“Congratulations, you have twins!”
At least that should have been the announcement after a second massive construction crane was put in place at Penticton Regional Hospital.
It’s actually slightly taller than the first crane and will not only help construct the new six-storey tower, but also the parkade and rooftop helipad. Both the tower and the parkade (with room for almost 400 vehicles) will open in early 2019, when construction will begin on Phase 2 — a major expansion of the PRH Emergency Department.
Tree of Dreams
An image of the crane has been an integral part of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation’s 11th annual Tree of Dreams fundraising campaign. We’re overwhelmed by the positive response from residents, businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the regional district. Since late November, we have received more than 800 individual donations totalling over $500,000 – not only through the Tree of Dreams but also our other fundraising efforts.
This has now increased our total amount of donations and pledges to $12.5 million – almost two-thirds of the way towards our $20-million goal to supply the medical equipment for the new PRH patient care tower. Even with $7.5 million still to go, we’re confident the goal will be reached thanks to our community’s fantastic support.
Telus promotion
Speaking of great support, we applaud the folks at Telus which has donated $15,000 to our PRH campaign through their TV for Good program.
Telus directed $25 to the SOS Medical Foundation for every new Optik TV or Telus Internet activation by Penticton customers from June to early September.
Our thanks to everyone involved, including Telus regional marketing manager Brangwen Mooney, who came down from her office in Vernon to deliver the cheque along with local Telus officials, Sean Neary, Samantha Kowalski and Jennifer Park.
Another donation
Kudos too, to Save On Foods in Penticton which donated the proceeds from their “Spin-to-Win” fundraiser at a recent Penticton Vees game to the hospital equipment fundraising drive.
More than 150 people paid $2 each to spin the Save On Foods wheel to win thousands of More Reward points. Store manager Randall Bamford says they awarded more than 300,000 points as a result of Spin-To-Win. Customers can also donate their points directly to PRH.
For every 1,000 More Rewards points a customer donates to the Foundation (with a value of $1), the store will match by donating $1.
The Penticton Save On Foods store is aiming for 20 million points over five years — for a total donation of $40,000.
We truly appreciate this incredible support!
Concrete truck driver is OK
The former reporter in me can’t ignore the mishap that occurred on Dec. 15, when a concrete truck accidentally rolled down an embankment onto its side while backing up to deliver a load to the construction site. Fortunately, the driver was not hurt in the accident.
However, trying to upright a fully loaded concrete truck is no easy feat.
They opted to unhook the tank before righting the truck itself that evening. The tank was removed from the site a few days later.
See: Photo gallery - Concrete truck tips over
Donors parking pass
Finally, a quick reminder to those donors who personally stop by the Foundation’s office just inside the PRH front lobby. We have a free parking pass which we can put on your vehicle’s windshield while you’re visiting us. A sincere wish for a Happy Holiday Season from all of us at the SOS Medical Foundation.
John Moorhouse is the development and communications officer for the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation. For information on donating, please call 250-492-9027 or visit our website sosmedicalfoundation.com.