After fours years, the community’s support for the annual Sundre Hospital Legacy Gala remains unabated, and it again sold out shortly after tickets went on sale.
The fundraiser’s sustained success even has the Sundre Hospital Futures Committee, which organizes the event, considering the possibility of seeking a larger venue than the Sundre Community Centre in the future to accommodate an even larger crowd.
“We always sell out, and always fairly quickly,” said Gerald Ingeveld, committee chair, explaining tickets were all spoken for within hours of becoming available on Oct. 1.
“It’s been like that from the beginning, since the very first one,” said Ingeveld.
“We definitely need a bigger venue.”
Other options that could be considered include the Sundre Curling Rink or the arena, as well as either gymnasium at Sundre High School or River Valley, he said.
“We could almost get twice as many people in the high school gym.”
When the high school was built, he said the community pitched in to raise a lot of money to ensure the gymnasium would be large, and the school board allows for functions to be hosted there.
“Maybe that’s something we should chase,” he said.
But for now, he added last week, organizers planned to take a brief breather before eventually debriefing to consider options moving forward.
The fourth annual Sundre Hospital Legacy Gala was held on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Sundre Community Centre. He said the turnout and support for the silent auction “was surprisingly good, considering we’re in a time when people in this area, and throughout the province, face some financial uncertainties.”
Two walls were lined up with plenty of options for people to choose from, and Ingeveld estimates there were more than 100 silent auction items, roughly on par with previous years.
There was, to boot, “quite enthusiastic bidding for the live auction,” he added.
The auctions brought in just shy of $34,000, but he said that figure does not account for additional funds raised through a raffle as well as drink and ticket sales.
Among the evening’s highlights, he said, were two $1,000 scholarships that were awarded right off the bat to two local students who are pursuing a post-secondary education in either college or university to study in a health-care field, he said.
One bursary, the hospital futures committee’s career scholarship, which applies to any health-related field for rural Alberta, was presented to Shea Jackson, who has worked as a health-care aide in Sundre for a couple of years. After getting married she now intends to upgrade her education and is seeking out more schooling to come back as a licensed practical nurse, he said.
The other bursary, the Joanne Overguard Memorial Scholarship, which is for a student pursuing a path as a registered nurse, was presented to Shayla MacDonald, who has worked as an LPN at the Moose and Squirrel Medical Clinic as well as the Sundre hospital, he said.
Also, Dr. Carly Crewe was congratulated for winning the Alberta Family Physicians’ New Physician Award, for a doctor who has been in practice for up to five years, he said.
“Carly was one of the doctors that we recruited. She’s a real success story for this community,” he said.
Additionally, the Sundre Health Professional Attraction and Retention Committee, which was among the recipients of the 2019 Rural Health Professions Action Plan Rhapsody (RhPAP) Awards, was recognized. RhPAP co-hosted the gala and presented that award, he said.
Heidi Overguard MCed the event alongside Ingeveld, who said the experience was bittersweet for her since she recently stepped down as chair of the attraction and retention committee to join the Alberta Health Services board of directors.
Meanwhile, Chantal Crawford, who for some time has played a leadership role at the Sundre hospital, was announced as the facility’s new site manager. The new AHS lead for the central zone, Janice Stewart, who started her position this summer, was also introduced, he said.
But perhaps the main highlight of the evening, said Ingeveld, was an announcement by property owner Ryan Bridgewater. On behalf of Bridgewater Development Company, he came forward with a donation of a six-acre parcel of land for a future hospital site on the west side of Centre Street North at the top of the hill heading towards James River. The location, he added, is a beautiful site that offers a spectacular view over the valley.
An effort was also made to clarify any confusion surrounding a recent change that brought the hospital futures committee under the umbrella of the Wetaskiwin Health Foundation in partnership with Olds and Rimbey, he said, adding that among other things it means charitable receipts can now be issued. Further elaborating, he added money raised in Sundre stays in the community without any administration fees as those expenses are all covered by grants.
The capital campaign launched last spring to raise funds to purchase hospital equipment such as modern, remote heart monitoring stations, remains ongoing, he said, adding a new hospital build has yet to be approved by AHS. So for the time being, efforts are focused on acquiring new equipment.
The long-term goal, however, is still to lobby not only for a new, modern hospital, but possibly even a health-care campus that will deliver educational and training opportunities for tomorrow’s rural health-care professionals, he said.
“Six acres could become home not just to a hospital, but also a training campus made possible through partnerships.”
The banquet was catered by Chris Vardas, who donated his service in support of the event, while Ingeveld provided some levity in the form of his debut song, Rednecks and Roundabouts, performed on the acoustic guitar.
