The Groves Hospital Volunteer Association continues to do extraordinary things for the hospital and the community.
The group held its annual general meeting Oct. 8 and announced it will be the lead fundraiser for a new CT Scanner, a diagnostic imaging machine, that will be coming to the community. When the machine is in place, Groves patients will not have to drive to Guelph, Kitchener, London or anywhere else for CT images used in the diagnosis and treatment of a many injuries and illnesses.
Association president Norma Siebert said in an interview the association already provided $75,000 in May to help celebrate the association’s 75th anniversary.
She said about three weeks ago, the association was approached by hospital officials and asked to raise $500,000. She said because of the earlier donation, the association has to merely come up with $425,000 over the next three years.
And that will be while continuing to pay off another pledge, which has $87,500 remaining on it. She said that will likely be done over the next three years. Siebert noted that pledge would have been paid off by now except for the 75th anniversary donation.
The cost of the new CT scanner is about $3-million.
And, just to show the administration that it does not fool around, the association presented the heads of the hospital with a cheque for another $35,000 at the AGM, bringing their total contribution to $110,000 already.
“We are fortunate with out Volunteer Association,” Siebert said.
She noted that many hospital groups hold raffles to raise funds, and while she would never denigrate those efforts by volunteers, the Groves Association has a lot more ways to raise money. The four big fundraisers are:
– the Fergus Opportunity Shop;
– the Arthur Opportunity Shop;
– the gift shop at Groves; and
– television rentals at the hospital.
Siebert also saluted Carol Kirby, the head of the fundraising for the Volunteer Association.
“We generate a lot of money,” she said.
The association has 288 active volunteers, and they donate about 37,000 hours a year to the hospital in numerous ways.
“Every one of them works hard and has given a lot,” said Siebert, who is staying on as president of the association for another year to see the project well underway.
The AGM also saluted long time volunteers.
