GUELPH – The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital has launched its annual spring fundraising campaign smack in the middle of summer.
The fundraiser hopes to raise funds to support the on-going patient care equipment needed at Guelph General Hospital.
In “normal” years, the spring campaign launches in May. This year it is more like a summer campaign because the foundation has been focused on supporting the needs of the hospital resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation is grateful for the outpouring of support it received to its COVID-19 Critical Response Fund. This money helped the hospital to buy much-needed equipment, such as additional ventilators, stretchers and monitors, which were ordered very early on. It also allowed for the purchase of plexiglass screens to keep staff and visitors safe, and items to help maximize the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“And now, as the hospital begins ramping services back up, it’s time for us to refocus on planned funding priorities – to equip the hospital to care for all patients,” Suzanne Bone, CEO of the foundation, states in a release.
Even before COVID-19 hit, Guelph General Hospital was under pressure. Guelph is the fastest-growing city in Ontario. The emergency department alone sees nearly 20,000 more patients each year than it was designed for. Across the hospital, demands continue to grow.
The spring campaign will include an appeal letter that will be mailed to those who have made a donation to the foundation in the past. In an effort to identify more people in the community that would like to support the hospital, the letter will also be mailed widely to households throughout Guelph and Puslinch.
“Annually, we are grateful to receive donations from about 3,500 individuals, businesses and organizations,” said Bone. “But, keeping pace with the on-going and ever-increasing healthcare needs of our community means we need to continuously find new donors who wish to support our mission of helping save lives and improve health, together with our community.”
Donations to the spring campaign will have twice the impact due to a very generous and anonymous matching gift that will double all donations received in direct response to the campaign, up to $140,000.
“We’re so very grateful that we are able to offer this opportunity to people throughout our community to have an even greater impact with their donation,” said Bone.
Responding to the foundation’s appeal letter is one way to make a donation, but donations can also be made online at www.gghfoundation.ca and by phone to 519-837-6422.
