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Last year's Give a Little Life Day raised over $1 million for the new neo-natal intensive care unit at Victoria Hospital. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)
Give a Little Day Radio Thon

Victoria Hospital Foundation asking people to listen to their heart for this year’s fundraiser

Nov 26, 2019 | 5:02 PM

The Give a Little Life Day Radiothon is coming up Friday, Dec. 6.

This year’s Victoria Hospital Foundation (VHF) fundraiser aims to bring in $385,000 to help buy equipment to help heart patients. This year’s theme is Listen to Your Heart.

VHF CEO Sherry Buckler said they’re looking to get a specialized X-ray machine.

“It is a mobile diagnostic tool that can be taken to the patient wherever they are,” Buckler said.

Buckler added the equipment can be especially useful during emergency situations where it is important to get a quick diagnoses.

The VHF is also hoping to get telemetry units. These are used by people who are recovering from heart surgery and allow for patients to be monitored while they are working out at the Alfred Jenkins Fieldhouse. Buckler said the current equipment needs to be replaced.

“The equipment we have is very old and is absolutely obsolete,” she said.

Leading up to the radiothon, the VHF has teamed up with some outside groups to raise money. One of these organizations is Save-On-Foods, which will be accepting donations at the checkout until Thursday. This is the second year the two have teamed up, with last year’s campaign bringing in almost $2,000.

“We’re really excited and really grateful to work again with Save-On-Foods,” Buckler said.

Levon Charter, assistant manager for Save-on-Foods in P.A., said it is important to support causes close to home.

“When we were approached by the Victoria Hospital Foundation to do something local, we kind of jumped all over that last year,” he said.

So far this year over $1,600 has been raised during the campaign. Whenever anyone donates, cashiers take an icon and put it on a wall. Charter said there are a number on the wall.

“It’s quite impressive,” he said.

On Saturday starting at 7 p.m., the foundation will be putting on family soccer game at the Alfred Jenkins Fieldhouse. People who come are asked to make a donation. Afterwards there will be pizza provided by T.J.’s.

“I think it actually makes a lot of sense that we come together on Saturday and exercise and have fun and raise some money for cardiac care,” she said.

The radiothon will be running on 900 CKBI, Power 99 and XFM.

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn

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