled under awnings and storefronts.
“Yes, the weather was crappy. It hindered some activities,” says Holliday, who went on to say that, despite the bad weather, awareness was raised and everything turned out very positive. “Next year we’ll build on that.”
After some deliberation, it was decided that the Bountiful Butts team were the winners of the relay, which had teams of doctors, nurses and staff pushing each other on stretchers down Wellington Street, bobbing for apples, then making a final dash toward the finish line on Parkview Drive while pushing a wheelchair. Throughout the relay, each team had to balance a bedpan full of water without spilling any.
The St. Marys Farmers’ Market also raised $145 after selling out of three different kinds of soup. “It’s just a perfect day for soup,” said market manager Lynette Geddes.
Holliday said it couldn’t have been done without the hard work of the organizing committee. He also credits everyone who donated.
News archive
- Hospital foundation boosting fundraising
St. Marys Journal-Argus, March 11, 2009 - Foundation to leap into nursing recruitment
St. Marys Journal-Argus, October 29, 2008