A new milestone was reached for the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation's MRI project as they've raised around $5.2 million of their original $6.5 million goal. The foundation has seen a recent surge of donations from private donors and RMs in the last month, with over $500,000 raised in March.
Executive Director Lori Gervais says they are very happy to be getting that help from the community.
"Certainly, Ron Carson is one that we celebrate often. He and his family have been huge supporters of the hospital for many, many years, so this is something that he has supported from the beginning. He gave us $100,000 early in our fundraising stages and he just came through with another $150,000. So, we're celebrating $250,000 from Ron Carson and his family."
The fundraiser received donations from local governments. The R.M. of Mount Pleasant gave $50,000. The R.M. of Reciprocity gave $50,000, which follows a donation last year, raising their total to $100,000 in donations. The R.M. of Lomond also committed $100,000 to the cause.
Some recent community donations include $1,500 from St. Monica's CWL and $5,000 from Steel Reef Infrastructure.
"Whether it's donations or fundraising events, we've got corporate sponsorships going on. I've got people stopping by the office pretty much daily with donations, always accompanied by a very personal healthcare journey story. We have some third-party sponsorships going on and donation fundraising efforts going on right now."
Gervais says they have a few events planned for the spring and summer to keep in touch with the community. Some of their upcoming events include a raffle for a donated quilt and a golf tournament set for the summer. The foundation is also gearing up for the Radiothon for Life supported by CJ1150, Sun 102, and Country 106.1, which is slated in a couple of months.
"We've always got people supporting Radiothon and doing some outside fundraising for us. So, May 21st is when we will be set up here inside the hospital. That's always a fantastic and fun day of raising money and celebrating."
Gervais encourages everyone to donate, as any amount, big or small, helps to go towards a very needed service for the southeast. You can learn more about the project and how to donate here.