A local community's efforts to donate to the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation's MRI Project have doubled the impact, as the RM of Benson promised to match donations from the community. Totalled up, the RM is sending out a $100,000 donation to the project, joining $154,000 in donations sent by the RM earlier.
RM of Benson Reeve Ken Waalewein talks about their previous and current support for the MRI Project.
"We'd previously done a donation last fall, and we intended to prop that donation up in 2025. We had a ratepayers supper, and at that supper we announced that we would match any donations from ratepayers in the RM of Benson. We had a great response, which was more than what we anticipated, but because we said we would match it, we carried through with the match for all the donations that were received for people who pay taxes in the RM of Benson."
Wallewein says the substantial amount is all thanks to the RM of Benson community members who made a difference for the project.
With over a quarter million dollars donated. Wallewein says he's happy to see such an important project receive support.
"We discussed it at our meetings and decided that we would always support the hospital every year. We're in a funding arrangement with them that has gone on for a lot of years, but this was a unique one-time requirement for larger capital. And the rest of the council felt that it was very important in talking with rate payers when, after we made the first $100,000 donation, the majority of the rate payers that we spoke to were all in favour of us supporting this cause in a big way."
The MRI Project is entering its final stages of fundraising, with less than a million left to go and construction already starting on the unit.
The RM of Benson will keep supporting the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation with whatever project follows this one, says Wallewein.
Yeah, so I guess the last kind of updates from the foundation had them underneath, I think, a million for the MRI project.
"Like I said, we do a donation every year, but this money is over and above the normal amount. I believe our normal amount is about $50,000 a year that we just give with kind of no strings attached. They use it where they feel it's best needed or best suited."
Waalewein encourages everyone to reach out with a donation to the MRI Project to get the initiative over the finish line.