Portage District General Hospital Foundation recently hosted a highly anticipated fundraising barbecue event, marking its return after a two-year hiatus. The community showed overwhelming support, expressing their joy at being able to contribute to the foundation while enjoying a delicious meal.
The event aimed to raise funds for the foundation's ongoing projects, including acquiring essential equipment and supporting the construction of a new hospital building. The foundation's commitment to enhancing healthcare services in the community was evident, with the new hospital representing a significant milestone for both the foundation and the entire community.
Although a donation was expected from Simplot, the amount of the donation surprised Tara Pettinger, the executive director for the Portage District General Hospital Foundation.
"We had the excitement of Simplot making a surprise donation to the Hospital Foundation of $100,000." Pettinger shares. "I was taken aback and just really amazed at such a generous donation from Simplot. We will be certainly very excited to take that back and look at how we can put that money to work in the community."
She was more than happy with the attendance, with a steady crowd throughout the event. Pettinger also spoke to the collaboration between the foundation, volunteers and local businesses in the collective effort to improve healthcare services for Portage and its surrounding areas.
"The community really got behind this event in more ways than one." she notes. "The people coming out and eating, but also the business support in working in our volunteer lines for serving food and things like that. There's just lots of enthusiasm, a lot of excitement. There's so much happening behind the scenes with our hospital staff that have been helping like slicing onions, unwrapping cheese and making coleslaw. It's just that so many people are involved in this event that come together and collaborate, so it was just really an amazing day."
The Portage District General Hospital Foundation extends sincere appreciation to everyone who contributed to the event's success. The foundation's commitment, combined with the support of the community and Simplot's generous donation, solidifies the shared vision of a healthier and stronger future for Portage and its residents.